#BritishOdyssey2024 trip report

A harsh silence and a painful back strain (which ironically I got when boarding the train in Amsterdam) are my new trip companions on the way home after doing 4000km with Martin in his 1971 MK3 Mini Cooper S. It feels unreal to see the landscape pass by without the screaming noise of the 5-speed gearbox and Maniflow exhaust system. For a second time we completed the 2250km from Land’s End to John O’Groats – this time as photographic journey with like-minded friends.

This all came about last year during the award ceremony of Lejog2023. When the LeJog organisers announced that there will be no event in 2024 – some were devastated to imagine a December without doing a somewhat insane drive in classic cars through mostly stunning UK landscape. But fortunately some brave and enthusiastic souls came up with the British Odyssey.

Even though it was clear that this year there will be no tests or regularities, Martin and I prepared the same way we would do for Lejog. The freshly inspected Mini had no major issues like last year – but the front wheels had to be balanced and my friend Stephan was so kind to help us on extremely short notice. After that we installed a new TerraTrip intercom in my garage, checked all fluids and spare parts and off we went.

The 1000km from Bonn to Land’s End were smooth sailing. We started at 9pm, caught the LeShuttle at about 1:30am and arrived in Sennen Cove on time for breakfast at 8am. Normally a technical inspection and the route hand out would follow on a Lejog – but as we already got the PreEvent route recommendations in advance, we just enjoyed the day. This allowed me to have a closer look at Michael’s MGB GT – a really nice 1969 MK II with a maxed out 4cyl engine and countless small upgrades – quite similar to my taste but in much better condition than Maggie (my 1967 GT)

He certainly put a lot of thought and effort in this car. Knowing what type of road conditions would be ahead of us – I felt that his car looks too good for a trip like this.  Martin’s Mini is purpose-built for Lejog. An extended sump-guard and raptor-liner paint protects the underbody. Additionally, the attitude that small dents, scratches and dirt are part of the charm of a seriously driven Rallye Mini helps. But, I was wrong – Michael and most almost all other participants also navigated their beloved classic cars all the way to John O’Groats.

The start on Saturday morning was accompanied by Storm Darragh. Extreme winds at Land’s End should have been a warning – little did we know that huge parts of Cornwall, Devon and Wales would see uprooted trees, cut power-lines and dozens of road closures. Almost all of us forgot for a short while the guidance to drive moderately and were early at lunch.

This quickly changed however. The section through Exmoor was dropped as the bridges to Wales were closed for most part of Saturday.  The expected detour via Gloucester to Pontypool would have added more than 90min. During a coffee-break in the afternoon we were instructed to take the motorway instead. Martin and I opted to still go via Exmoor.  We figured that one of the Severn bridges might open again when the wind drops. First we were happy with our decision as a number of messages from other teams reported road closures due to uprooted trees.

After as we passed North Molton and entered Exmoor we weren’t so sure about our choice anymore. On a road blocked by a large tree we cleared the road together with some locals until we could pass. Just minutes later on Landacre Lane we were on our own clearing three smaller trees. Then we got to a ford through Pennycombe water. The entire Mini front – all the way up to the headlights – went under water for a second. The passenger door seal was not holding up – water under the seat soaked my maps and shoes. Somehow the Mini still made it uphill and across the B3223 when the engine decided to die on Chibbet Hill.

It was a few minutes to 5pm and within minutes the remaining daylight faded. We were stranded in the darkness in Exmoor. Attempts to start the car again failed with misfires. Clearly, the 123 distributor is not designed for underwater use. Two friendly ladies with their children in a Landrover offered to pull us to the Exmoor White Horse Inn – which was just down the road.

At the pub we pushed the Mini under the entrance lights, removed the rubber seal around the distributor cap (which was meant to prevent water entry) and used dry wipes to get rid of the water in the cap. Five minutes later we were back in the game. We ditched the rest of the Exmoor section (it was cancelled anyway) and when we got to the Severn bridge it was opened again as we hoped. Despite all of this we arrived just a few minutes after the original scheduled time.

Sunday was by far the toughest day. Challenging navigation sections through Wales with many short notice changes due to road closures kept us busy. The Snowdonia section was completely canceled. That was quite helpful as the navigation section West of the Clwydian range was extremely difficult. During Lejog the navigator gets regularity instructions that includes landmark details at a defined distance. With the finger on the map, one eye of the Brantz tripmaster and another eye comparing instructions and surroundings, you give the driver instructions where to turn.

Here we had no regularity instructions – just maps with “road recommendations”. It is extremely difficult to find the right turns and keep track of your position on the map this way. And what really annoyed me is a plotting mistake I made. On the last way-point I overlooked an “approach north” guidance. Therefore, we missed a route-control.  At Lejog this would have meant the loss of the Blue Ribband. Even though it was not that important here – this really nagged me.

As a result I double-checked all map-plots I made for Day 3 to 5 when we got to the Ibis hotel in Preston until late into the night. This paid out for all upcoming sections. The weather from Monday onward was nice and sunny.  Under other conditions the nav-sections in the Yorkshire Dales and  North Pennies – where we had to open and close dozens of gates to pass – would have been maybe not as much fun. By this time Martin and I really got into the rhythm of event and kept the recommended times quite well. But we where not the only ones. Both BMW teams, the Porsche 911 and of course the dutch Peugeot 406 were permanently on our radar.

Day 4 started at Loch Lomond, where we had the nicest hotel of the trip. Temperatures had dropped over night and warnings about icy roads were passed on. The team in the silver BMW 323 however seemed to have missed the warning or simply had bad luck. A rock on their flight path refused to get out of the way. Nobody was hurt but the radiator did not survive which meant the end of tour for this team. They were not the only team that did not get so far. Earlier we lost a Porsche 944 due to a wheel bearing issue, the Porsche 924 had a flat tire and the Rover 623 blew the cylinderhead gasket or worse. The rest of the day was not much of a challenge – but therefore we could enjoy the fantastic Scottish landscapes – which is impossible during Lejog.

When we arrived in the Highland Hotel in Strathpeffer both Porsche teams were in the parking lot. The Swiss Rover team (now in a rental car) pulled us out of a ditch earlier that day  (details on why we landed there with our right rear wheel remain a secret). Team “Diesel and Dust”  showed up in their Peugeot 505 for breakfast after a mysterious refueling Karma incident and a long night drive. This spirit of not giving up and trying to find the best way to the end is what you need when you are on an Odyssey.

Day 5 was much to easy but the beauty of Loch Naver and they joy of reaching the end of the trip compensated for this. Just a few miles before the start of the last navigation section – another ford crossing caused ignition problems again – but this time not for us in the Mini – this time the Peugeot 2025 team struggled. As this happened in a single track road they also blocked team Dacia if I got this correctly. Both teams managed to get to the last control however. Michael in his MGB GT as well as the team in the Austin Healey 3000 all made it to John O’Groats. So did the Porsche teams, and all Peugeots. In fact – expected for the silver BMW everyone made it to John O’Groats.

All in all, this was a blast. We had great fun and got to know many new enthusiasts which we hope to meet again.