A BACKPACKING ATTEMPT FROM LAND'S END TO JOHN O’ GROATS
Updated 12/10/2007 Route map - Zoom 1x (45Kb) 2x (62Kb) 3x (97Kb) 4x (176Kb) 5x (176Kb)
A route by footpaths, cycle tracks, canal towpaths and lanes where ever possible and camping at night which Allan Ricketts, without backup, hopes to follow 27 April–15 July 2007. A veteran backpacker he has enjoyed 25 long distance walks over the last 35 years and now at 60 thinks its now or never for one of the ultimate walking challenges in the UK. However on the Pennine Way in 2005 having shared a camp site at Greenhead with a lady aged 73, who was backpacking it for the third time, perhaps 60 is the new 40. The inspiration for this route have been Andrew McCloy (Land's End to John O’ Groats), Mark Moxon (www.longdistancewalks.com) John Hillaby (Journey through Britain) and the Long Distance Walkers Handbook. (LDWHB 2002 edition)
Read Allan's story on his report page
Any charity donations via Allan for Christian Aid will be very welcome
Thursday 26 April Day –1 Bus/Coach. Ross on Wye to Penzance
THE ONCE DESERTED LANES
[Actual destination achieved will be shown in red, if different to plan]
Friday 27 April Day 1 Land’s End to Penzance 11m (011m)
Saturday 28 April Day 02 Penzance to Porkellis 13m (024m)
Sunday 29 April Day 03 Porkellis to Truro 13m (037m)
Monday 30 April Day 04 Sightseeing day 1
Tuesday 01 May Day 05 Truro to St Austell 14m (051m)
Part of the Saints Way (LDWHB 451)
Wednesay 02 May D 06 St Austell to Bodmin 12m (063m)
Thursday 03 May Day 07 Bodmin to Upton Cross 13m (076m) [Minions]
Friday 04 May Day 08 Upton Cross to Launceston 10m (086m)
Saturday 05 May Day 09 Sightseeing day 2
Launceston to Okehampton. Two Castles Trail (LDWH 574)
Sunday 06 May Day 10 Launceston to Lewdon 10m (96m)
Monday 07 May Day 11 Lewdon to Okehampton 14m (110m) [Bridestowe]
Part of Tarka Trail LDWH148. Dartmoor Way LDWH 532
Tuesday 08 May Day 12 Okehampton to Whiddon Down 10m (120m) [Belstone]
Wednesday 09 May Day 13 Widdon Down to Crediton 10m (130m) [Yeoford]
Thursday 10 May Day 14 Sightseeing day 3 [Crediton]
Part of Exe Valley Way (LDWH 181)
Friday 11 May Day 15 Crediton to Tiverton 14m (144m)
Great Western Canal (LDWH 203)
Saturday 12 May Day 16 Tiverton to Sampford Arundel 12m (156m) [Sampford Peverell]
Sunday 13 May Day 17 Sampford Arundel to Taunton 12m (168m)
Monday 14 May: Day 18 Sightseeing day 4
Bridgewater to Taunton Canal
Tuesday 15 May Day 19 Taunton to Bridgwater 12m (180m)
Part of Hamish Brown’s Minehead to Chepstow Way p121-161
Wednesday 16 May Day 20 Bridgwater to Cheddar 15m (195m)
Thursday 17 May Day 21 Cheddar to Bristol 15m (210m)
Friday 18 May Day 22 Sightseeing day 5
Part of the Severn Way LDWHB (464)
Saturday 19 May Day 23 Bristol to Chepstow 15m (225m)
THE BORDER LAND
Part of a reduced Wye Valley Walk (LDWH 630)
Sunday 20 May Day 24 Chepstow to Monmouth 16m (241m)
Monday 21 May Day 25 Monmouth to Ross 12m (253m)
Tuesday 22 May Day 26 Preparation day at home for rest of walk (day)
Wednesday 23 May Day 27 Ross to Hereford 14m (267m)
Hereford to Chester. Part of the Marches Way (LDWHB 336)
Thursday 24 May Day 28 Hereford to Leominster 15m (282m)
Friday 25 May Day 29 Leominister to Ludlow 13m (295m)
Saturday 26 May Day 30 Ludlow to Church Stretton 15m (310m) [Halford]
Sunday 27 May Day 31 Church Stretton to Shrewsbury 14m (324m) [Thresholds Centre]
Monday 28 May Day 32 Sightseeing day 7
Tuesday 29 May Day 33 Shrewsbury to Grinshill 14m (338m)
Wednesday 30 May Day 34 Grinshill to Tilstock 14m (352m)
Thursday 31 May Day 35 Tilstock to Shocklach 14m (366m) [Malpas]
Friday 01 June Day 36 Shocklach to Chester 15m (381m)
Saturday 02 June Day 37 Sightseeing day 8
THE NORTH WEST PASSAGE
Sunday 03 June Day 38 Chester to Runcorn 15m (396m) [Frodsham]
Monday 04 June Day 39 Runcorn to St Helens 13m (409m) [Widnes]
Tuesday 05 June Day 40 St Helens to Adlington 11m (420m) [Billinge]
Wednesday 06 June Day 41 Adlington to Preston 15m (435m) [Appley Bridge]
Preston to Kendal. Lancaster Canal (LDWHB 289)
Thursday 07 June Day 42 Preston to Garstang 10m (445m) [Preston]
Friday 08 June Day 43 Garstang to Lancaster. 12m (457m) [Woodplumpton]
Saturday 09 June Day 44 Lancaster to Holme 12m (469m) [Lancaster Canal]
THE LAKE DISTRICT, JUST
Sunday 10 June Day 45 Holme to Kendal 12m (481m) [Lancaster Canal]
Monday 11 June Day 46 Kendal to Haweswater 11m (492m) [Kendal]
"After dithering for a day, I added 7 days to my walk. I was a day late
getting to Kendal, feeling rushed and my right hip wanted to go home."
Tuesday 12 June Day 47 Haweswater to Unthank 15m (507m) [Longsleddale]
Wednesday 13 June Day 48 Unthank to Carlisle 14m (521m) [Bampton]
Thursday 14 June Day 49 June Sightseeing day 9 [Penrith]
Friday 15 June Day 50 Carlisle to Longtown 11m (532m) [Ivegill]
BORDER CROSSING TO SCOTLAND
Saturday 16 June Day 51 Longtown to Langholm 12m (544m) [3 mile north of Carlisle]
Sunday 17 June Day 52 Langholm to Eskdalemuir 14m (558m) [Canonbie]
Monday 18 June Day 53 Eskdalemuir to Ettrick 16m (574m) [Langholm]
Part of Southern Upland Way (LDWHB 499)
Tuesday 19 June Day 54 Ettrick to Traquair 16m (590m) [Eskdalemuir Forest]
Wednesday 20 June Day 55 Traquair to Peebles 09m (599m)[Crosslee]
Thursday 21 June Day 56 Peebles to Carlops 10m (609m) [Innerleithen]
The Pentland Hills
Friday 22 June Day 57 Carlops to Balerno 10m (619m) [Traquair]
Saturday 23 June Day 58 Balerno to Inverkeithing 14m (633m) [Peebles]
Sunday 24 June Day 59 Inverkeithing to Kinross 10m (643m) [Peebles - checking and repairing kit]
Monday 25 June Day 60 Kinross to Perth 14m (657m) [??]
Tuesday 26 June Day 61 Sightseeing day 10 [Balerno]
Wednesday 27 June Day 62 Perth to Dunkeld 15m (672m) [Inverkeithing]
Thursday 28 June Day 63 Dunkeld to Pitlochry 13m (685m) [Kinross]
Friday 29 June Day 64 Pitlochry to Blair Athol 05m (690m) [Perth]
Part of Cameron McNeish’s Central Highlands Trail -The Cairngorms (TGO July 2000)
Saturday 30 June Day 65 Blair Atholl to Forest Lodge (Glen Tilt) 15m (705m) [Dunkeld]
Sunday 01 July Day 66 Forest Lodge to Glen Dee 15m (720m) [Pitlochry]
Monday 02 July Day 67 Glen Dee to Inverdruie 15m (735m) [Pitlochry]
Tuesday 03 July Day 68 Inverdruie to Tomatin 15m (750m) [Pitlochry]
Wednesday 04 July Day 69 Tomatin to Inverness 16m(766m) [Blair Atholl]
THE LONG LAST LAP
Thursday 05 July Day 70 Sightseeing day 11 [Corrour bothy]
Friday 06 July Day 71 Inverness to Fortrose 16m (782m) [Corrour bothy]
Saturday 07 July Day 72 Fortrose to Cromarty 10m (792m) [Aviemore]
Sunday 08 July Day 73 Cromarty to Tain 10m (802m) [Aviemore]
Monday 09 July. Day 74 Tain to Loch Fleet 13m (815m) [Tomatin]
Tuesday 10 July Day 75 Loch Fleet to Brora 11m (826m) [Inverness]
Wednesday 11 July Day 76 Brora to Helmsdale 10m (836m) [Inverness]
Thursday 12 July Day 77 Helmsdale to Dunbeath 15m (851m) [Inverness]
Friday 13 July Day 78 Dunbeath to Camster Cairns 15m (866m) [Moray Firth]
Saturday 14 July Day 79 Camster Cairns to Kirk 13m (879m) [Cromarty]
Sunday 15 July Day 80 Kirk to John o’Groats to Duncansby Head 15m (894m) [Tain]
Monday 16 July Day 81 Bus John O’Groats via Wick to Inverness [Dornoch]
Tuesday 17 July Day 82 Coach/Bus Inverness to Ross on Wye [Brora]
Wednesday 18 July Day 83 [Helmsdale]
Thursday 19 July Day 84 [Dunbeath]
Friday 20 July Day 85 [Camster Cairns]
Saturday 21 July Day 86 [Slickly]
Sunday 22 July Day 87 [Inverness]
Monday 23 July Day +1 [Inverness]
Tuesday 24 July Day +2 [Birmingham]
Wednesday 25 July Day +3 [Ross on Wye]