Welcome Break Brecon Challenge

Challenger Information Pack

1st October 2016

Thank you for choosing to take part in the Welcome Break Brecon Challenge in aid of BBC Children in Need. The challenge is being organised on behalf of Welcome Break by Passion in Events Ltd (“pie” We are confident you’ll enjoy the challenge, and above all, raise vital funds for BBC Children in Need. Please find below some information concerning your challenge. Should you have any questions, or require any additional information, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Contact details

Your event manager is Peter Wood. If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact him on or 01932 460090 / 07785 619972.

Itinerary

A summary of the itinerary is provided below. Please note this is subject to change.

Friday 30th September

  • Arrive from 15.00 – 21.00 at the Brecon Castle Hotel
  • If you are driving, there is plenty of parking at the hotel. If you are arriving by train, the closest train station is Abergavenny, which is a 40minute drive from the Hotel. The hotel recommends calling A&A Taxis in advance to arrange your transfer from the station– 01874 622288 (please note, this is not included in the cost of the event).
  • The hotel address is: The Castle of Brecon Hotel, Castle Square, Brecon, Powys, LD3 9DB. Tel. 01874 624611 -
  • Hotel check in is from 15.00 and check out is by 11.00 on Sunday
  • On arrival at the hotel, please visit reception to check in (you will need a credit card for any room extras) and collect your room key. You will then be told by the hotel reception where the eventregistration is (Usk Suite). Registration will be open 17.00-21.00
  • Dinner on the Friday night is at your own expense. The hotel has a restaurant, or there are plenty of restaurants to choose from in Brecon town centre, a short walk away.The hotel has asked that you kindly book a table in advance directly with them if you intend on eating at their restaurant.

Event Registration (1700-2100 Friday, 0700-0730 Saturday)

  • Event registration will be open in the Usk Suite from 1700 to 2100 on the Friday. Please register with the event organisers, pie, as soon as you can. If you arrive after 2100, please register with pie the following morning.
  • The guides at registration will check which activities/routes you will be doing in both the morning and afternoon sessions, and will allocate you to teams accordingly.
  • We will also ask you to complete an up-to-date medical statement so we are aware of any issues.
  • If you are biking, you will be given a bike tag with team/contact information on, and:
  • If you are bringing your own bike, we will tell you where to store it overnight (Crug Room).
  • If you are using one of our bikes, we will set you up with your bike when you register. You should have already given us your height so we can make sure we have got the correct bike size for you. This bike will also be put in secure storage overnight.
  • Our bikes come fitted with a bottle cage (these have kindly been supplied by Madison, You will also be provided with a pie water bottle. Please remember to fill this up in your room, ready for the morning.
  • If you would like your own bike fitted with a bottle cage, let the guide know at this point.
  • Helmets will be given out with the bikes unless you have brought your own.
  • You will also be given sticky labels with your name on them for the transition zone bags (for when you get changed from your bike kit into your hike kit). If you have brought your own transition bag please put these labels onto a luggage label (which we will provide) and then attach to your bag. If not, you will be provided with a couple of bin liners on to which will go your sticky label. (More on this later…!)
  • Finally, you will be given an event goodie bag, containing your technical event branded t-shirt and other items. Please wear as many Children In Need branded items as possible during the event for the photos! If you’ve taken part in previous Welcome Break Challenges, please bring your Children in Need branded buffs, ears, badges, etc. to wear as well!

Transition Bags

  • This event has two parts, a bike or hike in the morning, and a hike in the afternoon with the transition between the two at lunchtime.
  • If you are biking in the morning, you will need
  • a saddle bag, or day sack, or pockets for any personal items you might need in the morning (whilst on your bike).
  • a transition bag for your change of clothes from biking to hiking at lunchtime (e.g. boots, socks, trousers).
  • a day/ruck sack for the afternoon hike for your personal items and walking gear to take up the hill (e.g. waterproof, water, food).
  • In your transition bag you will need:
  • your gear for the afternoon hike – for example, walking boots, waterproofs, warmer gear such as hats or gloves, leggings (no jeans please as they soak up and retain the rain), walking poles, waterproof trousers.
  • towel and/or wet wipes to help you get dry and/or talcum powder to help you stay dry.
  • we strongly advise you do not to walk in wet socks and therefore that you carry a spare pair.
  • If you are hiking in the morning, then you will need a day/ruck sack for your personal items and walking gear (e.g. waterproof, water, food). You do not necessarily need a transition bag but you are welcome to use one if you wish (e.g. for a change of clothes/socks at lunchtime in the event that the weather is wet).
  • You MUST have a ruck sack/day sack for the hike in order to carry your food and drink plus store any clothing you may not need at the outset. Unless you KNOW you will not get blisters from your hiking boots we also recommend you carry Compeed blister patches.
  • If you do not have a transition bag we will supply you with a couple of bin liners of different colours, one for dry kit and one for wet kit. Please make sure these are labelled or you will end up with someone else’s wet kit. Hmmm.
  • Transition Bags and any day sacks/ruck sacks for the hike should be loaded on to our support truck between 07.00 and 08.00 on Saturday morning.
  • Please note that once you have put your Transition Bag in the truck on Saturday morning, you will not have access to it until you reach the Transition Zone at lunchtime.

Saturday 1stOctober

  • If you arrived after 21.00 on Friday night you will not have met the registration team. Please register with the pie team as indicated by the hotel reception at 07.00 in order that we may fit your bike to you and explain the transition process and kit packing as per above.
  • Breakfast starts at 07.00.
  • The truck for loading the Transition Bags and day/ruck sacks will be open from 07.00-08.00 (and then again after the briefing at 08.20 for last minute arrivals!).
  • We will have an event and safety briefingin the Ballroom from 08.00am - 08.20am. Please come to the briefing ready to bike or hike.
  • If you are biking in the morning, you will be able to access your bikes after the briefing. Please be in the car park at 08.30 with your bike and your water bottle or hydration pack full of water in order to meet your guides and set off on the day’s challenge.
  • If you are hiking in the morning, please cheer the bike teams off first before setting out with your hike guide. Taxis will then take you to the start of the morning walk route.

Bike in the Morning

  • The mountain bike element of the challenge will be split into 2 different sections, with a refreshment stop in between.
  • The bike route options are:
  • Red – 29km, 700m ascent
  • Black – 36km, 850m ascent

These are expected to take approx. 3 ½ - 4 hours no matter which route you are on.

  • There will be a refuelling stop approximately half way through the ridewhere you will have a chance to refill your water bottles / bladders, have a hot drink and a snack, and use the bathroom facilities before setting off again. There will be no luggage truck here.
  • The lunch time Transition Zone is at the Birch Hall Bothi. Here you will be able to get changed out of your cycle gear and into whatever you have put into your transition bag for the hike. There are very limited facilities here, although changing tents and toilets will be provided. Please make sure all bags are labelled. There will also be a refreshment area where we will provide you with your lunch, hot drinks and a tap to refill your water bottles/bladders.
  • Additionally, there will be a table of goodies specifically for you to take on your hike. Please help yourself!!
  • Your bikes will be loaded separately into two different trucks at this point – one for our bikes to go back to the rental shop and one for your own bikes to go back to the hotel. Please make sure when you hand back one of our bikes at the end of the ride that you remove all your personal belongings from the bike and put them in your luggage.

Hike in the Morning

  • If you are doing the Green hikein the morning (i.e. instead of doing the bike) then please cheer the biking teams off at the start and then gather for instructions from the pie crewwho will hook you up with your guide(s).
  • There will be a short taxi ride to the start of the hike, which will finish at the Transition Zone at lunchtime where you will re-join the biking teams ready for lunch and the afternoon hike.
  • The hike is 9km long, with 400m of ascent. This should take around 2 ½ to 3hrs to complete.

Hike in the Afternoon

  • Once you are changed and ready to go after lunch you will be introduced to your hiking guides. The route will be decided by the guide and will depend on the equipment the group has, general fitness, experience, weather and time available.
  • The hike options are:
  • Red – 15kms, ascending by 550m
  • Black – 17km, ascending by750m

These are expected to take about 4 ½ -5 ½ hours, irrespective of the route you are on.

  • There are no public toilets on the hike.
  • It is important that you have the appropriate kit for the hike – in particular, we recommendankle high walking boots, long trousers and wet weather gear. If you don’t bring appropriate kit, our guides may not permit you to complete the hike or may ask you to move down to a less demanding route.

Finish

  • The finish of the hike, and indeed the Challenge, is back at the hotel. Here there will be a celebration of your achievements, sponsored by Welcome Break!
  • When you return to the hotel, please collect your transition bags (containing your dirty/wet clothes from the morning!).
  • A celebration dinner for Challengers and supporters will be served at Brecon Cathedral at 20.15. We will meet in the hotel bar before this and our staff will walk you over to the Cathedral (5min walk). Drinks over dinner are kindly being sponsored by Welcome Break!
  • Dress code for the celebration dinner is relaxed/smart casual

Sunday2ndOctober

  • Breakfast on Sunday is from 7.30am to 10am, with check out at 11.00. You are welcome to stay and use the hotel’s facilities.

Meet the guides

  • You have already advised us which route you would like to do in each section – Black, Red, Green – but there’s still time to change your mind. This will enable us to split the challengers into groups, each led by one guide. Please note that each of the morning and afternoon sections are not inconsiderable challenges on their own, so when put together they represent a substantial challenge. If at any time on the bike or hike, the guide deems you to be unsafe to be in that group, for whatever reason, you will be asked to move to a safer, lower group or to get in a support vehicle, where possible.
  • Heading up the biking challenge is Barrie Clarke (too many GB titles to mention here), accompanied by Jim McConnel(2015 National Cross Duathlon Champion) and the rest of the pie crew. More information on Barrie and Jim can be found here:

Friends and Supporters

  • We welcome all friends and supporters on the event. We ask that you follow our briefings and are mindful of other visitors to the Brecon Beacons especially while driving on narrow roads. It is not unusual to find wildlife and walkers on the roads. Please be careful!
  • Please note we only have a limited number of seats in our vehicles (which we need to reserve for “Challengers In Need”), so we ask that supporters have your own mode of transport, for example to the Transition Zone and finishing area. Please come equipped with maps so you can find your way around at your convenience and leisure. We are happy to help but it is dangerous to have convoys of cars on the road and often not helpful to get you to where you are going.
  • Please note that there is no vehicular access for supporters’ cars for large parts of both the mountain biking and hiking routes.You will however be able to access the morning refreshment stop at the DanywenalltYHA, and lunch / transition zone at the Birch Hall Bothi.
  • Please be aware that there is very little phone signal across large sections of the biking and hiking routes. If you would like to get in touch with one of the challengers due to an emergency, please contact the event manager, Peter Wood on 07785619972. Peter will do his best to contact the person concerned and relay a message.
  • We will be sending through a special Supporters Pack in advance of the Challenge with further details.

Top Tips

  • Bring your mobile phone in a re-sealable sandwich bag to keep it dry.
  • Phones and cameras often lose their charge on a cold day. Keep both inside your jacket, close to your body to maintain battery life.
  • Use layers – a base layer to keep you dry and then various layers to keep you warm until you get to the final layer to keep you dry again.
  • Never wear cotton next to your skin – it retains moisture and therefore makes you cold when temperatures drop.
  • Wear wicking fabrics that will take moisture away from the skin as your base layer.
  • You can do muscle training in a gym but it is rarely for longer than an hour whether on a treadmill or on a static bike. The best training is outdoors, in the rain, sun, cold, on uneven terrain, wearing a rucksack of a reasonable weight.
  • The hiketerrain varies from muddy tracks, rocky outcrops and tarmac. You may wish to use one or two spring loaded walking poles for stability and to absorb impact. If you don’t own them and don’t want to buy or borrow them, consider renting them.
  • Please ensure you take off cycling shoes or walking boots wherever possible when at the hotel, so as to avoid damaging the carpets / spreading mud through the hotel.

Photography

There will be a photographeron the Brecon Challenge. He will be taking photos of the groups throughout the event on the biking section, the hiking section, at the briefings, refreshment stops, etc. The resulting photos will be used for the purposes of advertising Children in Need’s events, recruiting on to future Challenges, as a memento for you and on the pie website. If you do not wish to be photographed, please advise the photographerand the event manager.

pie, Springfield House, 23 Oatlands Drive, Weybridge, KT13 9LZ

01932 46 00 90

Registered name: Passion in Events Ltd. Co number 07981582 VAT 131508055