A man has scaled new heights on Pen y Fan – quite literally – in an extraordinary challenge to raise awareness and funds for bowel cancer.

Chris Daniel, known to many as “Pen y Fan Dan” on Instagram, has broken the record for the most ascents of Pen y Fan in a year. The previous milestone, set in 2019 at 365 climbs in 365 days, was equalled by Chris in just 169 days. On Sunday, September 21, he completed his 366th climb on day 170, setting a new record with more than six months to spare.

Chris began the challenge on April 5 2025 – the start of Bowel Cancer Awareness Month – with the original aim of 365 climbs in a year. But having smashed that target so quickly, he’s now pledged to keep climbing until April 4 next year to see just how many ascents he can achieve.

“This is more than a record,” Chris said at the summit of his 366th climb. “Every ascent is for raising awareness and the fight against bowel cancer. My late wife, Rita, dedicated her final years to advocating for this cause, and her selfless efforts inspire me to continue her legacy.”

Rita, Chris’s wife of 33 years, sadly died of bowel cancer after a four-year battle with the illness. Despite her own diagnosis, she spent her final years helping other patients, raising awareness, and offering support online. It is her example that fuels Chris’s determination to turn every step up Pen y Fan into a message of hope.

Since starting his challenge, Chris has faced every kind of weather on the mountain – from summer heat to driving rain and high winds – sometimes climbing multiple times in a single day to stay on pace. His efforts have already raised nearly £13,000 for Bowel Cancer UK, surpassing his initial target of £10,000. Supporters have joined him on the trail, while many more follow his daily updates on Instagram at @penyfandan.

The challenge has already attracted national attention, with Chris’s record-breaking climb featured on television and in online news. But for Chris, the most important outcome is getting people talking about bowel cancer. “Bowel cancer is treatable if it’s caught early,” he says. “If sharing Rita’s story encourages even one person to get checked, then every climb is worth it.”

Chris will continue his climbs until April 2026, with hundreds more ascents to come. Local residents and visitors are invited to join him on the mountain or follow his journey online.

For those who meet him on the trail, Chris is approachable and modest. At the summit he talks easily with walkers who have followed his story, often reminding them that “every climb is one for Rita.”

By the time April comes around, his total will be extraordinary. But perhaps the greater achievement is that thousands more people will know the signs of bowel cancer and feel encouraged to take them seriously. That, Chris would say, is the true summit worth reaching.