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Keep up to date with all the 10YFAN essentials
ESSENTIAL ADVICE, KIT & SAFETY INFO
10YFAN TEAM • April 18, 2018
BE RESPONSIBLE AND STAY SAFE
10YFAN is open to everyone over 18. A reasonable level of fitness is assumed, whether you are climbing once or the whole ten. A general rule of thumb is reaching the top takes around one hour from base camp and returning is a little quicker for a moderately fit person at a steady pace.
The following is aimed at helping you gather and prepare essential kit and supplies to have the best 10YFAN experience possible. Even in May, 10YFAN can present extreme weather and you should be ready for it. We have excellent support for all participants and your safety comes first. Therefore, we reserve the right to remove you from the 10YFAN experience if you act in a way that could put yourself or others at risk ( see T&C's
). That said, here follows some hard won advice and kit suggestions to make the most from your 10YFAN.
THE KIT
Well worn in walking boots with good tread are perfect for walking. For those that intend to run, trail running shoes are advised. If you are planning more than one 'lap', shoes with very strong toe protection are highly recommended.
Good socks are underrated! Cotton socks should not be worn. Thick socks with a high percentage of wool are advisable to help prevent blisters. A spare pair of boots or trail shoes and multiple pairs of socks are also a good idea in case your feet get wet.
Ideally, synthetic underwear should be worn. Loose cotton boxer shorts are not good when wet. Generally, avoid cotton clothing. Lightweight synthetic materials dries faster and is easier to walk in when wet. Fleece is great and even cheap varieties work well. It is best to wear layers on your top half. Usually a synthetic t-shirt or base layer, a fleece and then a waterproof if it is raining or windy. Jeans are not suitable for the mountain. You should carry a spare layer in your backpack.
Waterproof jacket and over trousers are essential. Lightweight versions are ideal for movement and less likely to become waterlogged, dry faster and take up less space. A warm woolly or synthetic hat and gloves should be easily assessible as tempratures can fluctuate wildly at summit as well as around dusk/dawn.
Good socks are underrated! Cotton socks should not be worn. Thick socks with a high percentage of wool are advisable to help prevent blisters. A spare pair of boots or trail shoes and multiple pairs of socks are also a good idea in case your feet get wet.
Ideally, synthetic underwear should be worn. Loose cotton boxer shorts are not good when wet. Generally, avoid cotton clothing. Lightweight synthetic materials dries faster and is easier to walk in when wet. Fleece is great and even cheap varieties work well. It is best to wear layers on your top half. Usually a synthetic t-shirt or base layer, a fleece and then a waterproof if it is raining or windy. Jeans are not suitable for the mountain. You should carry a spare layer in your backpack.
Waterproof jacket and over trousers are essential. Lightweight versions are ideal for movement and less likely to become waterlogged, dry faster and take up less space. A warm woolly or synthetic hat and gloves should be easily assessible as tempratures can fluctuate wildly at summit as well as around dusk/dawn.
A medium backpack with waist straps will improve your comfort considerably. We recommend you carry 1-1.5 litres of water and your preference of high energy snacks such as flap jack, fruit cake, cereal bars, chocolate and nuts.
Remember to pack a head torch with spare batteries and here is a double reminder for a warm hat and gloves! Put everything inside your rucksack in a plastic bag such as a heavy-duty bin liner to keep things dry.
There will be limited food and water available for registered competitors at basecamp, but it is advised that you bring plenty of your own supplies, especially if you are doing all ten climbs.
Remember to pack a head torch with spare batteries and here is a double reminder for a warm hat and gloves! Put everything inside your rucksack in a plastic bag such as a heavy-duty bin liner to keep things dry.
There will be limited food and water available for registered competitors at basecamp, but it is advised that you bring plenty of your own supplies, especially if you are doing all ten climbs.
FIRST AID & ENVIRONMENT
10YFAN volunteer marshals have the final word on all issues on the mountain. If you choose to ignore this advice you do so entirely at your own risk and you cease to be the responsibility of 10YFAN.
Our marshals carry first aid kits. All you will need to carry are smaller personal items e.g. blister plasters, wet wipes etc. If there is any personal medication you require please ensure it is carried with you and labelled. You must administer it yourself.
For your safety, we insist you follow the designated route and avoid any short cuts. Those participants climbing through the night must wear a head torch and whistle in case of emergency.
If you become injured and need assistance or observe anyone in distress, please attract the attention of one of our first aid trained volunteers. Use your whistle if necessary. They will be able to call on further professional help if required.
Lastly, we operate a “leave no trace” policy. This means no litter at all including organic (banana skins, apple cores or cigarette ends). Please take all litter home with you.
If you have any questions or queries at all please get in touch, or review our terms and conditions
Good luck and see you on the mountain.
10YFAN
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The following information is to help you set up a JustGiving page. We ask that everyone tries to raise at least £200 towards charity. 10YFAN is and always has been a fundraising event and in the last 10 years our climbs have all helped to raise over £750,000 for various amazing causes….please keep this going: To set up a page please visit www.justgiving.com Select ‘Start Fundraising’ Select ‘Yes, I’m fundraising for a charity’ and press ‘Next’ Either sign in or create an account Search for your charity – if you are supporting our nominated charity then search for ‘Western Beacons Mountain Rescue Team’ & press continue Select Yes or No with regards to raising for someone Select ‘I’m taking part in an event’ & press ‘Next’ 10YFAN 2025 should appear on the next page – select it and press ‘Next’ Select your target for fundraising – we suggest £500! Pop in your story on the next page – make it personal to you. On the following page then put in some pics and then press ‘finalise’ Now just start sharing your page and good luck with your fundraising – THANK YOU!
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As you know the original date in May 2020 was postponed to October 2020 but now we have made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 event fully. The next event will now be held on 8th May 2021. As far as holding the event we looked at every available option to hold it but there is no way that we can effectively maintain social distancing. The event is held on the same path and even though it is outdoors there are points where it would be unsafe for people to try and avoid contact. The success of the event has always been about the interaction between everyone on the mountain so as easy as it would be to do a circular route it would be a very lonely event and that's simply not 10YFAN. Safety is at the heart of everything though and we cannot risk exposing anyone to Covid so we hope you understand our decision to cancel this years event. We are desperately sorry but there is simply no option and we hope to see you all again in May All existing registrations for the postponed event in October will be automatically carried over to the event in May 2021 and an email will be sent in the next week to confirm the same. REFUNDS - PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING I f you cannot make the event and would prefer a refund then please email us with your details at info@10yfan.com and the refund will be processed within 7 days The refund will be processed to the original payment method used to register We use a 3rd party to collect the original registration however they have introduced a cancellation fee of approx 50p - please note that 10YFAN do not receive any of this and we have no control over this sorry If you would prefer to donate your registration fee to our nominated charity (Holibobs Childrens Cancer Charity) then please confirm this in your email
The following information is to help you set up a JustGiving page. We ask that everyone tries to raise at least £200 towards charity. 10YFAN is and always has been a fundraising event and in the last 10 years our climbs have all helped to raise over £750,000 for various amazing causes….please keep this going: To set up a page please visit www.justgiving.com Select ‘Start Fundraising’ Select ‘Yes, I’m fundraising for a charity’ and press ‘Next’ Either sign in or create an account Search for your charity – if you are supporting our nominated charity then search for ‘Western Beacons Mountain Rescue Team’ & press continue Select Yes or No with regards to raising for someone Select ‘I’m taking part in an event’ & press ‘Next’ 10YFAN 2025 should appear on the next page – select it and press ‘Next’ Select your target for fundraising – we suggest £500! Pop in your story on the next page – make it personal to you. On the following page then put in some pics and then press ‘finalise’ Now just start sharing your page and good luck with your fundraising – THANK YOU!
Over the last 10 years 10YFAN has generally supported many cancer charities as well as climbers raising money for their own causes which has resulted in over £750,000 being raised so far! As the event has grown over the years, the safety of everyone involved has become more and more of a challenge. 2 years ago we were lucky enough to have the support of the Western Beacons Mountain Rescue team who supported the whole event with an operations centre just off base camp and teams of climbers situated at various points on the path. Everyone at Mountain Rescue are volunteers as well! For anyone involved in the organisation of 10YFAN they will tell you that having a rapid response team to any injuries makes a HUGE difference as safety is always our biggest concern. Our 2024 event gave us a first hand experience of why Mountain Rescue are such an integral part of the 10YFAN team now. Every year, and I mean EVERY year, we always get a climber or 2 who pop into their car/van to get their heads down for a kip without telling base camp. At 3am on the Sunday morning we had such an instance. We have protocols in place for this and after we had contacted the emergency contact of the climber who gave us the wrong van we then notified Mountain Rescue – Will & the team reacted swiftly, calmly and professionally and took over. The speed at which the team reacted was just brilliant and within 30 minutes the climber had been found safe and tucked up in another van! You have to remember that at this time of the morning both Lee & myself are running on fumes ourselves so having Mountain rescue respond in the way that they did was incredible and fills us with pride that our climbers have them as a response team. This is the 10 th Anniversary of 10YFAN but also the 60 th anniversary of the Western Beacons Mountain Rescue so this seems like a perfect time to celebrate both and try and raise as much money as possible for them. They are a charity and rely 100% on donations. Please give them all of your support as fundraising from the 2025 event should secure their future for several more years!
As you know the original date in May 2020 was postponed to October 2020 but now we have made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 event fully. The next event will now be held on 8th May 2021. As far as holding the event we looked at every available option to hold it but there is no way that we can effectively maintain social distancing. The event is held on the same path and even though it is outdoors there are points where it would be unsafe for people to try and avoid contact. The success of the event has always been about the interaction between everyone on the mountain so as easy as it would be to do a circular route it would be a very lonely event and that's simply not 10YFAN. Safety is at the heart of everything though and we cannot risk exposing anyone to Covid so we hope you understand our decision to cancel this years event. We are desperately sorry but there is simply no option and we hope to see you all again in May All existing registrations for the postponed event in October will be automatically carried over to the event in May 2021 and an email will be sent in the next week to confirm the same. REFUNDS - PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING I f you cannot make the event and would prefer a refund then please email us with your details at info@10yfan.com and the refund will be processed within 7 days The refund will be processed to the original payment method used to register We use a 3rd party to collect the original registration however they have introduced a cancellation fee of approx 50p - please note that 10YFAN do not receive any of this and we have no control over this sorry If you would prefer to donate your registration fee to our nominated charity (Holibobs Childrens Cancer Charity) then please confirm this in your email
Firstly, from all the team, THANK-YOU! 2019 is the 5th year anniversary of an idea that was only meant to be a one off event (genuinely!) and through everyone's support whether it be volunteering, donations (equipment, time, food, commercial, services etc) or taking part, this event has grown into something very special! Everyone's fundraising has so far raised over £300,000 for various children's cancer charities which is absolutely incredible! Everyone take a bow! From our point of view this years event was probably the best - outstanding weather without a drop of rain (that's a first!), a record amount of people completing the full 10 climbs but most importantly over £75,000 raised for Holibobs Children's Cancer Charity! Even though the weather was brilliant it cannot be underestimated how cold it was through the night and we must pay a special thanks to EVERYONE at both base camp (bag drop tent, main tent, 'the BBQ boys' and Izzy and her team in the 1st Aid Tent) and of course at the peak (Rebecca, Rhys and Ceri). Not forgetting the charity, Cariad, who supported us throughout the event with 1st Aid teams on the path which made such a difference to everyone. Part of your registration fee is donated to the National Trust as we want to make sure that we make as little impact on the area as possible and the donation allows the NT to keep the land in the wonderful condition that it is in. We will also be looking at ways we can make this event carbon neutral in the coming months. You will have seen our good friend Richard Watts on the mountain filming and interviewing everyone. Rich who has been with us for a few years now and this year has put together a masterpiece of a video which is on the home page. Every year he puts time and effort into a short film that highlights what an impact the event has on people's lives and every year the films get better! We constantly challenge him each year that they couldn't get better and each year he proves us wrong! That said, we honestly believe that this year is going to be very hard to beat.....! Take a look at the video and please share it when you can. The video was shown at our annual Ball where we invite all who take party to award those who have completed the full 10 climbs and also those who have volunteered and gone above and beyond to support the event! The night was, as usual, a complete success and we will update you on the date of the next Ball soon. Following the event we had the surprise announcement that 10YFan had won the category of 'Fundraiser of the Year' for the Welsh region at the 20th anniversary of Pride of Britain. When we got to London it was very clear that 10YFan is in very good company with other very worthy fundraisers across the U.K. - there were some very moving stories of people going above and beyond to raise money and although 10YFan didn't win the whole category we are very proud to even be considered and this could not be possible without everyone's hard work, support, volunteering and commitment to raising huge sums of money. Our ambassador, Michael Sheen, was at the event and he wanted to pass on his congratulations to everyone who has taken part in whatever capacity to make 10YFan one of the most successful challenge events in Wales. Not only that but we have added another ambassador to the event with Amy Dowden (Strictly Come Dancing) agreeing to support us! All in all 2019 was a huge success for 10YFan and a fitting way to see out our 5th anniversary! We are now looking forward to 2020 where we hope to make the event even better. There will hopefully be an announcement soon on including a family category as well so keep your eyes peeled. Once again thank you to everyone who has supported the event along the way and we all look forward to seeing you soon! Steve & the team
Wow, just wow! This was the 4th annual 10 Y Fan event held and it certainly didn’t disappoint! For once, apart from 20 minutes of slight drizzle, the weather was stunning! There were plenty of pictures of the wonderful sunset that greeted us in the early evening and the following morning was a glorious day of sunshine. Granted, it was a wee bit chilly at the top but all the climbers didn’t want to hang around for too long anyway!
Well what a year! 2017 was certainly the biggest to date with records being broken right across the board…..123 climbers achieving the full 10 climbs, over 320 people taking part, a staggering £80,000 being raised between both Dreams & Wishes and 2 Wish Upon A Star and to top it all off 10YFAN’s first marriage proposal! Congratulations to everyone who took part! It is fair to say that the weather certainly tested us during the night so for everyone who battled through, we salute you! We want to pay particular thanks to all the volunteers who took part. There are so many kind people. From those guys who trudged up the mountain to keep everyone safe, the first aid teams, the BBQ chefs, the smiling folks in the tent and to the drivers of the minibuses who were operating the park & ride – it was a huge operation! Without you all the event simply could not run – THANK YOU! Logistically there are improvements that we are considering especially the car parking. Hopefully we will have a solution by next year!
WHERE TO FIND 10YFAN
Our main event takes place at Pen-Y-Fan base camp (Pont Ar Daf car park), which is situated 1/4 mile from the Storey Arms Centre on the A470 in the Brecon Beacons.
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