A CLIMBER who boulders for Great Britain was hospitalised with a head injury after she fell ten metres at Malham Cove while not wearing a helmet.

Mina Leslie-Wujastyk, 30, was climbing one of the cove's most difficult routes, on Saturday August 26.

Although her rope and belay held, she hit her head on the rock face.

After attention from paramedics, she was put into a vacuum mattress and onto a mountain rescue stretcher for lowering from ‘the cat walk’ by Clapham Cave Rescue team members.

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.

Commenting on the incident on her Facebook page, Mina said: "I had a bit of a nasty fall sport climbing yesterday at Malham. I'm happy to say I have come out of the ordeal with relatively minor injuries but pretty shaken up.

"The picture makes it look like my injuries would be worse but at this stage the precautions were necessary.

"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 (MRT) , ambulance services, the hospital staff at Airedale Hospital and, of course, my wonderful friends at the crag.

"You were all amazing and I'm forever grateful for your efforts, skills and smiles."