On 23rd April 2024 W.Bro John Donohue will be undertaking a challenging cycle ride across The Pyrenes, starting at St Jean-Pied-de-Port in France and into Northern Spain following the Camino de Santtiago. This is an old Pilgrim Route which has been walked by thousands of men, women and children over many centuries. W.Bro John will be cycling, not on an electric bike, but using his own pedal power to cover the 650 miles to Santiago de Compostela, staying in Albergues, which are local hostels along the route, just as others tackling the Camino de Santiago have done over the years.
John plans to undertake the 650 Miles in 28 days with an expected average of 23½ miles per day. Given this will be over rough tracks though the Pyrenees on his bicycle this is a pretty optomistic, incredibly arduous and all funded from his own pocket. The first leg begins in France at St‐Jean‐Pied‐de‐Port and finishes in Pamplona, the town famous for its Running of the Bulls festval . At first, it follows the Route de Napoleon over the Roncesvalles Pass (1500m) in the Basque country, and then crosses into more gentle terrain in the great region of Navarra. John plans to record his trip and will post updates each day on Facebook. In preparaton he is riding 50 miles twice a week.
How can you and your Lodge become involved?
Simple. We would like each Lodge to support John’s epic ride by donating at least £250 to this worthy cause. The money raised
will go to the M.B.F. 2026 festival and will count against your Lodges Honorifics. You can also have a stone placed at The Cruz
de Ferro memorial in memory of those who have passed to the Grand Lodge above. What a great way of honouring past merit.
