LEJOGcast - The Land's End to John o'Groats walking podcast

Sheila Gordon walked her 1,200-mile LEJOG in 1997 with husband Frank to mark his retirement. The couple had two rules: no mechanised transport; and if one couldn't complete the walk, the other had to continue. After 18 months of prep (including walking the Pennine Way and Coast to Coast Walk), the couple set off using a series of classic long distance walking routes, including the SW Coast Path, The Cotswolds Way, the Alternative Pennine Way and – Sheila's highlight – the West Highland Way. With lowlights including the Somerset Levels (boo!) and a very high aquaduct, the couple kept up an amiable pace twinning camping with occasional nights in B&Bs. We chat about the dynamics of walking with a companion, about connection with nature, about the gritty Pennine Way and hear about the mixed feelings of the couples' last day, when Frank told Sheila if he had a choice he would have turned round and walked all the way back to John o'Groats.Sheila's 'Lady Anne's Way' long distance footpath can be found at: ladyannesway.co.uk/

The original LEJOG blogger – Mark Moxon – is our guest in episode 1. The man behind landsendjohnogroats.info undertook his walk back in 2003, clocking up 1,111 miles in 70 days. As we follow Mark north from Land's End we chat blisters, hear about an early trail low point (with tears) and an early highlight in Helston (with beers). Mark tells us why he can't get enough of river walking (especially along the River Severn) but why he's no fan of moors (not least on his nemesis, the Pennine Way). For Mark, the walk broke down into three sections: "In part one I was getting fit; in part three I was fit; and in part three my body was breaking down." Despite blister issues on day 70, Mark recalls the walk as an adventure of a lifetime, and leaves us with a moving tribute to his friend and fellow LEJOGger Barry, who he met cursing the Somerset Levels in Street, and who keeps popping up in a vibrant narrative threaded with an abiding love for the British countryside.Mark's superb LEJOG website – including a diary, maps and many other resources, can be found at landsendjohnogroats.info