Man climbs Pen y Fan for 742nd time to raise awareness of bowel cancer

Chris Daniel, known to many as Pen y Fan Dan, has completed an extraordinary feat by climbing Pen y Fan, the highest peak in south Wales, an astonishing 742 times within a single year. His journey, which began in April, was undertaken in memory of his late wife, Rita, who succumbed to bowel cancer. This remarkable achievement has now come to a close, marking the end of a year-long personal challenge.

When Daniel embarked on this mission on April 5, his original goal was to surpass the existing record of 365 climbs in one calendar year, a mark set by Des Lally in 2019. However, he quickly exceeded this target, completing 366 ascents in just 171 days. Motivated by this early success, he raised his sights to completing 730 climbs within the year. Throughout this demanding endeavor, Chris met thousands of people on the mountain who offered their encouragement and support. Despite this, he admitted that the harsh winter months were particularly challenging, with frequent rain, hail, and unpredictable mountain weather conditions that made each climb tough.

The inspiration for Daniel’s challenge stems from his desire to honor his wife Rita’s legacy. Diagnosed in 2012 with a rare form of bowel cancer, Rita fought the disease until her passing in 2016. Chris reflected on her impactful work, saying, “She spent so much of the last few years of her life campaigning to stop other people going through this terrible disease. I’m just trying to keep her, and so many other people I’ve met who are doing similar, their amazing legacy alive.” Following Rita’s memory, Chris consistently took the route from Pont Ar Daf car park to the 886-meter summit and back, a mountain he cherishes not only for its physical challenge but because it brings people together with a shared goal.

Throughout his attempt, Daniel also used the platform to raise awareness about bowel cancer screening, encouraging others to take the free bowel screening test available in Wales from age 50. He shared, “I’ve gone out and told people what I was scared of to try and encourage people to do the free bowel screening test…Even now, a third of people aren’t doing that and it’s an absolute life-saver.” Before tackling Pen y Fan, Chris had already been confronting his fears in various ways, including handling Nicaraguan tarantulas and enduring biplane aerobatics to battle arachnophobia and acrophobia. Inspired by Des Lally’s story, who joined him on his 25th climb, Chris trained rigorously and ultimately achieved his incredible number of ascents. When he finally reached the summit for the last time, supporters lined the path to celebrate, forming a guard of honor as he completed his final hike. Reflecting on the emotional nature of the challenge, Daniel said, “I’ve already been in floods of tears. There’ll be more water coming out of me today than the mountain.

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