Thoresby Park wildlife conservationist and partner of East Lothian hike from Land’s End to John O’Groats
A couple has described their ‘life-changing experience’ after hiking over 1,250 miles across the UK , raising thousands of pounds to help protect whales and dolphins.
Indy Kiemel Green, 19, of Thoresby Park and his partner Katie Monk, 20, of East Lothian went on a mission to trek from Land’s End to John O’Groats, via the Hebrides.
The pair raised over £21,000 for the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust to help fund the charity’s educational programmes for children in the Hebrides.
Indy said that Katie, a university student, came up with the idea as she was said to be bored of being stuck at home with her laptop all the time.
“She wanted to be outside and kind of took it to the extreme, but one day she just said “I have got this idea”, and before I knew she already planned the entire route and schedule.”
They set off from Land’s End on May 10 and trekked along the Pennine Way before crossing to the Scottish islands of Bute, Mull, and Harris.
“We made it quite unique by going through the Hebrides, and it was really something that I don’t think has been done before in terms of a walk between Land’s of End and John O’Groats because people usually just make a straight line as possible,” Indy said.
Despite the couple’s battle through strong winds, downpours, and hundreds of ticks in their sleeping bags, they saw sand beaches, the northern lights and sights that they would have not had the opportunity to explore and see otherwise.
Indy said: “It felt like a life-changing experience, it really changed who we are and our connection to the environment and even just our connection to the weather.
“We were so in tune, that we knew when these clouds will start appearing, we know we're going to get some rain soon.
“You feel the temperature and the pressure in the air and really get so in tune because you're just outdoors and all the time you're part of it.
“One night in particular, we pitched up our tent on this little island that got cut off by the tide at night, and once we pitched the tent, we looked down at our legs and they were just crawling with ticks.
“It was just horrible, we had 400 or 500 ticks just on and in our tent that night, they were in our sleeping bags, in our clothes, they just got everywhere.”
Indy and Katie incorporated some of their favourite islands into the route, which hold a special place in Indy’s heart as his parents met on a whale-watching boat on the Isle of Mull and he and his family holidayed on the island when he was 10, where he got offered a volunteer role at 11 as a whale-watching boat guide.
The charity the couple chose to raise funds for works with all the wildlife tour operators in the area, including the one where Indy volunteers.
“They just do so much brilliant campaigning work and work with local communities to engage them, especially children, on why the ocean is so important to their communities and why they should value it and protect it,” added the 19-year-old.
The entire journey lasted 107 days as they returned home on August 24, but the duo walked with their rucksacks which weighed over 20kg, alongside food, water, and a two-person tent for around 85 days.
They asked campsites and hostels for a free stay before initiating the journey and about 90% wrote back confirming a free stay, with the couple having to spend just £5 on accommodation for the whole journey.
“Overall, it was an experience we were definitely sad to see the end of when we got to John O'Groats,” Indy said, “It was really sad, but really happy as well.”
The morning after their challenge was when the couple realised they had reached their target of £20,000.
“It was amazing and this definitely won't be the last thing we do.
“It is unbelievable, we never dreamed of reaching £20,000 so I want to say a huge thank you to anybody who donated and shared because it was an amazing thing.”
