"Humans are pretty cool"
Pitched out in the mass of moorland and sky dividing Sheffield and Manchester, you’ll find a range of gritstone crags and edges. With strange names like Stanage and Curbar, Burbage and Froggatt, these lonely cliffs have been drawing climbers like Hannah Morris for generations. Since 2013, Hannah has been making sport of mazy routes and difficult ascents, and documenting her progress as she goes. Her films have helped accumulate a loyal Instagram and YouTube following inspiring people to begin climbing journeys of their own. Then, in 2025, everything changed. Hannah fell on a climbing trip and nearly lost her leg. For this 5 Good Things, we spoke to her about the joys of climbing, her accident, and what the long road to recovery taught her.
For the uninitiated, would you be able to explain what bouldering is — as opposed to other climbing disciplines — and tell us what attracted you to it?
One of the coolest things about climbing is there are so many ways to enjoy it. I’m a boulderer primarily, which means I climb without a rope above a crash pad. Compared to roped disciplines like sport climbing or traditional climbing, you don’t climb as high, but the moves are often harder. Plus beyond the pad, there’s no gear to catch you if you fall.
I was attracted to the simplicity of bouldering. All you need is a pair of climbing shoes, the pad and some chalk. The longer I’ve climbed, the more I’ve come to appreciate the community it offers. Bouldering’s social because you don’t need ropes or a belay partner. You can enjoy it in groups, indoors or out. Indoor bouldering especially has been booming recently because of the low barrier to entry and how good it is for meeting people.
What makes climbing as much of a mental pursuit as a physical one?
Climbing is a full body activity. It’s also a mental challenge in that it’s so cerebral. I mean, boulders are puzzles to be solved; they’re literally referred to as ‘problems’ by climbers.
The analytical, solution-finding component really scratches an itch for me. It demands attention and capacity for decision making in high consequence environments. It’s also pretty confronting in that it interrogates things like your relationship with failure, ego, identity and resilience.
You guys take on some serious risk. Tell us about how you handle the fear element of climbing. How do you get over it? Does it drive you? Is danger part of the kick?
I think there’s a common perception that climbers are adrenaline seekers or reckless risk-takers. It’s probably the case for some, but I think climbers are more often managing and minimising risk than chasing it.
Climbing will always be risky and for that reason it will always challenge fear, but that’s far from the most celebrated or sought out part of the experience. Yes, fear is important. No, I don’t think it’s something we ever move past. I don’t enjoy being scared either. I like to think of fear as something we can manage and control, rather than something that has to be removed. Risk in life is balanced by the reward of doing what we love.
What’s the climbing community like? What kind of characters does it attract?
It’s a broad generalisation, but climbing attracts people who enjoy collaboration, value their time outdoors, and now and then like to chase a bit of dopamine. If you were to ask them what they love most about it, I think a lot of them would say the community.
Climbing’s built on trust and collaboration. Sometimes the trust’s literal. Using ropes, you place your faith in a belay partner to catch you. With bouldering there’s a willingness to share ideas and help figure out a sequence or move. It’s pretty common to find yourself sharing beta (a term climbers used to describe the intended sequence of a route) with strangers at the gym or cheering on someone who you’ve only just met at the crag. We belong to a culture of encouragement, knowledge-sharing and mutual respect, and that makes the community really welcoming.
How does the UK climbing community compare to communities overseas? Say, the US or European countries.
Good question! I’ve been lucky enough to climb in lots of different places. In my experience, there’s a shared understanding between climbers wherever you go that makes the sport really special. Maybe it's because of the media and the internet, climbing opening things up, but you can walk into a gym or turn up at a crag almost anywhere now and find common ground with the people there. It's great.
Of course there are idiosyncrasies borne from different ethics or rock types, but it doesn’t feel so different from place to place. Just the odd argument over the pronunciation of ‘beta’, or disagreements over whether the French or American grading system is best.
You’ve built a sizeable community in your own right as a content creator. How did you become a climbing creator, and why?
I never intended to be a creator or a social media personality. I was just sharing my passion for climbing online, at a time when climbing was experiencing a boom, and that happened to resonate with people.
When I started making films, there was relatively little representation of women in climbing media, particularly in long-form, educational or personality-driven YouTube videos. I felt there was space for a different kind of voice. From the beginning, I tried to create a welcoming, non-judgemental environment where climbers of any ability could feel included. Five years in, I’m really proud of what I’ve built and I hope my platform is a space that empowers self-belief and the confidence to explore climbing in full colour.
What’s your fondest climbing memory? What makes it stand out?
When I look back on my experiences, I have single moments or highlights that stand out, but mostly I have a collection of feelings and an awareness of how much this sport has given me that can only be appreciated as a whole, and in retrospect. But if I were to choose a highlight, I recently interviewed Alex Honnold in a cable car above London. That was a big moment for me. I was also lucky enough to spend some time with Lynn Hill, a climbing legend who was the first person to free climb The Nose on El Capitan in Yosemite. I spent an afternoon climbing with her at her place in Colorado, trying a replica she has in her yard of one of the crux sequences of The Nose. I was pinching myself the whole time.
You’ve been in recovery from a pretty serious leg injury. Do you mind telling us what happened? What did recovery entail? How did you keep such a determined mindset throughout?
In September 2025 I sustained crush injuries to my right leg and ankle in a climbing accident. I’ll spare you the gory details, but the basics are that I fell whilst bouldering in the USA. Open fractures, my leg at some gnarly angles, some escaped bones. I knew immediately I wouldn’t be climbing for a while. I ended up losing over 50% of my tibia. I spent a month in hospital in the US having multiple surgeries on my leg and ankle.
The bad news is that it was a significant injury so it’ll be a while before I’m climbing at the same level. The good news is I have some incredible surgeons on my case; I’m hopeful that I’ll make as close to a full comeback as possible.
There’ve been low moments throughout my recovery, but I just feel so lucky to have my leg and to have made it back to adaptive climbing with a renewed perspective and drive. I’m not sure what the alternative would have been. I’d either have to accept the loss of climbing, or not. Maybe I couldn’t go back and there was an element of denial at play. I’ve really questioned my motivation to return, but I think I’m in a spot where I trust climbing will always be part of my life. It’s given me way more than it could ever take away, so I’ll continue. In my low points, I’ve looked to the example set by adaptive athletes in the Paraclimbing community. They’ve given me hope I haven’t made my last climb. Humans are pretty cool.
What have you learned about yourself following your injury and recovery, and how will this impact your future in climbing?
It sounds cliché, but I’ve learned through recovery that progress isn’t linear and my perception isn’t either. There have been times when I felt like I’ve only been able to appreciate rehab in retrospect. When you’re in it, progress feels glacial, but then you look back and see things differently.
The experience has helped me understand that we can reframe life. I’ve had to be cautious about applying a layer of toxic positivity to what happened, but it gives me a semblance of control knowing that I can rework my perspective when times get hard, and that helps me regain a grip on things. There’s been so much uncertainty over the past 10 months. At times it’s felt overwhelming, but I've worked to learn that uncertainty doesn’t need to mean “It might end badly”, it can mean “It might end well”.
What would you like to teach people about dealing with difficult periods in life?
Boy oh boy! If I could bottle everything climbing has taught me about navigating difficult periods in life, I’d have something special.
One of the biggest things I've learned is that even the most daunting, seemingly insurmountable challenges can be broken down into manageable pieces. I don’t think there’s a shortcut through difficult experiences, but never forget the power of perspective.
Now, when I’m faced with something that feels impossible, I remind myself that almost everything becomes manageable when you stop trying to solve it all at once, and focus on what’s directly in front of you. You might fail or fall short of the outcome you wanted, but it all irons out in the end. That mindset has changed the way I approach climbing. It’s changed the way I approach recovery. It’s changed my life.
This last part is where we ask you to send some cultural inspiration out into the world, recommending 5 Good Things and the reasons why you chose them.
A restaurant or cafe you like in your city
I’m a real sucker for coffee and donuts, so I’m going to recommend Eve’s Kitchen in Sharrow Vale, Sheffield. It does the most beautiful baked goods, and they’re all handmade on site. Getting one to go and taking it to Endliffe Park on a sunny day is one of the finest pleasures in my life.
A film everyone should watch
I really enjoyed the YouTube documentary Listers: A Glimpse into Extreme Birdwatching. It’s a documentary about two brothers who set out to spot as many bird species as possible across the United States in a year. Living out of their Kia Sedona, they drive nearly 39,000 miles in pursuit of bird sightings. It’s not really about birds though. It’s a reflection on purpose and being present and I love that it flips adventure and celebrates being curious and following your passion for something. It’s also really funny, and far from a polished in production. Real slice of life stuff.
A book everyone should read
Stoner, by John Williams. It’s a fictional account of a farmer's son in rural Missouri, and it follows his life: his career as a teacher and academic, his marriage, his regrets. It's an amazingly moving character study that captures the mundanity, heartbreak and beauty of a life.
A musical album or artist who means something to you
Kishi Bashi’s music has gotten me through some challenging moments. His first studio album 151a was the soundtrack to a significant climbing trip. Now it takes me right back there. It’s a blend of indie pop, folk, electronica, orchestral and violin stuff - I love it.
Where you’d send someone if they were visiting your city or hometown for the first time
The Peak District! Climber or not, you can’t beat a wander along the gritstone edges of the Peak.
Hannah wore the 5020 Utility pants in drill, a 3001 Overshirt in brown, the 7023 B-boy tee, and a 6011 Timber Leah shirt in sand pebble plaid. She also a 3041 Signal Jacket and a 4020 Signature cap.
You can subscribe to her YouTube channel here.
5 Good Things - Hannah Morris - Sheffield, UK
"Humans are pretty cool"
Pitched out in the mass of moorland and sky dividing Sheffield and Manchester, you’ll find a range of gritstone crags and edges. With strange names like Stanage and Curbar, Burbage and Froggatt, these lonely cliffs have been drawing climbers like Hannah Morris for generations. Since 2013, Hannah has been making sport of mazy routes and difficult ascents, and documenting her progress as she goes. Her films have helped accumulate a loyal Instagram and YouTube following inspiring people to begin climbing journeys of their own. Then, in 2025, everything changed. Hannah fell on a climbing trip and nearly lost her leg. For this 5 Good Things, we spoke to her about the joys of climbing, her accident, and what the long road to recovery taught her.
For the uninitiated, would you be able to explain what bouldering is — as opposed to other climbing disciplines — and tell us what attracted you to it?
One of the coolest things about climbing is there are so many ways to enjoy it. I’m a boulderer primarily, which means I climb without a rope above a crash pad. Compared to roped disciplines like sport climbing or traditional climbing, you don’t climb as high, but the moves are often harder. Plus beyond the pad, there’s no gear to catch you if you fall.
I was attracted to the simplicity of bouldering. All you need is a pair of climbing shoes, the pad and some chalk. The longer I’ve climbed, the more I’ve come to appreciate the community it offers. Bouldering’s social because you don’t need ropes or a belay partner. You can enjoy it in groups, indoors or out. Indoor bouldering especially has been booming recently because of the low barrier to entry and how good it is for meeting people.
What makes climbing as much of a mental pursuit as a physical one?
Climbing is a full body activity. It’s also a mental challenge in that it’s so cerebral. I mean, boulders are puzzles to be solved; they’re literally referred to as ‘problems’ by climbers.
The analytical, solution-finding component really scratches an itch for me. It demands attention and capacity for decision making in high consequence environments. It’s also pretty confronting in that it interrogates things like your relationship with failure, ego, identity and resilience.
You guys take on some serious risk. Tell us about how you handle the fear element of climbing. How do you get over it? Does it drive you? Is danger part of the kick?
I think there’s a common perception that climbers are adrenaline seekers or reckless risk-takers. It’s probably the case for some, but I think climbers are more often managing and minimising risk than chasing it.
Climbing will always be risky and for that reason it will always challenge fear, but that’s far from the most celebrated or sought out part of the experience. Yes, fear is important. No, I don’t think it’s something we ever move past. I don’t enjoy being scared either. I like to think of fear as something we can manage and control, rather than something that has to be removed. Risk in life is balanced by the reward of doing what we love.
What’s the climbing community like? What kind of characters does it attract?
It’s a broad generalisation, but climbing attracts people who enjoy collaboration, value their time outdoors, and now and then like to chase a bit of dopamine. If you were to ask them what they love most about it, I think a lot of them would say the community.
Climbing’s built on trust and collaboration. Sometimes the trust’s literal. Using ropes, you place your faith in a belay partner to catch you. With bouldering there’s a willingness to share ideas and help figure out a sequence or move. It’s pretty common to find yourself sharing beta (a term climbers used to describe the intended sequence of a route) with strangers at the gym or cheering on someone who you’ve only just met at the crag. We belong to a culture of encouragement, knowledge-sharing and mutual respect, and that makes the community really welcoming.
How does the UK climbing community compare to communities overseas? Say, the US or European countries.
Good question! I’ve been lucky enough to climb in lots of different places. In my experience, there’s a shared understanding between climbers wherever you go that makes the sport really special. Maybe it's because of the media and the internet, climbing opening things up, but you can walk into a gym or turn up at a crag almost anywhere now and find common ground with the people there. It's great.
Of course there are idiosyncrasies borne from different ethics or rock types, but it doesn’t feel so different from place to place. Just the odd argument over the pronunciation of ‘beta’, or disagreements over whether the French or American grading system is best.
You’ve built a sizeable community in your own right as a content creator. How did you become a climbing creator, and why?
I never intended to be a creator or a social media personality. I was just sharing my passion for climbing online, at a time when climbing was experiencing a boom, and that happened to resonate with people.
When I started making films, there was relatively little representation of women in climbing media, particularly in long-form, educational or personality-driven YouTube videos. I felt there was space for a different kind of voice. From the beginning, I tried to create a welcoming, non-judgemental environment where climbers of any ability could feel included. Five years in, I’m really proud of what I’ve built and I hope my platform is a space that empowers self-belief and the confidence to explore climbing in full colour.
What’s your fondest climbing memory? What makes it stand out?
When I look back on my experiences, I have single moments or highlights that stand out, but mostly I have a collection of feelings and an awareness of how much this sport has given me that can only be appreciated as a whole, and in retrospect. But if I were to choose a highlight, I recently interviewed Alex Honnold in a cable car above London. That was a big moment for me. I was also lucky enough to spend some time with Lynn Hill, a climbing legend who was the first person to free climb The Nose on El Capitan in Yosemite. I spent an afternoon climbing with her at her place in Colorado, trying a replica she has in her yard of one of the crux sequences of The Nose. I was pinching myself the whole time.
You’ve been in recovery from a pretty serious leg injury. Do you mind telling us what happened? What did recovery entail? How did you keep such a determined mindset throughout?
In September 2025 I sustained crush injuries to my right leg and ankle in a climbing accident. I’ll spare you the gory details, but the basics are that I fell whilst bouldering in the USA. Open fractures, my leg at some gnarly angles, some escaped bones. I knew immediately I wouldn’t be climbing for a while. I ended up losing over 50% of my tibia. I spent a month in hospital in the US having multiple surgeries on my leg and ankle.
The bad news is that it was a significant injury so it’ll be a while before I’m climbing at the same level. The good news is I have some incredible surgeons on my case; I’m hopeful that I’ll make as close to a full comeback as possible.
There’ve been low moments throughout my recovery, but I just feel so lucky to have my leg and to have made it back to adaptive climbing with a renewed perspective and drive. I’m not sure what the alternative would have been. I’d either have to accept the loss of climbing, or not. Maybe I couldn’t go back and there was an element of denial at play. I’ve really questioned my motivation to return, but I think I’m in a spot where I trust climbing will always be part of my life. It’s given me way more than it could ever take away, so I’ll continue. In my low points, I’ve looked to the example set by adaptive athletes in the Paraclimbing community. They’ve given me hope I haven’t made my last climb. Humans are pretty cool.
What have you learned about yourself following your injury and recovery, and how will this impact your future in climbing?
It sounds cliché, but I’ve learned through recovery that progress isn’t linear and my perception isn’t either. There have been times when I felt like I’ve only been able to appreciate rehab in retrospect. When you’re in it, progress feels glacial, but then you look back and see things differently.
The experience has helped me understand that we can reframe life. I’ve had to be cautious about applying a layer of toxic positivity to what happened, but it gives me a semblance of control knowing that I can rework my perspective when times get hard, and that helps me regain a grip on things. There’s been so much uncertainty over the past 10 months. At times it’s felt overwhelming, but I've worked to learn that uncertainty doesn’t need to mean “It might end badly”, it can mean “It might end well”.
What would you like to teach people about dealing with difficult periods in life?
Boy oh boy! If I could bottle everything climbing has taught me about navigating difficult periods in life, I’d have something special.
One of the biggest things I've learned is that even the most daunting, seemingly insurmountable challenges can be broken down into manageable pieces. I don’t think there’s a shortcut through difficult experiences, but never forget the power of perspective.
Now, when I’m faced with something that feels impossible, I remind myself that almost everything becomes manageable when you stop trying to solve it all at once, and focus on what’s directly in front of you. You might fail or fall short of the outcome you wanted, but it all irons out in the end. That mindset has changed the way I approach climbing. It’s changed the way I approach recovery. It’s changed my life.
This last part is where we ask you to send some cultural inspiration out into the world, recommending 5 Good Things and the reasons why you chose them.
A restaurant or cafe you like in your city
I’m a real sucker for coffee and donuts, so I’m going to recommend Eve’s Kitchen in Sharrow Vale, Sheffield. It does the most beautiful baked goods, and they’re all handmade on site. Getting one to go and taking it to Endliffe Park on a sunny day is one of the finest pleasures in my life.
A film everyone should watch
I really enjoyed the YouTube documentary Listers: A Glimpse into Extreme Birdwatching. It’s a documentary about two brothers who set out to spot as many bird species as possible across the United States in a year. Living out of their Kia Sedona, they drive nearly 39,000 miles in pursuit of bird sightings. It’s not really about birds though. It’s a reflection on purpose and being present and I love that it flips adventure and celebrates being curious and following your passion for something. It’s also really funny, and far from a polished in production. Real slice of life stuff.
A book everyone should read
Stoner, by John Williams. It’s a fictional account of a farmer's son in rural Missouri, and it follows his life: his career as a teacher and academic, his marriage, his regrets. It's an amazingly moving character study that captures the mundanity, heartbreak and beauty of a life.
A musical album or artist who means something to you
Kishi Bashi’s music has gotten me through some challenging moments. His first studio album 151a was the soundtrack to a significant climbing trip. Now it takes me right back there. It’s a blend of indie pop, folk, electronica, orchestral and violin stuff - I love it.
Where you’d send someone if they were visiting your city or hometown for the first time
The Peak District! Climber or not, you can’t beat a wander along the gritstone edges of the Peak.
Hannah wore the 5020 Utility pants in drill, a 3001 Overshirt in brown, the 7023 B-boy tee, and a 6011 Timber Leah shirt in sand pebble plaid. She also a 3041 Signal Jacket and a 4020 Signature cap.
You can subscribe to her YouTube channel here.