Climber and boulderer Mina Leslie-Wujastyk, who has served as a British Mountaineering Council vice-president. Photo: Bob Smith/grough

A top bouldering climber was airlifted to hospital after falling more than 30ft on a climb in the Yorkshire Dales.

Mina Leslie-Wujastyk fell about 10m on what rescuers called ‘one of the more serious routes’ on Malham Cove on Friday.

The 29-year-old, who represents Great Britain at bouldering, thanked those who came to her rescue.

The Clapham-based Cave Rescue Organisation was called out about 4.10pm when the climber injured herself in the fall while tackling a sport-climbing route on the 80m-high limestone crag.

A team spokesperson said: “Although her rope and belay held, she sustained a head injury from hitting the rock face, without helmet, during the fall.”

Malham Cove. Photo: Bob Smith/grough

She was treated at the scene by an ambulance crew and paramedics from the Yorkshire Air Ambulance before being packed into a vacuum mattress and lowered from the crag by CRO members, on a mountain-rescue stretcher.

The spokesperson said: “She was carried downstream to the waiting air ambulance. This flew her down to Malham village where she was transferred to a road ambulance for the journey to hospital.”

Ms Leslie-Wujastyk later posted on Facebook: “Had a bit of a nasty fall sport climbing yesterday at Malham… happy to say I have come out of the ordeal with relatively minor injuries but pretty shaken up.

“Climbing is a wonderful sport but even in the ‘safer’ disciplines like sport climbing there are still risks and there are still unlucky moments where the ‘usual’ doesn’t happen.

“I would like to send out a massive thank you to all the people who helped me: Cave Rescue Organisation, ambulance services, the hospital staff at Airedale Hospital and, of course, my wonderful friends at the crag – in particular Penny, Al and Eddie – and David for coming to be with me. You were all amazing and I’m forever grateful for your efforts, skills and smiles.”

Sport climbing involves the use of fixed bolts on routes to which protection can be attached, rather than traditional climbing in which placements for equipment have to be found during the ascent. Bouldering is the sport of low-level climbing performed without the use of ropes, in which climbers tackle technical ‘problems’ on routes.