Dawn to Dusk Brecon Beacons

Registering for this Challenge

To register for this challenge please head to Action Medical Research for Children's webpage.

Grading

The Brecon Beacons Dawn to Dusk Challenge is graded as tough.

This is the perfect challenge for participants who are of an adventurous spirit and an open mind. It will be a long day of cycling,trekking and coneing around the mountains on undulating terrain so training is essential.

You can tell your supporters that on this Brecon Beacons Dawn to Dusk challenge you will be:

• Climbing to the summit of Pen Y Fan – 886m high.
• Cycling 88km on undulating roads
• Canoe for 2km from Llangorse Lake.
• A full day of activity, transferring from one activity to the next with just enough time to refuel.

Clothing and equipment

Equipment of good quality and durability could make the difference between a fantastic challenge experience and an uncomfortable one. For this challenge, waterproof and well-worn in boots or trail shoes will be indispensable.

Changing Equipment

Our team will be waiting for you at the end of the cycling leg with your trekking gear. We collect your bikes and cycling equipment from you here and bring them back to the event base. We recommend you remove all sweaty clothing and replace it with dry clothing before each section.

Bikes

You need to provide your own bikes and we would suggest a road or hybrid bike for this challenge as the route is all on-road. Your bike must be well maintained and in good working order and we recommend a thorough service before the big day. You should carry a puncture repair kit and pump with you, along with a spare inner tube. There will be a bike mechanic on hand to deal with any serious repairs.

Canoes

Canoe experience is not necessary for this challenge but you do need to be able to swim in cold, open water. Your team of four will use two person canoes. The canoes, paddles and buoyancy aids are provided and we also have qualified canoeing instructors to brief and help you out if needed

Training

The Brecon Beacons Dawn to Dusk Challenge is a long, sustained event. The event is achievable by people with a reasonable levell of fitness, who are prepared to put in plenty of training beforehand.

This challenge is something of great adventure that will have you cycling, kayaking and hiking across the glorious and exciting Brecon Beacons National Park, therefore requiring a moderate to good level of fitness. The ideal training for this challenge is, naturally, hill walking and cycling. If you do not have the luxury of living near the hills, then the stairs at home (or an office block) are a great place to start.

Most training should be part of an ongoing lifestyle, but if this is not the case then you should begin training 2-4 months prior to the challenge and gradually build up as suggested.

Remember to use the walking boots that you will be wearing on the challenge in order to get them worn in, and take the daysack that you will be using during the challenge.

There is no substitute for walking in the hills so try if possible to get out on a weekend and train in an area with steep hills. You should progress to training with your boots on from week 4 at the latest, but preferably from week 1. The more you exercise before the expedition, the more you will get out of it. Also see your Charity Challenge Fitness Training notes.

Your training should also include some cycle training, preferably including some hills. The biking section of this challenge takes place on off-road trails, but you should gear your training to being comfortable on a bike and have experience of cycling up hills.

For the canoeing, no prior experience is necessary, although if you have the opportunity to go to a local canoe club then this would help you when you arrive for the challenge. Canoeing requires good upper body strength, so if possible doing some exercises or light weights to build your strength would be advantageous.

Money

During the challenge there are limited opportunities to spend any money. We would advise you should need no more than £20 (GBP) excluding your travel cost.

Insurance

We don’t offer insurance for our UK trips, as any medical emergencies would naturally be covered through the NHS. If you wish, you could look into your own policy that covers cancellation for travel within the UK.

Weather and Climate

As you know, the weather in the UK can be highly unpredictable and at times erratic, so being prepared is the key! Although the early summer months of should be, in general, warmer, sunnier and more stable in terms of the weather conditions, we all know that this isn’t always the case. Please check the weather forecasts up to ensure that you bring clothing suitable for warm sunny walking weather and also sudden wind and downpours should they occur.

Terrain

This challenge is based within the mountainous range of the Brecon Beacons National park, and the difficulty of this challenge should not be underestimated as it includes multiple activites with a surprising number of gradual ascents and descents. The route is on good paths and quiet country roads, but it's the variation of terrain that makes this challenge a unique and fun experience.

Accommodation

Don’t forget to book your accommodation nice and early to get what you want as there is no accomodation included in the challenge. There’s a few pubs in the village, a hostel not too far away and quite a few private rental listings in the area. Otherwise, Brecon isn’t too far away to offer you even more choice of where to rest before your big Dawn to Dusk adventure.

Food & drink

A breakfast of porridge, pastries, tea and coffee will be provided on this challenge. Lunch will be available in the form of a packed lunch, water and snacks are provided throughout the day as well. We recommend that you bring some of your own snacks to ensure that you can keep your energy levels up throughout the challenge.

The drinking of alcohol the night before the challenge is strongly discouraged for your own health and safety during this tough challenge.

Toilets

There will be toilet facilities both at the start and end of the trek; however during the challenge such facilities will be limited to the great outdoors!

Safety

Charity Challenge considers the safety of all of our participants and staff to be a top priority, and as such we have set up Challenge Safe, one of the most advanced and thorough safety management systems in the industry. Challenge Safe formalises our ethos when it comes to safety, and brings together the procedures and risk management strategies that we use to audit all aspects of our challenges, from vehicles to accommodation to the challenge activity itself. Your welfare is absolutely paramount!

Here are a couple of important points that you should be aware of:

• The terrain on the challenge is often rocky and in wet conditions can be extremely slippery. Please make sure that your shoes have good grip. Trainers are not appropriate as they lack grip.
• The weather can change in the course of the day. Please make sure you carry an additional warm layer, waterproof jacket.
• This event includes short sections along country roads. Please take care along these sections and keep to the sides of the roads in single file.
• This is a long distance, endurance event. Ensure that you eat lots throughout the day and keep yourself hydrated by drinking lots of fluids.