I have lifted this map from the inside front cover of Cycling Land’s End to John O’Groats: LEJOG end-to-end on quiet roads and traffic-free paths by Richard Barrett. 3rd edition. Kendal, Cumbria : Cicerone, ©2021. It shows pretty much the route I’m planning on walking northbound, except for the two diversions I’ve already mentioned: the Offa’s Dyke Path, and the Annandale Way.
Read moreLEJOG as pilgrimage
Okay, fine, the last posts explain what a LEJOG is, but why do it?
A goodly number of the people do this trek to raise funds for a charity. Those are the people who post and boost videos during their trip. LEJOGers who aren’t trying to reach more potential donors don’t have the same need to publicize their efforts. But there are other reasons to walk 1,000 miles.
Read moreMy Route Changes
I wrote yesterday about how I am planning on walking the cycle paths, small country lanes, quiet roads, and canal paths that are spelled out in the Richard Barrett book.
And, of course, I’m already figuring on customizing it.
Read moreLEJOG Routes
Here’s the deal with planning your own LEJOG: after deciding that you’d like to try it, you need to figure out a route between the two ends. That’s right! Unlike the Appalachian Trail, this major trek is not blazed end-to-end. There isn’t one single “official” pathway. The whole ‘how do you get from here to there’ part is up to each individual trekker.
Read moreMore about LEJOG
So, if you haven’t turned already to your atlas to see where those endpoints are, let me fill you in. Lands’ End is the southwesternmost point of mainland England. John o’Groats is the northeasternmost point of mainland Scotland. They’re roughly 800 miles apart, but you can’t walk there by that ‘as the crow flies’ straight line route. There’s too much water in between, for one thing.
Read moreWhat is the “LEJOG”?
This part of the site is about something called “LEJOG.” That’s an acronym for “Lands’ End to John o’Groats.” Those are the endpoints of an iconic northbound journey in Britain. (Its southbound opposite is JOGLE.) I’ve been preparing for this walk for months now. I leave home on Palm Sunday. I finish some time after that.
Pathology: the Study of a Path 