Bouldering is surging in popularity and is said to be one of the fastest growing sports across the globe, reflected in its introduction at the Tokyo Olympics.
The sport involves climbing on bouldering walls dotted with handholds with a cushioned mat below.
It differs from traditional indoor rock climbing where participants use ropes and harnesses, as bouldering walls are often lower to the ground.
Its popularity has grown due to its social, physical, mental, financial and safety benefits.
Young climbers are also said to be drawn to the sport as it is very "Instagram-able" and is more sustainable than traditional outdoor rock climbing, which can damage the environment.
Destinations such as Albany and West Cape Howe on the rugged south coast of Western Australia are renowned for outdoor climbing, but they're getting snubbed for a local indoor centre that came to town three years ago.
Memberships at the gym have grown exponentially, a trend reportedly reflected around the world in places like America, Europe and the United Kingdom.
Bouldering also entered the world stage at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games held in 2021, as part of the new sports climbing event, alongside lead climbing and speed climbing.
Reality TV shows featuring the sport
Elements of the sport are also featured in reality TV shows like Ninja Warrior and bouldering centres, including DIY home gyms, are being labelled the perfect training ground.
Sam Goodall from Albany is among those who have featured on the game show, where contestants compete in physically challenging obstacle courses to see who can finish the fastest.
He calls himself the "tradie ninja" and much like a wrestling stage name, the contestants quickly become fan favourites.
Mr Goodall said a mate sent him a link to try out for the show as a "bit of a joke", but he went on to make the grand final for the next six years.
The 36-year-old said after being on national TV, he wanted to bring something like that to Albany.
Mr Goodall said bouldering in the town had a slow start, but it had since taken off.
He said there were physical benefits, as people needed to use their entire bodies.
He said the legs were mainly used to push up the wall and the arms were more of a balancing and support system.
It is a high-intensity exercise that helps improve stamina, endurance, strength and flexibility.
"And when you engage the lower half of your body, the top half has a rest and you can really … have a lot of fun," Mr Goodall said.
He said there were also mental health benefits to the sport.
"You might be working all day and you just want to challenge yourself … so [bouldering] can help with setting challenges and goals for yourself," he said.
"And you know, from a mental health perspective, what better way to gain confidence to improve your mental health than to set yourself challenges and get the reward of completing them."
He said bouldering was good social alternative to a gym and attracted climbers of all ages – even people in their seventies.
The gym even has women-only sessions to encourage more girls to participate in the sport.
Mr Goodall believed people were choosing indoor climbing despite massive cliff faces being on Albany's doorstep, due to cost of living pressures.
"So what I've noticed is people are a little bit hesitant to buy all the gear for outdoor climbing," he said.
The only equipment needed for bouldering indoors was special climbing shoes which could be rented.
Mr Goodall said outdoor climbing could be really "daunting" and risky, and indoor bouldering was a safer alternative, especially for beginners.
Competitions are global
The sport can also help catapult athletes onto international platforms, something Albany man Shaun Petter is training towards.
Mr Petter competed at the Australian Ninja Games in Brisbane last month, finishing third.
He said he hoped to travel to Florida to compete in the next international competition.
Asked why he thought the sport was rising in popularity, Mr Petter said he believed people liked the challenge.
"There's a lot of things that you do need to work out [strategy-wise] and you've got to come up with your own personal way of working things out," he said.
"I'm quite strong in my upper body so I can swing through things quite easily. Other people are very good with balance, and it's all about learning what you can do."
