MORE than 1,000 soldiers from the British Army and 28 international armies are preparing themselves for the world’s toughest patrolling test, taking place in Mid Wales next week.

Exercise Cambrian Patrol is an annual event organised and run by 160th Infantry Brigade and Headquarters Wales, based in Brecon.

The exercise is the largest of its kind and of such a high standard some foreign entrants have to fight for the right to take part by winning through their own domestic competitions.

This year’s event sees 139 patrols entered into the mix, including five overseas armies taking part for the first time with soldiers from Armenia, Uzbekistan, United Arab Emirates, the Phillipines and Moldova having their first crack at completing the patrol and aiming to navigate their way through the arduous terrain of the Black Mountains of Mid Wales.

They will join troops representing armies from Georgia, Switzerland, Albania, Denmark, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Lithuania, Chile, Brazil, Pakistan, Mexico, Nepal, New Zealand, Ireland, Serbia, Czech Republic, Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Ukraine, Spain and France.

Exercise Cambrian Patrol itself began in 1959, when a group of Welsh Territorial Army soldiers designed a weekend training event, featuring long distance marching over the Cambrian Mountains, culminating in a shooting match on the Sennybridge Training Area.

This year’s exercise runs from Friday, October 13, through to Sunday, October 22. Each phase will begin near Pontneddfechan.