When we thought the challenge could not get any harder, along came day 3. The toughest day of the 4-day challenge. The team set off from Ponterwyd on bikes at 6:30am with Will and Dean, passing Devil’s Bridge and cycling up a pretty tough climb and then down into Cwmystwyth. We covered 7.6 miles in 73 mins climbing 885 feet. For stage 2, under the guidance of Jake and Joe the team took to hiking, crossing remote and pathless mountains and the geographical centre of Wales, before stopping and having breakfast on the edge of Llyn Teifi. The hike had taken 2 hours 48 minutes and we had covered 5.5 miles, ascending 1241 feet. At our next checkpoint, at the far end of Cronfa Ddwr Claerwen (Claerwen Reservoir), we had breakfast and prepared ourselves for the rest of the day. However, nothing could properly prepare us us for stage 3. Initially, we followed the edge of the reservoir to the main dam, but then things got interesting, especially with Dean and Will guiding us. For 21 miles we cycled on challenging tracks and up and over remote moorland. We crossed small rivers. We carried bikes on our backs up rocky hillsides. We cycled on paths with deep ruts and large hidden stones. Over 5 hours and 6 minutes we ascended 1955 feet. But even then the day was not done. After a short break at Beulah, we got back on the bikes and headed for Brecon, covering 21 miles and ascending another 2141 feet in 2 hours and 52 minutes. It was the end of a day that stretched us to our limits. And there was still a day to go. Just Giving > https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/bike-boat-boot
Day 3 – Time cycling, hiking and kayaking: 11 hours 59 minutes; Miles covered: 55.3 miles; Height gained: 6196 feet
Day 1 – Conwy to Bala Lake
Day 2 – Bala Lake to Ponterwyd
Day 3 – Ponterwyd to Brecon
Day 4 – Brecon to Tŷ Hafan in Sully
