Pat Littlejohn has climbed a new route at Cilan Head on the Lleyn Peninsula in North Wales which he has named Darklands - a 132m E4/XS with four pitches at 5c, 4a, 5a, and 5a.
Pat commented: "I couldn’t manage the direct version which I really wanted to do - it was damp when I tried it but I didn’t feel fit enough anyway - but the line we did was mega and must be the biggest route put up at Cilan for a while with 132m of climbing." He named the route after Wales' first horror film, Darklands.
© Pat Littlejohn
Pat first attempted the route two years ago with Steve Monks, reaching halfway up the first pitch but retreating after pulling some rock off onto himself. Returning with Tim Jepson to abseil in and try the direct line, the pair failed on this but climbed the top pitches of Darklands and completed the route in full on Monday 6th October.
© Pat Littlejohn
The Lleyn Peninsula is renowned for its routes graded at XS, some of which, according to Pat, "rank with the more committing excursions on British sea cliffs."
Read more about climbing XS routes at Cilan Head in this UKC Article written by Pat himself.
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