Set in the picturesque Welsh town of Llanwrtyd Wells lies the infamous Waen Rhydd bog. The waters lay dank, dark and tantalise only the few crazy souls who once a year compete to swim through a 120-yard deep filled trench. Welcome to the wondrous world of Bog Snorkelling.
Bog Snorkelling is one of those pastimes that many people will pass off as being outlandish, well quite frankly, they’d be right. This August the annual World Bog Snorkelling Championships is due to take place and there are no signs of the event waning in popularity.
Now in its 31st year, competitors from all over the world will once again descend upon the Powys town in an attempt to swim the bog in the fastest time possible. However, there are conditions: you must have a snorkel and flippers but under no circumstances, are there to be any conventional swimming strokes.
So crawl, fly or breast stroke are not permitted. But to make things more enjoyable, competitors can wear a wetsuit, go in fancy dress or even don a lovely pair of budgie smugglers.
Although the competitors are split into men, women and junior races, the fastest recorded time is from 33-year-old woman Kirsty Johnson from Lightwater in Surrey. She set the record back in 2014 with an astounding time of 1 minute 22.56 seconds.
See how much fun there is to be had in Llanwrtyd Wells? So swap the ambition of snorkelling the crystal clear waters of the Maldives, set aside the dream of swimming around the Great Barrier Reef. Who needs all that when you can get some mud, dirt and unknown matter under your nails.
If it is too late to enter the 2016 Championships, then please be sure to visit Llanwrtyd Wells on this momentous day, where you can still eat, drink and be silly.
World Bog Snorkelling Championships, Llanwrtyd Wells, Sun 28 Aug. Info: 015 9161 0666 / www.green-events.co.uk
words AMANDA HUNT
