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<body> <B><FONT SIZE=2 COLOR="#ff0000"><P>::</FONT> Day One:</B><BR> We assembled at the Shepherds Arms Hotel Ennerdale shortly after three o’clock, for a photo shoot by the Whitehaven News, then it was time to pack our bikes, bags and spare equipment onto the bus -we were on the road to Aviemore shortly before 16:00hrs. We finally arrived in Aviemore about 22:45hrs where we were due to spend both Thursday & Friday night. </P> <B><FONT SIZE=2 COLOR="#ff0000"><P>::</FONT> Day Two:</B><BR> On looking outside first thing on Friday morning, the cloud was low and the rain was coming straight down. This is what we had been dreading, looking on the bright side though there seemed to be little or no wind. According to the map the first day was to be the shortest of the four days but with the most climbing.</P> <P>Anyway, into the bus and down into Inverness, catching the tail end of the morning rush hour traffic, we arrived near the Ness Bridge (start point) around 10:30hrs. The rain seemed to stop as we entered the Capital of the Scottish Highlands and that was the last we were to see of it over the next four days. Bikes sorted and on the way to Glasgow. Ahead of us was 234 miles of terrain that few of us had ever seen or were likely to see again!</P> <P>The big climbs we were expecting through out the first day failed to show, instead it seemed mainly to be a barely noticeable incline. The route took us passed the famous Culloden Battlefield and twisted & turned as it followed nearby the A9 & the railway-heading south out of Inverness. The surface was mainly small back roads and I mean back roads, as we would go for miles without meeting any form of motor vehicle. We climbed on up through Moy, then Tomatin</P> <P>And finally reaching Slochd Summit. For the first time after 26 miles we came across some decent down hills, which took us on through Carrbridge then turning left into Boat of Garten. At this point we were only a couple of miles from Loch Garten, famous for its breeding Ospreys. We were not to see anything of these birds as the route turned sharply to the right to head South and we once again started to climb steadily towards Aviemore. We finally made it back to Aviemore about 15:45hrs with a relatively incident free day, just two punctures and 46 miles behind us. A lot of the country side we’d passed through was very much like our own Lake District, the scenery was excellent, but with far less traffic to contend with.</P> <P>Our first near miss came later in the evening while in a bar in Aviemore. After a few pints of the local brew, Howard decided to tell us about the historic 'Battle of Culloden', and how the Scottish lost vast amounts of men in the battle and the English only lost six. However, we did manage to remind Howard in the nick of time where on the map we were!</P> <B><FONT SIZE=2 COLOR="#ff0000"><P>::</FONT> Day Three:</B><BR> The second day riding, we were on the road about 09:30hrs. Again we were expecting a good 30 plus mile climb up to the Pass Of Drumochter summit (the highest point of the ride). According to the map we would have a number of miles to travel along the busy A9, but thanks to Sustran’s and the Scottish Office who have put in mile after mile of new cycle path we were spared that pleasure. The route climbed up through Kingussie, Newtonmore and on to Dalwhinnie where we called in to Dalwhinnie Distillery Visitors Centre. I’d like to thank the two kind ladies who work there for the free glass of whisky, which was much appreciated. Then it was back into the saddle and about a good five-mile climb to the Pass Of Drumochter summit. The scenery was excellent climbing steeply to our left were The Grampian Mountains one of Scotland’s most famous mountain ranges. The mountain range still supporting large amounts of snow in gills and over ridges. We now had some 25 miles plus of down hill and flat ahead of us as we descended down through Blair Atholl, Killiecrankie and finally into Pitlochry where we due to spend our Saturday night.</P> <P>Early evening I thought my luck was in as we went into a bar and found the Speedway Grand Prix on the TV. Been a keen supporter of Workington KC Comets I thought I would be able to see how Carl Stonehewer got on, but sadly I was out voted and on we moved (sorry Stoney!). We shortly found another watering hole and stayed there for the duration of the evening. It was while we were in this bar that our T-shirts worked dividends as two kind Gentlemen came over to us. The first gave us a donation of Ł10 (His Grand daughter had died 12 months earlier of Meningitis) and the second bloke was still fighting the big C, he gave us Ł20. We all shook the hands of these Gentlemen and bought them a pint. Brilliant eh! Talking to them made this bike ride that bit more special. I’d like to give Mrs Irene Robinson a mention and a big thank you as she designed and printed the T-shirts free of charge for every one of us. </P> <B><FONT SIZE=2 COLOR="#ff0000"><P>::</FONT> Day Four:</B><BR> Up ready and sorted just after 9 o’clock on the Sunday morning, this was to be our longest day (69 miles in total). Again we had been blessed with the weather, dry with high cloud perfect! </P> <P>Another big thank you must go to Brian Stone & his wife (the Landlord & landlady of The Carra Beag guesthouse) for their excellent donation of Ł20.</P> <P>Before leaving Pitlochry we called in at the Salmon pass, where we were to see 6 excellent fish at close quarters on their way through the pass. </P> <P>On leaving Pitlochry we headed south for a couple of mile till we came to a small Village called Logierait, we then turned sharp right and crossed over one of Scotland’s most famous Salmon rivers, The River Tay. We now headed in a westerly direction for over thirty miles. First we passed through Strathtay, and then we had to take a half-mile (each way) detour off the route into Aberfeldy to get our maps stamped. On rejoining the route we headed towards the village of Kenmore at the East End of Loch Tay, where we crossed over to the south side of the loch and again headed west to we came to a place called Killin. I think most of us would agree this was one of the most tiring parts of the whole ride. It was 300 metres up 300 metres down for the full 17 miles of the loch. We decided to stop here in one of the local Pubs for a bite to eat and a pint.</P> <P>On leaving Killin we turned South towards Glen Ogle Pass, climbing for some two to three miles and then on pasted Lockearnhead. About five miles after Lockearnhead we called at Balquhidder grave yard to see where the famous Rob Roy was buried (none of us were quite sure what he was famous for but we all knew of him and believed he was a bit of a dodgy character). The time was moving on as it was 17:30 hrs and we still had another ten miles to cover before reaching Callendar, where we were to spend the night. This day was the hardest and longest of the whole ride.</P> <B><FONT SIZE=2 COLOR="#ff0000"><P>::</FONT> Day Five:</B><BR> Monday morning, bright blue skies and in for a hot last day. On the road again (not before I’d had a puncture in the Hotel car park - this must be the fastest on record! This had now put me as firm favourite to win the 'Hazard Howard Trophy' from Mr Wilson, who won it last year while on the C2C) just after 9am, heading south west passed Loch Venacharm, then through the Invertrossachs. This part of the ride was all paths and forestry roads. The scenery again was excellent as the route twisted and turned its way up through woodland and around Loch Drunkie. Then we had an excellent down hill as we dropped down into Aberfoyle. From there we headed through Gartmore before hitting the severest climb of the whole ride, up and up for nearly two miles. Then another decent down into a town called Drymen, where we stopped for a bite to eat. From here onwards the going was mostly level all the way to Glasgow. We finally reached The Ness Bridge (thee end!) about 16:30hrs, where we took a few photos just for proof. I would advise any one whom may wish to do this cycle ride in future that an ideal place to finish would be the boat marine in Balloch. The last 20 miles from Balloch to the Ness Bridge in Glasgow were all urban, cycle way signs were snapped off, turned around, painted over, there was broken glass all over the cycle path</P> <P>On the whole the ride was brilliant, well thought out and with improvements on going all the time it can only get better, but forget the last 20 miles!</P> <B><FONT SIZE=2 COLOR="#ff0000"><P>::</FONT> Day One:<BR> </B>With the entire bikes etc, loaded into the mini bus on Thursday evening, everything was in place for a 06:00hr start on Friday morning. We arrived at Bell’s Bridge in Glasgow just gone 09:00hrs (the place we’d finished our journey from Inverness 12 months earlier). It took us nearly half an hour to carry out our final preparations and checks, before setting off on our 253-mile ride back to Ennerdale.</P> <P>The first day turned out to be one of those I think most of us would like to forget as it was mostly through urban area’s with all the problems of the last twenty miles of last years ride i.e. no signs, signs turned around etc. After nearly 8hrs in the saddle plus lots of debates and back tracking we finally reached our accommodation in Ayr at around 17:30hrs, 56 very frustrating miles behind us, thank goodness.</P> <B><FONT SIZE=2 COLOR="#ff0000"><P>::</FONT> Day Two:<BR> </B>We knew this was going to be the longest and toughest day of the ride, but we hadn’t anticipated just how long and tough. After a good quantity of the local brew the previous night, off we set just after 09:00hrs. The first couple of miles were along the sea front and was that sea breeze needed (just how much we were about to find out). We didn’t have to long to wait, as it was up and over a massive hill to a place called Maybole. From Maybole we headed on to a small village called Crosshill, where we started the longest climb of the ride, up and up for close on 5 miles, by which time a head wind had got up, followed soon after by rain. Again once reaching the hilltop it was a steep decent down to not much above sea level. This was again followed by another 3 mile climb and the wind seemed to be getting stronger or was it my legs getting weaker, I’m not sure. Once reaching the highest point the road started to run gently down for the best part of ten miles towards a place called Glentrool. We never quite made it into the village as we bearded left at this point onto a 26 mile off road stretch of the route, which eventually led us to our second over night stay in Castle Douglas. This part of the route was very picturesque and probably the best section of the whole ride; but with 79 miles behind us and a few of the riders' sense of humour rapidly disappearing I was quite pleased to see Castle Douglas! </P> <P>This was a good hard days cycling behind us and in my opinion an excellent one, which was everything the first day, failed to provide. We had beautiful scenery with nice quiet country roads and tracks to cycle along. Weather could have been better but can’t have everything; "after all we were in Scotland". </P> <B><FONT SIZE=2 COLOR="#ff0000"><P>::</FONT> Day Three:<BR> </B>Another 69 miles ahead of us, but today the terrain and weather were to be well in our favour. We set out again around the 09:00hr mark and headed towards Dumfries, a journey of just over 20 miles. This part was quite hilly, but nothing compared to the day earlier. Once through Dumfries we headed south towards the Solway coast, where we turned and headed in a north easterly direction, close by the Solway to we came to Annan, where we stopped for a bite to eat (and a pint). We’d made excellent time, as we had a good breeze behind us and we hadn’t seen a hill of any note since we left Dumfries nor were we to see one again that day. After Annan we pressed on through Gretna and back into England, then on to Longtown before turning south and into Carlisle via Rockcliffe. We completed the days cycling around 16:00hrs, we’d only cycled 10 miles less than the previous day and in over 4 hours less. </P> <B><FONT SIZE=2 COLOR="#ff0000"><P>::</FONT> Day Four:<BR> </B>This took us out of Carlisle via the excellent new River Caldews cycle way to Dalston, from there we went on through Raughen Head, Hesket Newmarket and into Caldbeck where we stopped for a bar meal (and a pint). There was an almost ghostly feeling about the whole area, not an animal in sight, in fact we could not remember seeing an animal in neither the whole of Cumbria or most of Dumfries for that matter. It really hit home how this terrible foot & mouth disease had totally devastated these areas. We then headed along Caldbeck Common, before turning left and through by Over Water Tarn, down passed the Castle Inn, on through Embleton, Lorton, and Loweswater before hitting Fang’s Brow. Eventually reaching the top of Fang’s, we only had one good climb to go. Up through Lamplugh, over the Leap’s, descending into Croasdale, down into Ennerdale village and then to The Shepherds Arms for some well earned sandwiches, chips and a pint (or two), before heading home to rest some very tired and weary limbs.</P> <P>On the whole it had been a long trail and the lads patience had wore very thin on many occasion’s; but in my opinion, due to the Foot and Mouth crisis, most of the lads had not had the opportunity to get out and about - to get enough training in, as in previous years. Apart from the first day the cycle ride had been a very good one, a good challenge, but maybe with a few less miles per day, we would have been able to take in a bit more of the surrounding areas.</P> <p><b><font color="#FF0000">::</font> Day One:</b><br> Glenn Southward & Joe Pattinson collected the mini-bus late afternoon on Wednesday the 5/6/02 and then headed on to Ennerdale, where we had all planned to meet up outside of the Fox & Hounds public house.  This was so that we could pack all our bikes and personal belongings into the bus ready for the early start on the Thursday morning.</P> <b><font color="#FF0000">::</font> Day Two:</b><br> At 02:00 hrs on Thursday morning Andrew Griffiths, who came up from Bristol to take part, and myself (John Ireland) were on our way picking the lads up and finally on route for John O’Groats just after 03:00hrs.  On through Carlisle and on to the M74, bypassing Glasgow before 06:00hrs, then up passed Stirling, there joining the A9, which took us up passed Pitlochry and over the Dromoctor pass, descending down to, and past Inverness by 08:45hrs.</p> <P> On leaving Inverness via the Kessock Suspension Bridge, we saw a sign stating that John O’Groats was still 130 miles away. The weather was unbelievable, the sun shinning and not a cloud in sight.  We finally made it to John O’Groats just before mid-day, a journey of 417 miles and nearly 8 hours on the road. After a little look around and a stretch of the legs, it was time for the cycling to begin. With the time pushing on, we were now faced with 45 miles in the saddle, riding to a small village called Strathy.</P> <p>Here we were to spend Thursday night in a local <a href="http://www.sharvedda.ukf.net/" target="_blank">B & B</a>.  The views from there were awesome, right along Scotland's northern coast for as far as the eye could see, cliff faces rising hundreds of feet up from the beaches below. One thing we found to be very strange, was the nighttime or lack of it - as never really got dark!</p> <P><b><font color="#FF0000">::</font> Day Three:</b><br> Up bright and early on Friday morning, another brilliant day, again a sunny cloudless sky. We were only due to cycle 23 miles along the coast to our next port of call; a place called Tongue. The plan was to reach The Tongue Hotel by mid-day as the England/Argentina World Cup game kicked off at 12:30hrs. I’d being assured by the landlady that we would be able watch the game in the Hotel bar, if this had not being the case, I was facing a mutiny on the bike ride.</P> <P> The scenery along the coast from Strathy to Tongue was out of this world, white sandy beaches and blue seas. With the sun shinning you could of being forgiven for thinking you were in some far off land, had it not being for the greenery around us. We reached Tongue and the Hotel as planned just before mid-day, then it was into our rooms, showered, on with the England shirts, shorts, England caps and sun glasses, England flags and into the bar before kick off time and rest as they say is history. We won the football, but lost the pool & dart, on a penalty shoot out to the locals. I’d like thank the locals (especially big Andy) as they took the sas-a-nac invasion in good humour and made the day one that none of us, nor themselves will forget for years to come, hopefully one day we will return there for a re-match (and WIN).</P> <b><font color="#FF0000">::</font> Day Four:</b><br> Saturday, after having two days of glorious sunshine even though it didn’t rain, the cloud was low and we were faced with a stiff breeze for the whole day. We now headed in a southeasterly direction, up and out of Tongue, on passed Loch Loyal and then on to a place called Altnahara.</p> <P> We’d travelled nearly 20 miles from Tongue and only passed one dwelling on route. At Altnahara they were having their annual sports day, so we stopped and watched a band of pipes & drums doing their stuff for half an hour or so. Then it was back in the saddle and a long climb out of Altnahara for the best part of 10 miles till we arrived at The Crask Inn, surely this must be Britains most remote public house. We stopped there for a bite to eat. With the best part of 30 miles (of climbing) behind us, we were now faced with about the same distance, but this time it was nearly all-flat and down hill, having said that we still had a fairly stiff breeze to ride into. On we travelled for about 15 miles to the next sign of any civilisation, which was a place called Lairg, on through Lairg, where we stopped to take a look at The Shinn Falls, before completing our days journey at a place called Ardgay. To date we’d covered 121 miles in the equivalent of two days cycling (one full & two half days).</P> <P><b><font color="#FF0000">::</font> Day Five:</b><br> Sunday morning, the last day of the cycle ride, another 60 miles to go to our journey’s end, on The Ness Bridge in Inverness, the place we’d started the Inverness to Glasgow cycle ride two years earlier. The day started off with a cycle of some 15 miles down a busy main road, the A836 to a place called Tain. Here we got back on to the near deserted back roads, and once again and headed in an easterly direction. When we reached the coast, we turned south and headed towards the Nig Ferry. The Nig Ferry so we were told is the smallest car ferry operating within the British Isles. We got onto the ferry for the 20-minute sailing across the mouth of The Cromarty Firth, to Cromarty itself, which is on The Black Isle. After something to eat in a local Hotel, it was back into the saddle. A long steep climb faced us to the summit of the Black Isle - after which it was a long welcome, and mainly down hill ride all the way into Inverness where we completed the ride on the Ness Bridge as planned.</P> <p>Looking back over the cycle ride, I would say this one, had surpassed even the Inverness to Glasgow ride from 2 years previous (which is saying something!). The weather had being excellent, the scenery was out of this world and the crack amongst the lads, both while cycling and in the evenings was superb.</p> <P> Best of all was the fact that we raised the grand total of Ł2,600 which has being donated to the Children’s Ward in the West Cumberland Hospital, where the money will be spent to purchase an electrically operated bed and an infusion pump.</P> </body>