For keen climber Amber Delaunoy, rock climbing is “a very inclusive sport” as a rise in popularity in the UK shows the sport rapidly becoming more mainstream.
“I wouldn’t say it is a male-dominated sport, anyone can do it, and I have seen gradually more and more women get involved which is really nice to see.”
Unlike many sports, rock climbing is showing a closer balance between male and female participants with the gap rapidly closing. According to the Your Movement Matters study by Leeds Beckett University, indoor climbing is split almost evenly at 46% female which is hugely encouraging.
But Delaunoy still thinks more can be done to encourage young girls to get involved.
“I do think more girls should be involved. It’s definitely becoming more of a female-led sport now which is really good to see. I think it was such a niche sport for a long time which meant people didn’t really know much about it, but it’s getting more popular now.”
Delaunoy first started her rock climbing journey in 2025 with her partner and quickly developed her love for the sport.
“I really enjoy it, it’s a lot less boring than just going to the gym. It can be quite hard at the start because it’s a slow process to get higher and stronger in the sport. You just have to be patient with it.”
Rock climbing has seen a surge in participation during recent years, with an estimated one million climbers in the UK according to data from the Association of British Climbing Walls.
Despite being described as a beginner-friendly sport, Delaunoy faced her fair share of challenges and found the initial process difficult.
“The biggest challenge was not seeing results straight away, it’s really frustrating. Especially for me because I want to be good at everything, so it can be really difficult. It’s definitely taught me to be more patient.”
However, Cheltenham are falling behind the trend of popularity with only one dedicated rock climbing gym available in the area, Boulders, which opened in July 2020. Delaunoy believes that more gyms need to be become available to keep up with the rising demand.
“I do sometimes find it hard to have the time to go rock-climbing, mainly because the rock-climbing gym is 20-25 minutes away from me. Because of that, it’s something that I’m not able to do as much. If I lived closer, I would definitely go more.”
Delaunoy, despite full of praise, commented on another issue that may deter people from trying the sport.
“It’s an expensive sport. You pay between £40-60 a month for a membership, in comparison to a normal gym membership which is usually close to £20.”
Despite the challenges of cost and accessibility, Delaunoy believes the benefits of rock climbing make it worth the commitment. As the sport continues to attract more people across the UK, she hopes that greater awareness and accessibility will encourage even more people, particularly young women, to give it a try.
