Caroline Ayton – women & climbing (Awesome Walls)

Caroline Harney Ayton: 33 mother of 2 and hitched to the lucky and one and only Dave Ayton from Awesome Walls.  Ran competitively from the age of 10 representing Ireland on the international field at cross country, track and field events and more recently in the World Mountain Running Championships. Caroline moved to the UK to study sports science, eventually qualifying as a biology and science teacher. While in the UK her love of climbing took hold. She gained a lot of experience seconding traditional mountain and sea routes up to E7 and then became the first Irish women to lead E5 (one of her first handful of trad leads actually!). Despite being capable at trad climbing Caroline clicked with the safe physicality of Sport climbing. During her first ever sports climbing trip she progressed from 6a to 7b in a week. During a 2 year spell working in an international school in Spain Caroline devoted her free time to sport climbing and enjoyed success with ascents of numerous routes up to and including 8a. Since returning to Ireland to set up Awesome Walls and raise our family Caroline has taken some time off due to pregnancy but is now actively training, competing and coaching again – on to bigger and better things! She bakes the best cakes too!