SGPT Interviews Simon N Smith Fan Dance finisher

The British SAS Fan Dance is one of the most infamous and grueling selection events in Special Forces history. It’s a real-world gut check—a hill march that pushes your body and mind to the edge. If you want to understand what you’re truly made of, this test will show you.

What is the Fan Dance?
The Fan Dance is a 24-kilometer (15-mile) loaded march over Pen y Fan, the highest peak in the Brecon Beacons of Wales. It’s not just a hike. It’s a full-on tactical endurance test:

Check out the interview with long time SGPT athlete and SAS Fan Dance finisher Simon N Smith as he gives you the inside scoop on what it takes to finish this big gnarly test.

SGPT: Tell us about yourself?

SNS: hi, I’m a chiropractor based in Leeds in Yorkshire UK, I’m 58 years old and still trying to stretch and challenge my boundaries. I finished the SEALFIT Kokoro class #45 and some other challenges including joining a few of the SEALFIT cadre on recreating the Omaha beach landings for the 75th anniversary of the D Day landings. Since that time I’ve also undertaken 12, 24 and 55 hour crucibles.

SGPT: Were you an athlete growing up?

SNS: Actually no, not at all. At school growing up I was the shy overweight kid I was into comics and science fiction (sci fi) who never got picked for team sports etc. I only discovered my desire to exercise when I found karate.

SGPT: How did you get the idea to do the SAS Fan Dance? Tell us about the course and what it means to complete it?

SNS: I’d been interested in the SAS since a teenager when I watched the British SAS Iranian embassy siege happen in real time. So knew about the SAS but it wasn’t til I graduated from chiropractic college and came across a book about a soldier in the Territorial Army (TA) regiment of the SAS. Our Territorial Army is similar to your US Army National guard.

From that moment I set myself the goal of finding out how to join and going through Selection. On my days off from work I’d drive to the Brecons (Brecon breacons mountain range) and do sections of the fan dance regularly to get my fitness up.

I did manage to join but tore my ACL on an assault course and that was it for me but I never let go of the idea of being mentally tough enough to get through selection

The fan dance itself is just one of three test marches the regulars (regular soldiers) have to complete. It’s a timed, fast and brutal up and over Pen Y Fan down to a rendezvous point several miles away only to turn around and come back. The return leg being up Jacob’s ladder which is legendary for its steepness. Of course they’re against the clock and in full kit.

My fan dance race had the option of being clean fatigue (no kit) or Rx (40 lbs of gear plus water load on top of that) which is what I chose.

Completing it for me was a nice milestone to achieve and there was a bit of closure too

SGPT: How did you train for the SAS Fan Dance?

SNS: I rucked several times a week in addition to lots of varied CrossFit and SGPT workouts.

When I want to really scale up I always go back to your SGPT Tier 1 program.
Having done Kokoro and gone on to do a 12, 24 and 55 hour crucible I’ve found that the best program to really stress different systems without injuring me.

SGPT: What trail running/boots did you use for training? For the actual Fan Dance course?

SNS: I used Lowa Zephyr 8” boots after seeing your review of the 5” boots. They’re were fantastic until they finally gave up the ghost last winter. They were snug and I’d highly recommend them. Great grip on them. That said I’ve gone back to my LALO shadow intruders for my newest pair as I’ve never had a pair feel so instantly comfortable as them

SGPT: What is your next big adventure?

SNS: I’ve had a busy year with business so I’m now looking at the SAS long drag endurance march that is put on by the same company That’s a 60k march over 24 hours on the same area so lots of 7-800 metre peaks to traverse.

But basically I’m always on the lookout for something crazy to find my limits! I think I’m a little too old to handle a GORUCK Selection otherwise I’d take that on!

SGPT: What good book are you reading now? Podcast or audio book?

SNS: most of my reading is to help me grow so currently I’m reading “The Comfort Crisis” by Michael Easter and “Becoming Superhuman” by Dr. Joe Dispenza.

For anyone wanting to learn to understand themselves their why for events like Kokoro I would always recommend Ryan Holliday’s stoic philosophy books. They impart such wisdom that you need in those dark hours when you’re at your lowest ebb!

SGPT: Thanks for the interview Simon and sharing your big gnarly adventure. We look forward to hearing more from you in years to come.

SNS: you’re very welcome!

Simon N Smith AAR (After Action Report) Notes
January 2024
Weather conditions freezing with packed snow and ice on the ground
Wind speed gusting from 50-90mph.
My ruck weight for this event is a 40 lb load plus water and food in my waist belt.

Participants registration and muster in the pre dawn was well organised but getting in the pack to set off meant I set off too fast initially. This led to me worrying about my breathing to start and this took a while to warm up and loosen up. Once done then I found making progress faster but conditions were very variable so I had to keep my focus and attention on the ground to avoid ice which meant my pace was slower than on training.

The conditions were cold and treacherous and made ascending difficult as I was carefully stepping around snow and ice near the ridge line leading up to the first summit of Corn Du and being gusted sideways, sometimes being carried for to five feet.

From Corn Du down the saddle and up to Pen y Fan was treacherous with sheet ice and snow so no way to gain any time up from the first ascent.

Temps at the top dropped and it was cold at the first check in. From Pen y Fan was the long drop down Jacob’s ladder and along the valley to the half way point several miles away.

Turning around psychologically is hard because you’re covering the same route back including what feels like a vertical climb of Jacob’s ladder.

By the time I got to Jacob’s ladder the wind was up to 90-100mph. For every three steps forward I was pushed one step sideways! At the top the wind actually picked me up and I literally flew six feet sideways.

The last leg down to the finish was sheltered so I picked up the pace crossing the finish line.
Overall my time was slower than in training and my nutrition mistakes led to me perceiving fatigue and I didn’t tackle it as well as I’d have liked.

Take Aways:
Fitness levels: My fitness was good I’d done plenty of rucking leading up to this but I wasn’t totally prepared for the effect the weather conditions would have on my performance and also my mental state.

Additionally I’d done several months of rucking with progressively heavier weights but hadn’t done much elevation work which showed- the take away being train for the conditions expected, not what’s convenient
Nutrition and hydration: these could have been better. With focusing on the weather and the ground conditions meant I didn’t hydrate and fuel regularly enough and this led to doubt
Lesson learned- make food more accessible and bite sized to fuel regularly. Get better water delivery system
Clothing- I needed to train in my cold weather gear to get a better idea of layering and stripping layers as needed
Additional factors- driving long distance and then sleeping in a poor bed in the hostel didn’t help fatigue levels going into this- knowing this next time will allow me to prepare better