All the photos in this post but the last were all taken aroundabouts John O’Groats, Scotland’s NE extremity. It’s where I ended up at the end of last summer’s holiday. I was thinking about this today because my kayak has only just made it back to England, and should be reunited with me soonish. Huge thanks to Cailean Macleod, Richard Cree and Tim Lambert, all of whom have generously stored it and helped it along its way south.
Anyway, I was wondering what comes next. I have the summer clear again for 2009; I’m not available for the right dates during the big WW trip I wanted to join in Quebec, and I’ve decided not to join some chums on a WW trip to India’s wonderful Zanskar River gorges, having paddled these a couple of times already. My annual overseas WW fix will instead be a trip to California in a few weeks.
Long ago, I set myself the target of getting all the way around Britain before I turned 40. This horrible event occurs in May 2010, so basically I only have this summer to finish my round-Britain paddle. I reckon that I could do it too – 800 miles left, which is entirely reasonable in one 6 week school holiday (assuming better weather than the horror that was last summer, anyway).
I probably won’t, though – since hanging around at John O’Groats last August (during yet another bad weather delay) looking north across the Pentland Firth, I’ve become addicted to the idea of paddling up through the Orkney and Shetland islands to the very top of Britain at Muckle Flugga. I’ll get around Britain eventually, but I’ll just put off being 40 for a year or so.
A more immediate challenge is to convince my wife to join me this summer, squeezing the trip into her already crammed schedule … the final photo shows her rolling upright on Devon’s River Dart today.
Mark, it’s a no brainer, there is only one choice, you are clearly not ready to turn south just yet. Indeed once you have explored Orkeney and Shetland you might also consider some further exploration of the west coast before continuing with your voyage!
)
Haven’t you heard? Fifty is the new forty. That’s what I’m telling myself anyway…
S
Mark, I have to say having just hit 50 that it is really the new 30! I now have more free time, some money and am actually fitter than I have been for a very long time. Good luck this summer with whatever you decide to do.
Chris