The main event next year will be held in Mongolia, where two competitors from each of 19 countries will fight it out in a series of gruelling adventure racing events, orienteering, climbing, kayaking and mountain biking.
And, of course, driving in some of the most unknown terrain in the world.
The Irish Selection, which began yesterday morning, involves two days of the 13 men and eight women competing as teams and individuals to get one of the final four places for the International Selections to be held in February. In the end, one man and one woman from each country will get to go to Mongolia.
The prize for the winners is a fully-loaded Range Rover. But the everyone who gets to compete in the month-long Challenge will be a winner, because the experience of just being there is a prize in itself.
At Eastnor this weekend the Irish contenders were being put through tests that include 4x4 driving both on offroad track and on a course that tests their finesse at the wheel.
There are also tough physical ability tests, including a cruelly strength-sapping treadmill, tree climbing, running, and mountain biking. There are also initiative tests to judge the ability of the contestants to solve problems.
Overnight they camped on the grounds of the estate, but before getting to sleep they had to do examinations in navigation, mechanical aptitude, and media skills. A night driving exercise featured before they finally got to collapse into sleep in their small dome tents.
Today they go through a number of other tasks, including kayaking, winching and a group event, before the selected four are announced this afternoon.
The Land Rover G4 Challenge 2009 is being run in association with the Red Cross and Red Cresecent aid agencies.
