High Point

LEJO'G Day Five: Gargrave to Gretna Green

Fleet Moss, the bleak moor that sits between Langstrothdale and Wensleydale, has the distinction of being the highest point in my journey from Land's End to John O'Groats. Purely by accident, it turns out it was also the halfway point. That the highest point and halfway point came in the Yorkshire Dales makes it even more special.

I was fortunate that it stayed dry. Even tackled from the "easier" south side, the 1936 feet of Fleet Moss made for a challenging climb today. The summit itself is uninspiring. It's flat topped with no great vista, made worse by the flat grey day, but I stopped for a picture nonetheless. However, the thought that it's all downhill from here is a real boost.

I rewarded myself with a bacon butty in the cafe at the bottom of the pass in Hawes. I shared a pot of tea and some good bike chat with Chris from Burnley, who stopped into the cafe on a 200km audax.

It all felt a lot better today. Double shorts helped relieve the saddle discomfort, and sticking to real food instead of energy bars has helped settle my stomach down. The incessant rain that started at Garsdale Head, five miles out of Hawes, didn't lay off until I passed though Carlisle, but I stayed warm and enjoyed the riding.

A landmark day had a landmark finish with the border crossing into Scotland. There's four hundred and forty miles to go in four days and, for the first time, John O'Groats is beginning to feel like it's within reach.