A HEREFORD school pupil with impressive climbing skills has been competing against the country’s best.

Mason Burnett, who is a pupil at St Francis Xavier School in Hereford has been making his mark in the country’s boulder climbing scene despite only being nine years old.

Burnett is an active competition climber and climbs regularly at Greenspider and at the boulder barn in Hereford.

The youngster has recently finished the season by taking part in the BMC (British Mountaineering Council) Youth climbing series which is a national competition divided in to regions.

Burnett represents the South West north region which includes Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire and Berkshire and competes in the Youth category E. 

The four-round series consists of two roped rounds and two boulder rounds at four different centres across the region. 

The youngster has trained hard for the events and is supported by his local climbing community.

Burnett’s hard work has paid off as he won four eents to become the series winner of Youth category E in the South-West north. 

The talented Hereford youngster has had a great first year of competition climbing all over the country.

Burnett also took victory in the Midlands Youth Boulder Cup competition and the Young Climbers Festival which took place in Sheffield.

After travelling up to the North-East of the country for the Rock Solid Bouldering Series the youngster was again victor.

Another trip to Sheffield saw him take second place in the Youth Boulder Cup. 

Burnett plans to continue to have fun along with training hard during the winter months ready to see what next year will bring.