Trickling in

Before we get too carried away with plans and things, just a quick reminder of why we're doing all this.

The funds are beginning to come in for Age Concern & Help the Aged. And if you haven't yet donated, you know what to do.

"Fellers, I got a plan..."

Jeremy has been working hard on the plan. Or, as it should be written, The Plan.

Those of you who were watching last year will remember The LEJOG Plan. Using most of the colours available on MS Excel, it determined, down to the last minute and final mile, everyone's place. Who was cycling, who was driving, who rested, who wolfed down Jaffa cakes. It was more than mere organisation; it was a work of art.

And it was out of date within the first three hours.

Not Jeremy's fault, we'd just got all excited and pushed on. As a result we were way ahead of the plan. Jeremy is determined that this shall not happen again, so we have fixed handover points between each team. So it's supposed to go something like this:

Climb Snowdon.

Team 1 ride to Ellesmere Port then drive to Wasdale Head to sleep.

Team 2 drive to Ellesmere Port, rest, ride to Lancaster, drive to Wasdale Head, rest.

team 3 drive to Lancaster, sleep, ride to Wasdale Head.

Climb Scafell Pike.

Team 1 ride to Dumfries then drive to Glencoe to sleep.

Team 2 drive to Dumfries, rest, ride to Loch Lomond, drive to Glencoe, rest.

Team 3 drive to Loch Lomond, sleep, ride to Nevis - joined by other riders at Glencoe for last 20 miles if they wish (this is meant to be a great, mainly downhill, stretch that everyone wants a crack at).

Climb Ben Nevis.

Beer.

Sounds like a plan to me.

Accommodation. Or the lack, thereof.

OK, now it's getting worrying.

I thought Richard was joking. but it appears that we are going au naturel.

I should rephrase that, as it's clearly a disturbing image. What I mean to say is that until we get to the end, we're not sleeping under roofs.

A couple of the guys in my team are talking about tents. I'm trying to see just how far back the seats in a Citroen Picasso can go.

Which perhaps leads to the second disturbing image in the same post.

A worrying moment

"Oh yes," said Richard, "I think it's only right. Otherwise you're just going to be sitting around, aren't you?"

Jon covered himself in glory last year by abandoning his driving duties temporarily to ride a bike over the Scottish border. Us other drivers thought this was a poor show.

"Yes, I really think we drivers should volunteer to climb at least one of the mountains."

Steve and I are going to have to have a word.

Team C

Jeremy C.

Ian H.

Andy D.

Phil S (team C driver).

Clearly a team of talents. However, we're not certain if the talents in question will be of any use when it comes to the actual 'riding and climbing' bit of the challenge. Three out of the four team members are confirmed iPhone addicts so will probably spend the entire time cooing over their latest cool applications. The fourth team member might be merely an embarrassing Brummie, but he does at least have blogging privileges.

Team B

Tom W.

James W (some say).

Greg R.

Steve W (team B driver).

Another heady mix. We're not too certain what it's a mix of, but it's a mix, nevertheless. Encouragingly, Greg hasn't touched a bike since last September. But he tells us he has been training for the mountaineering by climbing stairs a bit.

Team A

Rob L.

Richard F.

James P.

Jon S (team A driver).

Introducing a new Queasy Rider for this year, James P. JP is a keen mountain cyclist, to the extent that the only helmet he possesses is a full-face job. We think he might be trying to out-Stig the Stig. As for the rest of the team, a healthy mix of iron-willed monosyllabic determination and howling insanity. A good mix, then.

Team selection

This time we're going to have a degree of science in team selection, we said.

We need to have a balance of skills and experience in each team, we said.

We should carefully consider the different characters involved - everyone's strengths and weaknesses - and make sure everything fits together. We said.

"OK, someone write down the names on slips of paper. Who's got a hat?"

Creature comforts

"This time it will be different," intoned Richard.

I put down my cup of tea. Greg swung round from whatever fiendish thing it was he'd been doing to a spreadsheet. There was expectation in the air. Richard continued.

"We faffed around on the LEJOG last year. All that nonsense with Travel Lodges and the like. Quite apart from the cost, they took us off the route a little bit. So I think we should keep it simple this year. Who's for camping?"

There was a pause.

Ever since a week in North Wales in the early 80s, sitting in a rain-lashed ex-army tent in what was apparently an open-air wind-tunnel, I have proudly avoided the alleged delights of camping. Greg, veteran of several music festivals, was perhaps marginally more enthusiastic but was still hardly bubbling over with delight.

There was another pause.

Richard sensed the tension. Employing the diplomatic skills for which he is universally famed, he went on.

"Well, I think it's a good idea...."

The reason why we're doing this

As if "mucking about on bikes and up hills" wasn't enough of a reason.

This year we aim to raise funds for yet another good cause - Age Concern & Help the Aged.

OK, I know that sounds quite a bit like two good causes, but they are merging to form one organisation. Between them, they do a lot of good work for older people. Campaigning, direct support, financial assistance, there's a lot they can offer.

At first, you might think, not the most of exciting of causes. But we all get old, we all know someone who might need their help. Spend a little time, like I have, understanding the issues that they're working to overcome, and hopefully you'll agree.

And if you'd like to help, there's now a place you can go.