Outdoor rock climbing has always been a sport that come with serious risk.
A study by the National Library of Medicine stated that the number and severity of climbing injuries have increased in recent years, likely due to the growing popularity of this sport.
A large reason for the growing popularity of the sport is the increase in indoor climbing centres.
Member of the Oldham Mountain Rescue Team, David Allport, 80, does not believe that the skills transfer from Indoor to Outdoor climbing.
“Climbing on rock is so much different; looking in the right areas, finding holes and footholds in rock is much harder and will feel much less natural.
If someone goes out on rock without prior practice they’ll be stuffed.”
Rock climbing requires considerable preparation due to the many complications that can occur while outdoors.
David said, “There have been many times we have been sent out and people have got into trouble [for] not being prepared for a day out on the tops.”
One of the biggest culprits is footwear. Indoor climbing centres accommodate footwear of any kind, however, the outdoors is not so forgiving.
David said, “It is often that people have fallen from wearing trainers with little grip when the routes can get very muddy.”
Social media has also contributed to the rise of inexperienced climbers in recent years.
“It creates a perfect image of this lovely day out without showing any of the difficulties that comes with it,” David said.
A social media post glamourising a route in Oldham, based around Birching Clough and the Trinnacle, would lead to many issues for the Oldham Mountain Rescue Team.
Due to the large increase in footfall, the path would erode causing people to fall on the mud or get lost because the path was no longer clear.
David said, “Someone went up and tried to jump between the two big rocks, the wind caught him and he missed the other rock. They were seriously injured and could have died.
They don’t think about the impact it has on everybody else, the people around them and the rescue team.”
The prominence of the internet and social media has caused more problems within climbing.
David said, “People have begun to rely on their phones using a GPS, if their phones run out of power, they are not experienced enough to complete the climb without it.”
Phones have aided the mountain rescue team making contacting them much easier and helping them get out to the climbers faster.
“We have been able to track people’s phone which has made it easier to find people when they have been stuck on the mountain.” David said
It is important that inexperienced climbers make sure to prepare properly before going out onto the hills, in both the equipment they bring but also understanding the potential dangers.