A recent report on Yahoo (UK) 07/10/06

Indoor rock climbing safer than soccer

Despite its image as a high-risk sport, indoor rock climbing has a low risk of injury and is 10 times safer than soccer, according to a new study.
- The study by German researchers was based on the rates and types of injury at the 2005 World Championships in rock climbing in Munich, Germany, which involved almost 500 climbers from 55 countries.
- Indoor rock climbing began in the United Kingdom in 1964. A lecturer from the University of Leeds is credited with designing the world’s first purpose-built climbing wall which gave British climbers the chance to work on their technique year round. (not so - Cumbria had climbing walls built into some of their new schools in the late 1950s - IOL Newsletter Editor)
- There are now several different types of wall consisting of different holds and wall surfaces and different levels of difficulty and climbers are tied into a harness for safety.

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