John O'Groats to Cowbridge. Done.

I am very sorry for the delay in posting the blog, but it's been back to work and I have been swamped with admin work.

For those of you that didn't know and assumed the blog posts stopped after we gave up, WE MADE IT!!!

After a gruelling last day from near enough Builth Wells, adrenaline and the thought of waking up on Monday in your own bed and not having to cycle spurred us on.

The cycle bug hit South Wales in a big way with people encouraged to dust off their bikes and join us on our final leg. Fourteen quickly became seventeen as we were greeted by the Griffin father and son (Tim & Rhys) and friend Ed Pointer in Brecon on our pursuit up the Taff trail.

Whilst the ladies in particular were enjoying the uncharacteristic Welsh sun, they soon longed for some drizzle to cool us down after reaching the top of the particularly horrendous 20% Tal-y-bont hill (seemed more like a mountain).

Geoff was spotted wearing a smile as the peleton reached over 30 with the Andrews family and friends joining us before Merthyr. The smile was attributed to Geoff feeling that the new additions coupled with his sharpened toe caps was enough needed to tackle any horn honking motorists with force!

As we terrorised the taff trail we had an unfortunate injury within the group as Izzy Andrews managed to painfully catapult head first over her handlebars. Some nasty cuts to the face but thankfully for the helmet no broken bones or anything more serious.

As we slugged on to Merthyr we were greeted with an extremely warm welcome from our support team (Auntie Lisa, Julia & Rhian) who provided us with the much needed chocolate bars and encouragement. This was also our second rendezvous point and we picked up some more enthusiastic cyclists (the sensible ones who had obviously seen/heard of Tal-y-bont hill before!) in the shape of Peter & Freddie Dewey, John Boult, Sam Bayer, James Griffiths and James Rees & Auntie Jeffrey who had made the brave choice of riding a tandem (thankfully we were running rather late so they had a lot of practice time in the car park!).

Propelled on by our newcomers we carried along the taff trail en mass, finding time to enjoy some sociable drinks and soak up the sun on the way (Not John Boult who was rather anxious about the UV rays burning his scalp!).

The peaceful trail soon turned into some more substantial roads and Geoff was happy as cycling together we were now a force to be reckoned with. The police in particular felt so threatened that one member was pulled over, handed a contact card and urged to make a 'citizens arrest' on another member of the group (Harry H) for being on his phone while cycling.

Everyone's pace slowed down as we entered Culverhouse Cross, some hopeful for a cheeky pint, others for a deserved McFlurry and others for a rest before the infamous 'Tumble'. As legs began to strain, it was the thought that this was officially the last hill of the whole trip that gave us the proverbial kick up the backside.

Carrying along the A48 everyone was disappointed and what was an assumed easy 8 miles. What seems like a relaxing drive in the car was anything but on the bike as the wind, slight incline and poor surface sapped the already empty energy tanks.

Reaching the Mughal we found time to regroup, re-catch the breath and most importantly for the females, check the make up and hair. As we had just got into a fashioned sequence it was promptly ruined by an overtaking car who obviously mistook our white tops for bowling pins. Thankfully he scored a zero but Geoff seized the opportunity and set off on a last sprint down Primrose Hill. The sprinting practice had paid off as he managed to catch the man at the lights and once again exchange explicates.

Cycling into Cowbridge was an emotional experience as we were met with a truly amazing amount of supporters who cheered us in our achievement and welcomed us back to Cowbridge in style. As we enjoyed the fantastic bbq put on by Oscars, everyone enjoyed a lovely evening as drinks and stories were shared with family, friends and sponsors.

Photos to come, I am trying to collate them all together (If you have any please send them to freddie.hitchcock@gmail.com)

We would all like to thank everyone for a truly exceptional level of support that has allowed us to raise a significant sum of money, £27,000, that will be put to good use by Velindre Stepping Stones Appeal. We honestly could not have done this without the help of everyone!

P.S Following an excessive amount alcohol, Julian, Esther, Lydia and Freddie agreed to carry on to Lands End and finished last Thursday.

Are we nearly there yet?

692 miles done, 65 miles remaining.

After what seemed like an impossible task in the beginning, only one leg stands in the way of us finishing the 757 miles journey from John O'Groats through Ireland returning to our home town of Cowbridge. The journey has seen many lows (energy levels and moods) and many highs (hills) and despite loving it all, we are all looking forward to some well earned lazy days at home and lie ins.

This shall be the penultimate blog as I am sure that with more people joining us tomorrow it will prove to be an eventful day with tales worth telling and pictures worth seeing.

Today wasn't a very historic day at all and was an extremely short day in comparison. After yet another cooked breakfast, we set off from our hotel in Rhayader heading to Llangoed (well not straight away, it was raining outside so we had a bit of a sit down until the rain stopped). With a very speedy 10 miles along the A470 we reached the town of Builth Wells. With breakfast only an hour ago, we had some time to kill so naturally headed for a coffee shop and similarly to all the other coffee shop breaks, Julian raided the cake counter and bought them out of cakes.

A bit of excitement was when much to the horror of the pedestrians, Freddie's sunglasses fell off, unfortunately landed on his chain and not wanting to pedal and crush the glasses he sacrificed his knees and toppled over (he has cycling shoes with cleats that clip into the pedal).

Cycling on to our hotel we arrived significantly earlier than usual giving us time to sample their afternoon tea. With a quick game of croquet over, the women are 'foofing' themselves for dinner tonight and tomorrows final ride while the men are taking a quick nap to recharge the batteries.

Tomorrows ride sees us leave Llangoed at 9.30, arriving at Brecon around 10.30 and Merthyr (by the civic centre) at 12.30, continuing on the Traff trail and then the A48. It would be great to see you all join us tomorrow, whether it be on the bike or back in Cowbridge where we hope to be back by 6.

Here is the entertainment correspondence to fill you in on the X factor results.

For the avid follower of our X factor, last nights performance prove to be yet another entertaining night with Fred choosing the "horse " as our animal for the evening. the standard was yet again very high with not only the neighing and clip clopping but with lots of galloping around the room to add to their rendition . You can tell we must be nearing the finals as the competitiveness has moved to a new level especially as Isabel demonstrated her beast dumping its load in fairness it was one of the most ladylike dumps ever witnessed!! The final 4 were Is, Caroline,Jess and Johnnie they left us feeling we were actually in a ranch!! JG came through as a very convincing Stallion and was the winner.

Tonight we are apprehensive about the x factor as we have managed to clear every restaurant we have ever performed in and Llangoed hall has\actually requested that we\all wear jackets shirts and ties so I am sure they will not appreciate our animal antics!!!

P.s. Phones don't have a great signal here

Cycling up a mountain and down a hill.

After arriving in the beautiful seaside town of Aberdyfi and navigating our way to the hotel, the Penheliog Arms, Geoff spotted it was a Brains Inn and given that Brains are sponsoring the Captains Climb, made an impromptu e-mail to Scott Waddington (CEO of Brains) and they very kindly sponsored the wine for the evening, so a massive thank you for them for that. Also, we’d all said how we would all like to go back to Aberdyfi and the Penehliog Arms was a brilliant place to stay.

With Esther winning the X Factor competition; Well done Mel on guessing it was a peacock, her choice for the evening efforts was a goat (given the amount of Welsh Goats cheese that was being eaten). Freddie rather sheepishly accepted the win, with others detecting some slight nepotism from Judge Esther. With us enjoying a lovely meal and wine we retired for some much needed rest.

Today marked a tricky ride from Aberdyfi to Rhyader, a relatively small ride of 50 miles but along a road with some serious climbs as we journeyed over the Cambrian Mountains. Starting off at sea level we left in the knowledge that we had four main climbs before lunch (according to Geoff anyhow). At the top of every hill gasping for oxygen someone would always be quick to ask Geoff if that was one of the dreaded four hills, sadly the answers were no. As soon we got through Machynlleth we knew that the hills were imminent with the road sign exclaiming 19 miles to our lunch stop, Llanidloes along a narrow mountain road.

As we slugged on we were faced with what could only be described as a ski slope, a road equivalent of le Face in Val d’isere. As gears were rapidly shifted into as low as possible it was painful as you reached what looked like the summit, only to be graced with another corner and another steep climb. With lactic acid building up in everyone’s legs it took a serious amount of grunt and determination to reach the summit. Everyone was very glad of the new addition to the tuck shop, Energy Sweets, to give that extra energy boost when needed. Esther in particular binged on 2 packets as she cycled up the mountain.

Reaching the peak at 510m after the four mile incline the views were truly breathtaking, and everyone was even more grateful with Geoff announcing that the prior hill was actually 2 of the hills done. With no coffee shops at the top we carried with at least the knowledge that we must have some downhill. Everyone, well apart from Caroline (who has a fear of going down hills) was extremely glad of the long downhill with everyone managing to gather some serious speeds. JG sped along at particularly impressive 49mph on one downhill stretch and Caroline even managed to measure in a personal best.

Us collapsed at the peak

As the roads continued Geoff was the centre of some controversy as the number of ‘serious’ hills (serious defined as over 14% gradient) was definitely more than four! Lydia was at a low point of the whole trip and Caroline was in an even worst state exclaiming that this was the “worst day of her life”! Gladly arriving at our lunch destination we explored the town to find somewhere that could serve us all. We all hoped for some tasty food as it was the thought of food that had got most of us up the hills!

Moving on from lunch we were joined by Ed who was determined that he wanted to cycle up a mountain. Five minutes in and he was eating his words as the road continued up some extremely steep hills.

Esther collapsing after an intense hill climb.

Finally arriving at our hotel in Rhyader all of us our completely exhausted and despite our increase in fitness the cumulative fatigue is definitely taking its toll.

Photos of the fatigue setting in:

Criccieth to Aberdyfi

I’m sorry for leaving yesterday’s post rather unfinished but my phone was on the brink of dying and I wasn’t prepared to risk losing what I had already written.

Carrying on from the unfinished bridge we admired the views as we descended into the small seaside town of Criccieth. The last two miles are always the hardest as you know how close you are, but everyone usually splits up and gets lost as we hunt for the hotel, yesterday was no exception. A warm welcome party of Auntie Lisa and Auntie Jeffrey greeted us with a proudly waived Welsh Flag (thank you to Southerdown Golf Club for lending it!) and some much needed beverages.

With a quick shower we met downstairs for some more drinks and some tasty food. With it being Harry’s last night Judge Hole once against held a kangaroo court session to punish the misdemeanours of the last few days. Notable charges included;

Esther Hitchcock - Obtaining more shoes through Josh’s visit to Dublin and getting Auntie Lisa to bring extra clothes.

Geoff Graham – Road Rage.

Julian Hitchcock – Some particularly tragic cycling outfits.

X Factor also got under way with Rachel having the honour on deciding upon the topic. Have a look at the video below to try and ascertain what you think the finalists of Geoff, Jess, Esther and Auntie Lisa are impersonating.

Also, I have been informed that the last video I posted didn’t actually show Pauls cow impression; it was a breakdown in communication and understanding between the filming crew and editing staff! Should be below:

After some drinks to celebrate another type of result and some banter with the newcomers we hit the sack for some much needed sleep.

Waking up to a Welsh fry up we got on our way with Superman to Criccieth castle. Cycling on to Portmaddog the heavens opened and even Superman’s powers were ineffective as the rain drenched us all. Feeling the need to thaw out we stopped off at Harlech for a cake break. While some went to explore the castle, others took the chance to challenge themselves against a 40% gradient hill! The incline was so steep that you had to get off and walk down part the hill as applying the brakes was a futile attempt at slowing down! With a car interrupting JG’s first attempt up the perilous incline it was his bike that came off worse at the second try as the chain snapped under the pressure.

With a quick pit stop we had to say goodbye to Superman and Auntie Lisa as their help was needed elsewhere. They helped spurred us on through the Welsh rain and would be welcomed back to the tour anytime.

Getting back on the wet road to Aberdyfi we had our worst accident so far with Jess hitting a curb and bouncing along the road. Thankfully all is well after some first aid attention by on call Dr. Graham and a scone break shortly afterwards. Some onlookers have argued that Freddie was out to avenge his earlier scuffle with Jess, but when questioned by Sky Sports Freddie strongly denied any such motive.

Cycling on some memorable roads with some picturesque views; people cycling close to Geoff stated that they could sense him itching to lash out on motorists as they came close when passing him. Its hard to think that a man that loves his naps can get so agitated.

Arriving safely I’ll keep you posted with tonight’s antics.

Bubbling Dublin

Firstly, apologies for the lack of pictures and spelling mistakes. I've had to rely upon my blackberry yet again.

With yesterday being an official tour rest day, not much in cycling terms happened. It gave us an opportunity to rest our bodies and recover from the frolic of temple bar the night before.

With Josh Rees-Hole joining us for our few days in Dublin and dinner underway the Guinness and wine yet again flowing we felt the need to over indulge (not that we have held back the rest of the trip!) To make the most of our aptly named 'recovery day'. The X factor competition again when down to the wire with Rachel emerging as the winner from the final 3 of Julian, Simon and herself.

Rachels pingu prevailed but Julians impression also deserves an honourable mention as he managed to scare one waiter to death by following her away from the table with a sqwalk and a waddle. Moving on from food and navigating our way through the cobbled streets to Temple Bar; we endured more alcohol and joined in with the Irish craic.

Waking up with a splitting headache we all sought comfort with a full fry up. Learning about how Guinness was made wasn't the best hangover cure, but we jumped back on the bandwahon with a pint at the panoramic bar at the top of the brewery. Sunny weather leant itself perfectly to an open top bus tour and everyone was searching eagle eyed for somewhere to stop for lunch.

After a few bottles of wine at lunch and some tasty french food the women went shopping with the men retiring back to the hotel. The evening was a rather sober affair with most of the group going to watch River Dance while the others took the opportunity of an early night.

Up at 6 to grab some early brekkie we got on our way to the Dublin port for our morning ferry. As the Welsh hills came into sight everyone was overwhelmed with a sense of achievement and that the fact that we are so close to finishing our trip.

As we embarked on the first road (a busy dual carriage way) we all embraced the roads which consisted of newly laid tarma - a trteat compared to the pot-holed-riddled lanes in Ireland! However, it didn't take us long to realise we were out of our depths and didn't stand much chance up against arctic lorrys hurtling by. With Geoff in charge of directions we took a quick de tour for our lunch stop at Llanfair PG, also known as Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgigerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, bit of a mouthful!

With a few pints over yet another pub lunch (we could all become food critics) we got back on our way to our destination, Criccieth. Some hairy moments on the road and Geoff managed to get himself into another shouting match with an impatient driver. Point to note - cycling shoes with cleats aren't the best for kicking cars as by the time he'd got his feet out the car was already 20m past! Following along some lovely cycle paths we were a bit dismayed by getting halfway along and finding the next section closed (everyone had flashbacks of Ireland). Deciding to take a risk we followed it anyhow only to come to a half built bridge but gambled on the wooden planks being strong enough and made a quick dart across it. Despite all the trips weight gain, they were.

Better late than never

Apologies for the belated blog update but Saturday marked the end of our first week/first night in Ireland and I am sure you will understand that the Guinness was calling.

Friday night saw the X Factor competition hit new heights with the judges both awarding maximum marks to Paul and Julian for their impressive impersonations of a ‘Scottish Highland Cow’. With it going to deadlock we would like to grant you, the audience, the power to decide the winner. Watch the video below and vote in the poll. Nanna, please note that multiple votes are not allowed!

The ferry from Troon (Scotland) to Larne (Northern Ireland) called for an earlier than normal breakfast. With it being the last morning in Scotland we once again took full advantage of the Scottish fry up on offer and got on our way. With the wind whipping up the waves it was fortunate that the breakfast didn’t resurface as it did for many others on the boat.

Arriving in Larne we met up with the newest member of our team, Johnnie Graham. His fresh legs and youth were drafted in to spur us on through our Irish pursuit. With Scotland behind us we assumed that hills were a thing of the past, sadly not.

The first hill was more of a bobsleigh track made even more of a struggle with the sun beaming down on us (not that we haven’t enjoyed the sun, it’s been so much nicer than the Scottish rain!). With our delayed start (the ferry didn’t get in til 12) we covered ground quickly and stopped rather conveniently at a town with a classic car exhibition. With a Sainsburys in sight we grabbed some munch, sat on the grass and basked in the sun.

Off on our way to Downpatrick we rather quickly cycled through Belfast with Caroline and Paul particularly anxious about wearing their orange cycling jackets! With Geoff in charge of directions we somehow managed to turn a supposedly straightforward cycle into a country detour, with the mileage signs only changing by 2 miles despite a 14 mile ride.

Eventually arriving at our destination- a hotel come pub- we decided to jump straight into the Irish spirit with a round of Guinness. This marked the beginning of the end.

The X Factor competition resumed over dinner and with the winner from Friday tied it was up to both Paul and Julian to decide upon the nights animal. They rather bizarrely agreed upon a ‘Frog-Pig’, with it open to interpretation it was Jess who prevailed as she wowed everyone with both aspects ; the ‘Ribbit’ and the ‘Oink’.

The night also hosted the first session of ‘Kangaroo Court’ held by Judge Hole to punish tour members who had offended in some way. Each person had to put forward a charge, which was in turn read out by the judge. The offender was given the opportunity to defend his or her position and then was punished accordingly. Sentencing varied between ‘2 fingers of Guinness’ to ‘downing’ the entire thing. Such offences included:

Geoff - Charge: Questionable Map Reading Skills- Punishment: Whole pint

Esther -Charge: Breaking Caroline’s Bike by Sitting on the Wheel- Punishment: Whole glass of wine

Caroline – Charge: Damaging the atmosphere by applying her brake pads too often- Punishment: Two fingers of wine.

Bear with me on the photos, Geoff has got them on his camera and he is in the shower.

After court was convened we moved into the bar to join in with the local craic. Is and Esther (who were spurred on by the effects of their recent court punishments) decided to take charge and pull out the Velindre donation box to pass around the locals who were equally inebriated! After many generous contributions, the ladies decided to award the contributors with a boogie in the middle of bar, with Is wining the impromptu ‘Rocker of the Night’ award with some particularly enthusiastic moves. Meanwhile, Geoff was overheard slurring on his pint that it was impossible to get drunk from Guinness, a quote proven to be completely unfounded given his hangover the following morning.

With sleep kept to a minimum, it wasn’t surprising that breakfast was pushed back from its originally scheduled time. The question on everyone’s mind was of course whether an Irish breakfast could live up to its Scottish predecessor. Thankfully potato scones and sodabread were welcome additions at the expense of porridge.

Hangovers all round the first couple of miles weren’t as easy going as we’d hoped. With Guinness and wine sweating from the pours it was a welcome break when Esther’s bike gear bracket falling off. With maintenance man Julian out of his depth and unable to fix the bike, the SOS call to the fun bus was needed so that Esther could jump on the spare bike. A coffee break in order and with Geoff feeling the effects of the Guinness it seemed only fair to walk out of the cafe while he was having a nap. After waking up to the giggling locals, he rapidly made his way outside while we found the time to laugh at him some more.

Stopping off for a carvery lunch at for what could only be described as a village hall we made the most of the generous portions, with Jess in particular eating a plate that would have fed a small island.

Setting off rather lethargically we had to cycle through Newry; a place we were told not to stop off at as the locals in Downpatrick retold the story of how 10 years ago a group of cyclists where shot down, an event they said could happen again anytime soon. With the pace picking up and passports to hand up we reached Dundalk around 7, where we retired to a takeaway pizza and the hope of watching Sherlock Holmes (it had been advertised all week). Sadly, after some channel hopping on the archaic TV we soon realised that BBC didn’t exist in the Republic of Ireland, a big blow.

With effort levels being so high throughout the week in the X Factor competition, a welcome rest was also needed to restore our delicate voices.

A good night’s sleep under our belt got ready for our last cycling day in Ireland, Dundalk to Dublin. While loading up the van, Julian and Geoff managed to let the dog out and sprinted after him; Esther received a phone call from a panting Julian saying that they had cornered the dog (a Jack Russell), only to be told that the owner said its ok, he goes on a morning wander every day! Getting on our way in the Irish rain we were boosted by the thought that tomorrow (Tuesday) a rest day and the thought of a lie in was extremely comforting.

With Geoff in charge of directions (you would have thought we would have learnt our lesson) we managed to link up with some cycle paths. In Scotland the cycle paths were short, but at least you could hop back onto the main road. The Irish cycle paths were all together a different matter. One cycle path into Dublin was particularly impressive while it lasted, crossed a bridge and then just led into a hedge!

After nearly getting killed on a number of roundabouts we found our way into Dublin. Having to navigate around some oncoming trams and buses we were relieved to finally find our hotel.

I am sitting in the bar, Guinness in hand while everyone else has gone for a relaxing shower. I shall inform you tomorrow of tonight's tales, but I am positive that Guinness, temple bar and dancing shall be involved!

P.s. We have passed the 500 mile mark! Joints and limbs are most definitely feeling it!

P.p.s. The B&B in Dundalk had a weighing scales and I have been told to inform you all not to expect any skinnier versions! Reported weight increases were as much as 8lb (Muscle weighs more than fat!)

Downpatrick to Dundalk

Despite yesterdays promise I am really sorry to say that I have typed up the blog, but the B&B we are stayin in doesn't have internet! We leave for Dublin tomorrow and I'll be sure to post the blog as soon we get there.

Ahh to be sure to be sure...

I am really sorry but tonights blog will have to be brief. We have just got into the pub/inn in Downpatrick after what turned out to be an eventful day. Being a saturday night and the first night in Ireland, the Guiness is already taking its toll and wi fi isn't available (the wonder of blackberrys). I promise that ill update more tomorrow and given the glorious weather we have more photos than normal!

Have a good night and think of us tomorrow as you enjoy your day off as we cycle to Dundalk.

Scotland, Done.

Most of the day was spent completely saturated with water. It rained constantly; the volume of rain that really puts car roofs and roof tiles to the test let alone our ‘waterproof’ jackets. Sadly, many mobile phones spent the afternoon drying out in the ‘Funbus’ as jackets failed to live up to their respective shop assistants pitches and our expectations.

An early start for breakfast was needed given that we were on a tight time schedule, something that I am sure you will appreciate is not the Hitchcock’s fortè. This may sound a bit darish and not very charitable, but we did actually do a runner from the hotel (completely justified we thought). Primarily, there was no hot water for post cycle showers (some more things as well) - a major blow for team morale. We left our details at reception, told the owner to ring us and made a swift exit.

As we left the hotel in Crinan we set along a beautiful cycle path beside the canal. As most of the cycle paths we’ve cycled on, it abruptly came to an end and it seemed to signal the end of the dry atmosphere. The weather quickly developed from a refreshing light drizzle, to a downpour only comparable to the one seen in the film Jumanji. The terrain added to our sluggish start and the flat cycle path was all but a distant memory. The roads started weaving their way through the Scottish Highlands, but thankfully, as so often on this trip, we found solace at the bottom on the hill in the shape of a cake stop.

As soon as we’d thoroughly tested all of the cakes we jumped back on the bikes with a new found vigour and were ready to battle the elements. The new lease of life didn’t last long with the first hill sapping all of our instilled energy and confidence. Battling up the 13% hills and torrential rain it was a relief to see the fun bus parked at the ferry port with the thought of dry clothes and a rest bite from the biting wind very comforting.

With the first ferry trip over we rather sea sickly landed on the Isle of Aarren, then riding the 16 miles to the other side of the island (to catch another ferry). With lunchtime very much at the front of the mind the belly began to rumble. Arriving at the ferry port with 5 minutes to spare it seemed as though lunch was foregone, but it was fate that there happened to be a Fish & Chip shop in eyesight. Chips all around as well as a few battered Mars Bars (opinions were mixed, but I was a big fan) quickly scoffed to fuel us for the afternoon.

With only 15 miles left this afternoon it was a quick adjustment to urban cycling as flocks of sheep quickly changed into white cars. Eventually (after getting lost again) we have arrived at our hotel in Troon. Right next to the Royal Troon golf club with views over the sea and we are very lucky to be treated with a tasty looking restaurant. Sadly not the usual Friday night consumption of alcohol as the ferry over to Northern Ireland calls for an early start.

Also, I thought I’d tell you that I am writing with a renewed spirit as today signals our last day in Scotland! It seems one step closer to that finish line, something that seemed out of reach on that very first climb out of John O’Groats.

Onto our entertainment correspondence to update you with the latest X Factor results:

I'm pleased to announce that Esther won ‘Donkey Night’ with a perfect rendition of ‘Eee Ow’ from Winnie the Poo! Notable mentions are Harry, Ed and Caroline who were shortlisted.

Disclaimer: We are always looking at ways to improve our blog and raise more money so please let us know if you have any ideas!

Just in case you didn't know the just giving website is:

http://www.justgiving.com/Julian-Hitchcock-Geoff-Graham/

Some photos from today (sadly not too many due to the rain)

Round 5

Well today has gone from sea level to summits, sleet to sunshine, sadness to sublime (well at least I hope, we have a nice restaurant lined up for tonight, provided that everyone wakes up from their naps).

Today was always billed as a difficult day, aiming to cover 75 miles from Ballaculish to Crinan, with the idea to get here as early as possible to sample their acclaimed restaurant.

Fuelling ourselves with potentially the best breakfast spread so far we set off from our picturesque lodge trying to find a newly built cycle path that we were told would take us the 35 miles to Oban. Despite only travelling 500m from our hotel, I am sure it will not surprise most of you that we got lost. This newly laid cycle path didn't seem to exist, not a good start to the day.

Eventually we found a path, and cycled on it for all 2 minutes. Whilst we are getting fitter, we certainly did not cover the intended 35 miles in that time, 1050mph may be slightly beyond us mere mortals. In that two minutes we did have an incident with Caroline taking a tumble on a slippery bridge. Thankfully Dr. Graham (Is) was on hand with her first aid to bandage her up as good as new.

Pushing on hard on the main roads, we battled against yet more wind, rain, hills and nutter drivers. Eventually what seemed like an age we found the fun bus in Connel and stopped for a pub lunch.

With a round of sandwiches under our belt we set off on our afternoon leg. Some brutally long and steep hills kept our heart rate high but the views from the summit were fantastic and well worth the pant and sweat. With views so picturesque it felt a shame to descend so quickly, so we stopped half way down for a much deserved afternoon tea with scones.

Apologies for the lack of pictures today but I'll post them all tomorrow, everyone is waiting for my order!

Finally, the results of our daily dinner competitions are in, with Ed winning 'Cyclist of the Day' after an impressive performance on the road. Jess and Lydia came joint first place in the 'Animal Noises' competition where they had to mimic the noise of a cockerel!

Round 4

Well with a 24mph headwind today was never going to be an ideal day. Despite it being the shortest day (mileage terms) it has been gruesome struggle along the Lochs and around Ben Nevis to our hotel in Ballachulish.

Breakfast meeting times and departure time are getting progressively later as everyone looks to take advantage of the rest time. The thought of going outside in the drizzle to cycle up some more hills is definitely nightmare material.

I am sure you have accustomed to our breakfast routine, and you will be glad to know that it stayed the same today.

With a quick wander and inspection of the locks in Fort Augustus we set off on Day 4 (it feels more like Day 40). With us still unsure of our route we thought we'd try cycling directly along the canal, only to ask some passing mountain bikers what the trail was like, "I wouldn't recommend it, I struggled with these tyres". With our Welsh, never say die attitude we rode on. A few miles up up with some wonderful peaceful views we encountered some rough terrain, but thankfully nothing out of the ordinary on the Welsh valleys (the mountain bikers must have been English!).

With some long hills and some strong headwind we started our ride to lunch. Narrow roads and some wannabe rally drivers left Geoff in a road rage incident. A van cutting him up and honking his horn, Geoff started on hot pursuit and made sure he shouted his mind, I am sure that the van driver will be more wary of cyclists from now on!

Chips for lunch, needn't say any more.

Rain and wind this afternoon was not the sort of cocktail the ladies were expecting, but it was horrible concoction nonetheless. One that they hope to make up for with some deserved glasses of wine tonight.

View from the hotel

And here is what you have all been waiting for, the results of 'Duck day' (chosen by Ed) on X Factor are in and despite some moans and groans from other contestants, Freddie managed to woo the judges with his sterling performance. Julian seems to be taking this competition very seriously, and whilst his impersonation of Daffy duck all had us laughing, the judges felt that it was all too commercial (not something that comes into Simon Cowell's mind on the real X Factor!)

Also, I feel the need to point out that there were no additional tea/cake breaks today. However, the tuck shop is almost empty.

Round 3

I am sure you are all eagerly awaiting the result of the Round 2 'X Factor' competition. With Harry taking the award yesterday it was his choice of animal, and decided upon a lion. Some impressions wouldn't have even scared a mouse, with Julian's in particular resembling more of a sleeping cub. Ed took inspiration from Mufasa from the Lion King and blew the judges away with his impression, taking a unanimous win.

After scoffing our face with all the Indian food we could ever dream of and planning the route for tomorrow we retired to our Fawlty Tower hotel, wary of flees and mice.

With what has become a tour tradition we fuelled ourselves with yet another hearty Scottish breakfast (a fry up with a very token Wheetabix on the side). While the men seem in their element faffing with the bikes, our Miss Motivator, Lydia, took our morning warm up around the car park with many strange glances from the onlooking locals.

Setting off, having made the decision to avoid the mid morning cake stop we started to fatigue so naturally we headed for a tea shop (A leopard never changes its spots!). Whilst enjoying our hot chocolates (no cakes, just 15 boost bars) we were kindly introduced to Mr. Anti Cyclists (the hotel owner), who proceeded to terrify us with cyclists horror stories, also feeling the need to tell us that he himself had not drunk for 3 years, after actually killing a cyclist!!! As you would imagine we left swiftly, but carefully. As the hills dragged on and on and on, we saw what we thought must have been a mirage, a Welsh Dragon in the distance. On closer inspection it was a very impressive banner made by the Dewey family who made a big effort to come and meet us in our charity pursuit. Naturally, a lunch stop was in order.

Buoyed on by the thought of yet more food and with Ed anticipating a lift from the fun bus, which must to his disgust didn't happen, soldering on the extra thirty miles as we made our way through Inverness to Loch Ness. We were greeted by a superb picnic spread, prepared by Rachel and Harry (having to retire for the day because of a shoulder injury). They seem to have summed up our trip nicely and knew how to attract our attention, see below.

Having filled our bellies, yet again, we set off on the last leg. Little did we realise how gruelling it would be. Despite beautiful scenery, we were met with rough terrain, a strong headwind, and a landscape that wouldn't have been out of place in the French Alps. Whilst the scenery was breathtaking, we did have trouble breathing to appreciate it as the 4 mile 400m vertical climb seemed endless!

Having arrived safely but exhausted at our hotel the trip seems to be taking its toll on us all, with many tired faces, sore bottoms, and not to mention aching limbs. Tune in tomorrow for the results from Round 3 of X factor and more tales.

Quote of the day: On a very nasty hill, Esther's attempt an motivating Isabel, "Come on Isabel, lets pretend we are in the Tour de France, do you want to be Lance?", Isabel, mishearing what Esther said replied with "I'm always Last"

I also now need to introduce our guest blogger. Some say she likes talking about goats to random taxi men, others say her favourite drink is Carling. To everyone else, shes called The Stig.

Today has been a good day-I have been in fifth gear for most of the day and not finding the hills too hard...however I have had to change down to second gear on several occasions! This is not a problem for the Stig or Uncle Bryn (the fun bus)!

Round 2

Yesterday at dinner bought some interesting moments. For some unknown reason, but most definitely attributed to alcohol we have now decided to introduce our very own X Factor competition.

The first live audience round was labelled a 'sheep night', with everyone having to produce their best sheep noise. With our very own Simon Cowell and Cheryl Cole on the next table (who were having a romantic dinner before we we came along), it was narrowed down to a final four; Rachel, Julian, Harry and Lydia. Whilst Lydia was very confident in her own abilities due to years of bleating it was a close run competition between Rachel and Harry, with the jnr. coming out on top. Despite Rachel getting into character Cowell (a sheep farmer) criticised her tone for being more in line with a Lamb as opposed to a Sheep, a cardinal sin in his book.

The table conversation also bought us some excitement as Paul let slip that someone famous was flying into Wick in the morning to join us for a cycle leg, great excitement built within the group, more on this later...

Retiring to the fireplace in the lounge we attempted to take advantage of the 210 bottles of Whiskey on offer at the bar. With the choice left to the waitress we came away feeling very stitched up as the general consensus was that the general aroma was very similar to Listerine.

With a good sleep, we all excitedly hurried to breakfast in the hope of meeting Paul's celebrity friend. Geoff was still getting his head round it all as he was confident Wick airport wouldn't open until 10, when in he walked...Superman!

Again with a full Scottish breakfast to fuel us until the first chocolate bar stop, we got under way with the hope that today would be a fairly straightforward and flat ride.

With the first couple of hills under way, the battle for the front began. Jess had obviously been watching the Tour de France and took inspiration from Mark Renshaw's head butt (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_L8VLgLX7AM) by cutting Freddie up, forcing him into the verge on the side of the road and crashing into the grass bank! Interviewed afterwards by Sky Sports Freddie seemed shaken up by the whole incident and has asked for a stewards inquiry into the attack. Jess was approached by BBC but has declined to comment.

Despite this early altercation, we managed to build upon our average speed of 13.2mph yesterday, speeding along at an impressive 13.9mph. This was mainly attributed to the brilliant work of Rachel (our Guardian Angel) who was always on hand for moral support, but more importantly chocolate!

With some stiff limbs being moaned about we have resorted to comfort food tonight, with the Indian booked for 8 o clock. More tomorrow.

Some action shots from today:

And they're off...

Have just checked into our hotel and what a relief, 55 miles out the way 702 left to go!

We started off our day with a breakfast fit for kings, fully loaded with Sausages, Bacon, Toast, Fried Eggs, Baked Beans and Tomatoes. Unloading all of the bikes from the trailer we managed to make at least one local friend, who obviously spotted that we were novices and tried to take us under his wing. I don't think he knew what he was in for!

We all made sure that we had all the vital equipment; Snickers, Twixes, Lion Bars and Julian's favourite, Boost bars; in the hope that a sugar high would get us through what was going to be a gruelling first day.

After cycling down the beach to get a team photo by the signpost the slow ascent out of John O'Groats and the dusting off of the cycling cobwebs began. Everyone was on a euphoric high, with Lydia setting the pace at what must have been world record speed and quickly got a telling off from our adopted mentor for demoralising the rest of the team!

As we got into a steady speed we felt the need to naturally stop for our first hot choccie break and of course managed to sample some of the cakes on offer as most of the chocolate stash had already been eaten. Our mentor seemed frustrated with our social speed and quickly made his excuses and cycled away as quickly as he could!

Just as we got close to working off one of our breakfast rashers we arrived at our designated lunch stop which was a welcome break from the drizzle and wind. Despite a quick turnaround, Geoff managed to get in a quick power nap.

The afternoons ride was filled with hills, hills and more hills. One hill in particular seemed to go on for eternity and it was reassuring when cars were having to shift down into first just to get up it! The wind was not making it easy on the coastal route but thankfully the last big hill was followed by a long descent down to the town of Helmsdale where we staying.

Tomorrow by all accounts is a flatter leg, but I am sure that today's ride will produce some sore bums and legs tomorrow!

Some other photos of yesterdays trip up and our cycle today:

Saturday

Well after what seems like days travelling on planes, trains and automobiles we have finally arrived at destination Sea View Hotel, John O'Groats.

I don't think today could be any further from what the ideal pre challenge day could be. Loaded with our pack lunches and luggage we set off to Cardiff airport. In full holiday spirit we embraced the bar for a quick drink and boarded what look like a toy plane. While we chatted with feelings of excitement and nervousness, someone in the group was overheard asking what the time difference in Scotland was (they shall remain anonymous, but I have no doubt that such comments will be frequent during the next two weeks!).

The brief stop in Edinburgh train station allowed for the replenishment of picnic supplies, thankfully a Marks & Spencer's was nearby and I think we bought them out of the buckets of Rocky Roads and Chocolate Cakes. Needless to say, most of it was gone by the time the train had even started moving. As the train slowly moved its way through the Scotitish Highlands the challenge ahead seemed to have dawned on us all, with Caroline in particular showing signs of hysteria as the train stopped at Aviemore, the Scottish ski resort.

Arriving at Inverness we looked for more food and found a chip shop that was very happy as our order reached 10 Burgers and Chips! Rather than stacking up on carbohydrates, the sensible attitude, we seem to have adopted a boxing approach, by eating as much fatty food as we can to stack on some weight before round one starts. We shall be sure to inform 0lance should this method of attack prove successfull!

The final stage of our trek took place on a mini bus and everyone seemed to adopt the approaxh of 'ignorance is bliss' by taking part in an impromptu team nap as the hills started to appear. Although as we got closer to John O'Groats we were informed by the driver that we could open our eyes as we weren't likely to see anything through the thick fog and sleet we were driving through!

Meanwhile the men have accomplished something great already by getting the camper van and trailer equipped with kit and Esthers wadrobe up in one piece!

I'll post some photos of our journey and first day on the bike tomorrow!

Bed time.

One week to go

Officially less than one week to go until the 740 mile ride kicks off and today we managed the last training ride before carb overload this week, a healthy diet of Pasta, Potatoes and Rice.

Julian, Geoff, Paul & Simon are driving the van up on Friday whilst the others are flying to Edinburgh, train to Inverness and then a bus to Wick on Saturday, all ready for the 8am start on Sunday.

Early weather forecasts are quite encouraging, although we are still holding out for a strong southern wind to give us that extra bit of help!

Fundraising efforts are going strong and the £20,000 mark is nearly reached but please feel free to keep giving, it all goes to a worthy cause and extra money will help spur us on!

http://www.justgiving.co.uk/Julian-Hitchcock-Geoff-Graham

Will keep you updated daily with our tales and tribulations, if our training is anything to go by there should be lots!