December 12

Three more regularities through Lowlands and Highlands. Past Loch Tay; an incredible beautiful road section past Loch Lomond and into Aviemore for a couple of hours sleep. We restart at 0150hrs and drive through the night up the East coast. More competitive sections – one, axle deep in snow, was an absolute blast.

By 0600hrs Tuesday I start to nod a bit. My brilliant navigator Nick has me singing Christmas Carols to stay awake for the final push. We arrive at John O’groats early afternoon, as the wonderful pipers strike up. We are elated we have made it. Better still, at Le Jog prize-giving in Wick we are awarded the class win and a coveted medal each – the bronze.

There are no overall positions but Andy Lane worked out we were inside the top 10. Nick was incredibly patient with ‘TJ the Rookie’, trying to learn the art of regularity rallying as we went. The sweeper crews and marshals were unbelievable, as were the entire HERO team. What an event. At the prize-giving, I hailed the internationality of this awesome event, telling the German, Swiss, Dutch, French, Italian, Belgian, American, Australian and British competitors that, as an ‘outsider’ looking in, there is so much more to this incredible event.

I have genuine new-found respect for the skills of the drivers and navigators in this branch of motorsport competition.

I have competed in seven Arctic Rallies, worked on 10 Camel Trophies and two Dakars; but this has been the toughest for me yet. Here’s to the 24th Le Jog December 2018. ■