diff --git a/src/graphql/area/AreaMutations.ts b/src/graphql/area/AreaMutations.ts
index 9fa514ef..6c62de5a 100644
--- a/src/graphql/area/AreaMutations.ts
+++ b/src/graphql/area/AreaMutations.ts
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ const AreaMutations = {
 
   addArea: async (_, { input }, { dataSources, user }: ContextWithAuth): Promise<AreaType | null> => {
     const { areas } = dataSources
-    const { name, parentUuid, countryCode, experimentalAuthor } = input
+    const { name, parentUuid, countryCode, experimentalAuthor, isLeaf, isBoulder } = input
 
     // permission middleware shouldn't send undefined uuid
     if (user?.uuid == null) throw new Error('Missing user uuid')
@@ -38,7 +38,9 @@ const AreaMutations = {
       user.uuid, name,
       parentUuid == null ? null : muuid.from(parentUuid),
       countryCode,
-      experimentalAuthor
+      experimentalAuthor,
+      isLeaf,
+      isBoulder
     )
   },
 
diff --git a/src/graphql/schema/AreaEdit.gql b/src/graphql/schema/AreaEdit.gql
index 6d0c0bb2..3db833d1 100644
--- a/src/graphql/schema/AreaEdit.gql
+++ b/src/graphql/schema/AreaEdit.gql
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ input AreaInput {
   parentUuid: ID
   countryCode: String
   isDestination: Boolean
+  isLeaf: Boolean
+  isBoulder: Boolean
   experimentalAuthor: ExperimentalAuthorType
 }
 
diff --git a/src/model/MutableAreaDataSource.ts b/src/model/MutableAreaDataSource.ts
index 4ea428bf..bdd67b08 100644
--- a/src/model/MutableAreaDataSource.ts
+++ b/src/model/MutableAreaDataSource.ts
@@ -107,7 +107,13 @@ export default class MutableAreaDataSource extends AreaDataSource {
    * @param parentUuid
    * @param countryCode
    */
-  async addArea (user: MUUID, areaName: string, parentUuid: MUUID | null, countryCode?: string, experimentalAuthor?: ExperimentalAuthorType): Promise<AreaType> {
+  async addArea (user: MUUID,
+    areaName: string,
+    parentUuid: MUUID | null,
+    countryCode?: string,
+    experimentalAuthor?: ExperimentalAuthorType,
+    isLeaf?: boolean,
+    isBoulder?: boolean): Promise<AreaType> {
     if (parentUuid == null && countryCode == null) {
       throw new Error('Adding area failed. Must provide parent Id or country code')
     }
@@ -127,14 +133,14 @@ export default class MutableAreaDataSource extends AreaDataSource {
     // see https://jira.mongodb.org/browse/NODE-2014
     await session.withTransaction(
       async (session) => {
-        ret = await this._addArea(session, user, areaName, uuid, experimentalAuthor)
+        ret = await this._addArea(session, user, areaName, uuid, experimentalAuthor, isLeaf, isBoulder)
         return ret
       })
     // @ts-expect-error
     return ret
   }
 
-  async _addArea (session, user: MUUID, areaName: string, parentUuid: MUUID, experimentalAuthor?: ExperimentalAuthorType): Promise<any> {
+  async _addArea (session, user: MUUID, areaName: string, parentUuid: MUUID, experimentalAuthor?: ExperimentalAuthorType, isLeaf?: boolean, isBoulder?: boolean): Promise<any> {
     const parentFilter = { 'metadata.area_id': parentUuid }
     const parent = await this.areaModel.findOne(parentFilter).session(session).orFail(new UserInputError('Expecting 1 parent, found none.'))
 
@@ -170,6 +176,18 @@ export default class MutableAreaDataSource extends AreaDataSource {
     const parentPathTokens = parent.pathTokens
     const parentGradeContext = parent.gradeContext
     const newArea = newAreaHelper(areaName, parentAncestors, parentPathTokens, parentGradeContext)
+    if (isLeaf != null) {
+      newArea.metadata.leaf = isLeaf
+    }
+    if (isBoulder != null) {
+      if (isBoulder) {
+        // a boulder is also a leaf area
+        newArea.metadata.leaf = true
+        newArea.metadata.isBoulder = true
+      } else {
+        newArea.metadata.isBoulder = false
+      }
+    }
     newArea.metadata.lnglat = parent.metadata.lnglat
     newArea.createdBy = experimentaAuthorId ?? user
     newArea._change = produce(newChangeMeta, draft => {
diff --git a/src/model/__tests__/updateAreas.ts b/src/model/__tests__/updateAreas.ts
index 6da6b3b6..693edc68 100644
--- a/src/model/__tests__/updateAreas.ts
+++ b/src/model/__tests__/updateAreas.ts
@@ -109,6 +109,16 @@ describe('Areas', () => {
     expect(countryInDb.children[0]).toEqual(area?._id)
   })
 
+  it('should set crag/boulder attribute when adding new areas', async () => {
+    let parent = await areas.addArea(testUser, 'Boulder A', null, 'can', undefined, false, true)
+    expect(parent.metadata.isBoulder).toBe(true)
+    expect(parent.metadata.leaf).toBe(true)
+
+    parent = await areas.addArea(testUser, 'Sport A', null, 'can', undefined, true, undefined)
+    expect(parent.metadata.isBoulder).toBe(false)
+    expect(parent.metadata.leaf).toBe(true)
+  })
+
   it('should update multiple fields', async () => {
     await areas.addCountry('au')
     const a1 = await areas.addArea(testUser, 'One', null, 'au')