Mt Victoria's Angie Scarth-Johnson has knocked off another international milestone, becoming the youngest person to climb a grade 32/33 in Spain earlier this year.
Angie, now 11 and a year five student at Mt Victoria Public School, made the achievement at age 10 in April.
Last month the pint-sized rockclimber also became The North Face athletes team's youngest signing.
"Angie joins a strong team of local athletes as the first female climber, and certainly the youngest in all disciplines," said Stephen Winnacott, The North Face's marketing manager for Australia and New Zealand.
Initially based in Canberra, Angie's family relocated to the Mountains in 2012 for lifestyle reasons and to help their daughter pursue her passion for rockclimbing.
It hasn't all been smooth climbing. At age seven, after a nasty tree climbing accident in that Canberra backyard, Angie's non-climbing parents, Claudia Lopez, a social worker, and Tek Scarth-Johnson, a plumber, made the decision to sign her up to a climbing gym to help her climb safely.
Experts say she's got a big future ahead. At eight Angie climbed 'Wrong Movements' (27) at Centennial Glen in the Mountains. By nine, she became the youngest person ever to climb a grade (31) 'Swingline' at Red River Gorge in America and this year, the youngest person to climb a (32/33) ' Tijuanita /Welcome to Tijuana' in Rodellar Spain. (Some climbers with 20 years' experience admit they haven't the skills to go beyond a grade 25, but the pint-sized climber uses small handholds to compensate for her short reach).
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At age 10 she had already been named the national champion in the under 11 age group for three years running and last year was a guest presenter at a national climbing festival held in Katoomba.
"Upon first meeting Angie at a climbing crag in the Blue Mountains it was immediately apparent that this talented young climber would one day be at the forefront of the sport's progression," Winnacott said.
The bright and self motivated Angie trains three days a week - regularly with young climbing buddy Jack Taylor, at her home climbing wall, and at Blackheath Bowling Club's climbing wall. She says as she grows she can take on new heights.
"I tried [the climb] 'Ain't No Sunshine' in Nowra a year ago and it was really hard. I couldn't reach any moves. I've started to be able to do big moves, they're much easier."
Of her new sponsorship signing, Angie admits she was "pretty shocked".
"It was very special to be included in such an amazing group of climbers [Ben and Lee Cossey from the Mountains are also sponsored by North Face] that I really look up to in Australia and around the world.'
"I hope I can inspire young climbers to follow their dreams and enjoy the outdoors as much as I do."
She's also hoping it will also lead to introductions to some climbing rock stars, particularly her idol, 14-year-old American rock climber Ashima Shiraishi, known for being one of the strongest young climbers - male or female - of all time, whose career path Angie is quietly replicating.
The sponsorship means Angie's expensive "awesome" climbing clothes now come gratis, but Angie's parents are still financing all her pursuits and admit she still talks them into most trips.
The family are planning a trip to Europe again next year, where some climbing, cultural pursuits and a visit to the Eiffel Tower is on the cards.
Angie is working on her parents about climbing that one.
"We'll be walking up," Lopez told the Gazette, laughing.
