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Climb your way to the top of the knowledge tree with these awesome climbing facts
Rock climbing is fast becoming one of the most popular extreme sports. Between 2007 and 2014, nearly 19,000 people took part in the sport, this rose to over 148,000 in 2015.
Climbing was officially included in the Olympic Games in 2020, with awards given in: climbing, bouldering and speed.
The mountain Annapurna in Nepal, is known as the most dangerous mountain in the world. The 10th highest mountain, first climbed by French climbers Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal. Annapurna has sadly claimed 69 lives and has only been attempted 261 times. This means that for every 3 climbers that successfully make it up and down, one will die.
The tallest ice climbing wall is in Seoul, Korea and measures only 20m.
Austrian female Angela Eiter, holds the record for the hardest sport climb completed by a woman. She successfully did this on 22 October 2017, by climbing Planta de Shiva.
The first indoor climbing competition was held in 1986 in Vaulx-en-Velin in Lyon France.
In 1990 climbing competitions were set up around the world, including: Europe, USA and Japan. It was decided that all competition climbing would take place on artificial walls, ensuring that every climber has a fair, equal chance when competing. Rather than environmental factors affecting outside climbs.
The first IFSC Paraclimbing Cup was organized in Moscow, Russia in 2008.
In October 2018 the first ever sport climbing Olympic medals were given out in the Youth Olympic Games, these were held in Buenos Aires.
One of the first ever recorded climbs was in 1492 by Antoine de Ville who ascended Mount Inaccessible in Mont Aiguille. This is a 300-meter rock tower in France and De Ville was ordered to climb it by the King.
(IFSC) now has over 91 members federations, over 5 continents.
The IFSC reports that the average age of their climbers is 19 years old.
Rock climbing can burn between 500-900 calories per hour.
Between 1990 and 2007 40,000 people suffered climbing injuries. The most common was fractures (29%) and sprains and strains (29%). 49% were lower body injuries and 19% were ankle issues.
Around 25 million people are regularly climbing every year, with 1,000-1,500 people trying the sport for the first time every day in the US alone.