Day 18 - Tongue to John o’ Groats. 63 miles, hilly bits 4100 ft. 1 x signpost 👍

The wind howled all night and I wondered how we would manage another day of cycling through a gale. Getting to Tongue had all but broken me.

Our bikes were securely locked away but I hoped they’d been pinched overnight. Failing that, perhaps the shed could have blown into the sea… However, as neither of these had happened, reluctantly I led my bike out.

Three circuits of the car park later, my fear seemed justified - I couldn’t even cycle out of it. Every time I approached the exit, the wind blew me away. This was crazy, the others had made it, and tempting though it was to lose them, they knew where to find me. I tightened my grip on the handlebars; if they could, I could.

Richard had waited round the corner, and as soon as I reached him, the wind dropped. It was such a joy to be in the lee of the hill that I almost didn’t mind climbing it. Almost.

Puppet Pig demanded we leave another of his stickers on the Tongue signpost, and then no more shilly-shallying. This final day had 11 hills which I knew would be tough ones because Alan wouldn’t go into details. It’s okay, the wind will help us he said, but after yesterday, I wasn’t falling for good wind/bad wind lines again.

Except he was right. It wasn’t strong enough to blow us entirely up hill without pedalling, though it was noticeably easier. And every time I felt its push, I whispered a thank you to Simon. And also gratitude that we were cycling East not West.

We stopped outside of John o’ Groats to coax Puppet Pig from his hiding place and told him it was time to Pig Up. Mounted at the front of our cavalcade, he rode the last few hundred yards to the signpost.

TOM and Julia filmed our arrival and performed a rain dance (assume that’s what they were doing as it started raining). We all took far too many photos before ceding our place to a queue of polite coughing.

Today’s lessons:

1. People really do strip for a pic at John o’ Groats.

2. Five people can cycle 5000 miles with no bike issues.

3. Brace yourself if this is your first ever espresso, to avoid swearing.

4. John o’ Groats is not the farthest north, it’s Dunnet Head, some miles before.

5. Deranged people within team. Talk of doing it in the opposite direction next year… NOT ME.

6. Don’t choose lobster if you’re starving.