A walk on the wild side
Roger and Sally Bentley have successfully completed a marathon 1,200-mile walking challenge to raise funds for the British Skin Foundation. By Kate Chapman.
Armed with nothing more than their backpacks, snacks and plenty of determination, Roger and Sally Bentley have completed an epic 1,200-mile challenge by walking from John o’Groats to Land’s End.
The couple from Branston, near Lincoln, set off in June, reaching their destination four months later.
They’ve also raised almost £3,000 for the British Skin Foundation and helped to increase awareness of multiple skin conditions in the process.
Now back home, they’re delighted to have crossed the finish line after taking in stunning scenery including Scotland’s wild east coast, the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, South West Coast Path and sandy Cornish beaches.
“It was absolutely wonderful to raise both money and awareness,” says Sally, “and it’s such a privilege to be able to walk across your country end to end. We’re very proud and satisfied to have achieved it, especially when at the beginning we weren’t sure if we could actually do it.
“We didn’t have to be the quickest, walk the furthest or highest – we did it in a way that we were able to, averaging 10 to 12 miles a day, which was enough for us.”
The Bentleys have always enjoyed walking and are members of Lincoln Ramblers, with Roger having recently taken on the role of chairman. They completed the 500-mile Camino de Santiago across Spain a few years ago and decided it was time to take on another uplifting challenge, by walking from one end of the country to the other.
“It was a bit of whim,” adds Roger, “we didn’t know anyone who had done it before – only a couple of hundred people do it each year, so it’s not common.
“Then we wondered if it was possible, as we’re both in our late sixties. We wanted to do it to enjoy the experience and recreate that simple life we found on the Camino.”
Planning and preparation
Before committing themselves, the Bentleys planned their route meticulously to make sure it was logistically and physically possible. For the most part they followed off-road paths and decided against camping, instead seeking out hostel and Airbnb accommodation.
They also decided to use their adventure as a platform to raise money for charity by supporting the British Skin Foundation, an organisation close to both their hearts. It’s the only UK organisation funding research into all skin conditions, from potentially deadly cancers to chronic, often overlooked conditions like psoriasis.
Sally had malignant melanoma during her thirties, while Roger suffers from psoriasis. They wanted to take the opportunity to raise awareness about skin disease, which is more common – and far more serious – than many people realise.
“We’d never done a big thing for charity before, but I had skin cancer in my 30s, that’s why I wanted to raise money for this charity. I also wanted to raise more awareness about it – outdoor workers, like our Lincolnshire farmers, who are out there on the land, are at an increased risk as they’re exposing their skin, but that doesn’t mean we can’t go out.
“I’ve always been an advocate of getting outside suitably protected by clothing.
“As soon as we told people what we were doing and why, we discovered several friends had skin conditions too, including extreme eczema and psoriasis. We had no idea, people cover up and don’t talk about it, so it was good to have those conversations.”
Walking challenges
The Bentleys regularly walk 10 miles with the Ramblers and enjoy walking holidays too. In preparation for their challenge, Sally said they walked Lincoln’s Steep Hill to get ready for inclines.
It took them 13 hours to travel to John o’Groats from their home, which was when the enormity of the challenge dawned on them.
“On day one we were incredibly excited, but also nervous – still wondering if we could do it,” says Roger.
“But it was the most beautiful day; we enjoyed cliff walking and saw hundreds of birds nesting, which we’d never have seen if we’d been in a car.
“We got through the first week and things started to calm down. The walking fell into a rhythm as we made it down to Loch Ness and the Great Glenn Way.”
The couple travelled light, carrying just one change of clothes, snacks, water, a small first aid kit and other essentials in their rucksacks. Things went well, until a few days in Roger developed a large blister after they were forced to make a detour to avoid a cliff edge and ended up covering 18 miles in one day.
He soldiered on and the couple settled in to enjoying their journey towards the westernmost point of mainland Britain.
They hailed the Scottish leg a highlight due to its rugged and beautiful scenery, met up with family in Glasgow, were delighted to reach the 500-mile mark in Carlisle and were joined by friends in the Lake District.
Their route then took them through the Yorkshire Dales and down into Derbyshire where Sally first discovered her passion for walking while completing the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme.
From there they cut through Staffordshire, along the Worcester and Birmingham Canal and River Severn before crossing the River Avon by walking over the M5 bridge footway.
They walked across the Somerset levels, through Exmoor and along the Cornish coast, where they decided to stay on the coast path to Land’s End even though it added more miles – 1,235 in all.
Their arrival in Land’s End was another high point, although Sally says it was slightly tinged with sadness as it meant the adventure was over.
Sally says they had the privilege of seeing nature at its finest through three seasons, having left in spring and arriving at their destination in autumn. Every kind of weather imaginable was thrown at them along the way.
“It was a wonderful walk, we loved it,” adds Roger. “So, if you have an itch to do something, and think you can do it, then grab the chance while you still can – seize the day!”
You can still support Roger and Sally’s fundraising efforts by donating at justgiving.com/team/sallyandroger
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