End of the road for pals’ charity trek
TWO pals finally reached the end of a very long road as they arrived at John O’Groats having walked the length of the country.
Joey Reid, from Tytherington, and George Bell, from Bollington, both 23, spent 12 weeks hiking from Land’s End, in Cornwall, to reach the north Scottish village.
They reached their goal on Saturday, September 17, and have raised nearly £8,000 for Macclesfield youth charity Just Drop In from the epic journey.
Overnight the duo often wild camped but were delighted by the kindness of strangers who would offer their homes as a place to stay for the night.
Joey said: “It went really well but got tough towards the end, the blisters had calmed down but we were tired and there was mental fatigue.
“Things change quite quickly in the UK, we would walk for one day and be somewhere with a completely different accent.
“It has given us a new perspective on the UK and the people.
“Everyone was so nice and friendly, we slept in people’s caravans and houses as people just wanted to help out.
“The highlight of the whole experience was meeting people, just meeting one nice person lifts you and keeps you going.”
The journey started in June and, of the 12 weeks 11 were spent walking, with a week off when they got to Macclesfield.
Both the pals are recent graduates and Joey even managed to conduct a job interview by phone while walking.
Their 1,200-mile route included the South-West Coast Path, Offa’s Dyke Path, the Pennine Way, the West Highland Way, and the Cape Wrath Trail and ended on Saturday, September 17.
A particular highlight was the Scottish Highlands section for the scenery although this was one of the more lonely periods.
Joey said: “The low point was the isolation we had a few days where we just didn’t see anyone.”
But the upside was that during 12 intense weeks together there were no fall outs and the pair remain firm friends.
Joey and George have thanked everyone who supported their journey or donated to the fundraising.
Donations can still be made at https://justdropin. enthuse.com/pf/joegeorge.