Were there such a thing as MTB enduro Top Trumps, Trailbreak‘s Iron Lemming (14-15 June 2003) would be a winning card. For a start it takes two whole days. Which is a good thing – you wouldn’t want to be tackling the full 213km (132 mile) route in a single day, now would you?

That’s twice as long as any other enduro in the UK. Or, put another way, it’s like doing a regular 100km enduro one day and then doing another one the next day…

The route starts at Brecon in South Wales. Day one (70 miles) climbs the Talybont valley and takes in a number of classic Brecon Beacons bits including the Gap track and Sarn Helen. This year Trailbreak have negotiated the use of a private track, thus avoiding the Black Mountain stretch that was the undoing of many riders last year. Day one finishes in Llanwrtyd Wells – there’s a limited amount of hostel accommodation, or a fully-featured campsite or your pick of Llanwrtyd’s other hotels or B&Bs. An evening meal will be served at the event centre, as will a substantial breakfast before facing the rigours of day two…

Day two (62 miles) takes you around the Elan Valley via the Claerwen and Llyn Brainne reservoirs before dropping back in Llanwrtyd Wells for the finish in the centre of the village. Coaches will ferry riders back to Brecon.

Whichever way you look at it, it’s a massive event. Trailbreak say it’s the hardest in the UK and few would argue with that. To give you some idea, you can read a report of last year’s Iron Lemming. More details from Trailbreak’s web site – they’ve got comprehensive PDF information sheets with everything you’ll need to know.