Hi -welcome to Bazza's Blog

This BLOG has been set up to record the days that Ian and I are walking the JOGLE. The JOGLE is an acronym for John O Groats to Lands’ End. Most people attempt the walk the other way around in which case they would be walking LEJOG.

Ian and I kind of grew up together in our early teens, sharing activities such as Scouting and the Duke of Edinburgh’s award. It was always an ambition of ours to walk the Pennine Way. Some 30 years later we got together over a pint (having gone our separate ways, had families and successful careers in that time) and decided to walk the Pennine Way. We completed the 270 miles in just less than three weeks in May 2008 and in the process we raised just under £3000 for the Help for Heroes (H4H) charity. Ian then came up with the idea of walking the JOGLE. It is at this point that I have to say that I am less than enthusiastic about the idea and would prefer to walk some of the better known National Trails. Ian is self-employed and I have to work for a living! LOL. Getting three months off to do the JOGLE is not easy and the estimated cost is in the region of £5000 (we prefer a comfy bed for the night with hot running water and a decent breakfast, OK!).

The agreement we have reached is that we will walk the JOGLE in stages for about a week to two weeks at a time. So far we have walked from Kirk Yetholm to Edale (Pennine Way) and last year we walked from Edale to Kinver. This year we are going to walk from Kinver to Bath. The longer we walk for the more rest days we programme in. A lesson learned from the Pennine Way was that rest days are essential if you're getting on a bit, not as fit as you used to be and if you want to avoid mega shin splints: keep the distances down to an enjoyable average of 15 miles a day. Anyone can "Yomp" 20-25 miles a day but you miss so much on the way and besides you need to allow lots of time for someone to photograph everything and anything that you come across ;-) and now time is needed to complete the JOGLE Blog.

It is acknowledged that Mark Moxon's book "When I Walk, I Bounce" has been a source of inspiration and a good guide as to the route to take and handy for sorting out places to stay and other top tips.

The beauty of walking the JOGLE when compared to a National Trail is that you can choose any route you like within reason, provided of course you are not trespassing on to some ones private property.