Meet the teenage star climber reaching new heights

Have you ever been rock climbing?

Indoor climbing has surged in popularity over the last decade.

In England alone, the number of regular climbers has jumped from around 250,000 in 2016 to nearly 400,000, according to Sport England.

There are now over 400 climbing gyms across the UK too, the British Mountaineering Council say.

It was even featured in the Olympics for the very first time in 2021, and again at Paris 2024, when Team GB's climbing superstar Toby Roberts won gold.

There are lots of reasons behind climbing's popularity, from it's Olympic debut to it's appeal as a fun way to keep fit and make new friends.

Connie Bridgens, who became a U19 European Champion while studying for her A-Levels, is happy the sport is growing.

"It's really good, because at first I though it wasn't like other sports, like football.

It was quite hard when I was younger. People would tell me it's not a sport.

But it's really nice now it's becoming more public and growing.

People at my school now climb, and it's not a joke that it's a sport - it's actually respected, which is so much nicer."

Connie says safety is important when heading up the wall, to avoid hurting yourself or other climbers.

"You need to visit a climbing centre where there are qualified instructors, and mats so you can land safely.", she says.

She says climbing shoes are important too, as well as chalk to give you grip.

It's also important to look out for other climbers, especially when you're coming down.

Some types of climbing are more popular than others.

Bouldering, which doesn't use harnesses or ropes, has become particularly popular.

It features much smaller walls, with padded mats below to keep you safe if you fall.

According to the Association of British Climbing Walls, 6 in 10 of the walls built since 2021 were bouldering-only.

Average visits per wall also jumped to 67,000 in the last year, and were up by 50% since 2019, they found.

NICAS, a scheme that helps kids learn climbing safely and earn badges as they improve, recorded the highest participation levels ever in their schemes last year, too!

Dr Laura Needham, Head of Performance at the British Mountaineering Council, says climbing is great for body and mind.

"Climbing is a really fun and fast-growing sport.

It's such an exciting time for climbing, especially with the sport being part of the Olympics in 2021 and 2024, and returning again in 2028.

Whether you love adventure, problem-solving, or just having fun with friends and family, climbing has something for everyone."

Do you like climbing, or are heights not for you?

Tell us in the comments below.