Emma Twyford has become the first British woman to climb 9a with a redpoint of The Big Bang (9a) at Lower Pen Trwyn, North Wales. Emma's ascent is only the third of this route, first climbed in 1996 by Neil Carson.

The line was a long-term project for Emma, who adds 9a to an already impressive résumé of E9 headpoints and E7 flashes. The Big Bang is notoriously sharp with a particularly severe finish, which was a heartbreaking highpoint on many attempts made by Emma. James McHaffie made the second ascent in 2011 (UKC News).

Emma's sponsor DMM broke the news on Facebook:

More information to follow...

Thanks to Hot Aches Productions for the photo.