CLIMBING enthusiast Zoe Grainger hopes to reach new heights on Friday when she competes in the final stage of the indoor Winter Bouldering League at The Hangar in Liverpool.

The Year 9 pupil at Bolton School Girls’ Division won the under-16s title at Manchester Climbing Club last weekend and looks set to complete the double in the same age group at Liverpool.

Zoe, aged 14, has excelled despite being one of the younger competitors, and has built up a virtually unassailable lead ahead of the final round.

Her younger sister, Bella, has been hot on her heels throughout the competition, despite only being 11 years old, with the fellow Bolton School pupil in fourth place before the last climb of the competition.

David Kettle, climbing coach at Bolton School said: “Zoe is aiming to get into the Team GB squad; given her current standard, which is highly impressive for her age, then this is definitely a realistic goal. She is climbing at a higher standard as a Year 9 pupil than most of our school’s other climbers – girls and boys – including those in Year 13.

“The two girls attended a first inter schools competition at RockOver last year and helped Bolton finish second.”

Zoe started climbing when she was just five, and also competes with The Academy at Manchester Climbing Centre, where she was crowned the new u16s champion, as well as an academy in the Lake District.