Steve MccClure

BBC tv

Funny game climbing, sometimes its like buses, you wait for ages, getting more and more frustrated, and then, just when you’ve given up, two come along at once!

I’d been trying a route at Malham cove, a link between Bat Route, Rainshadow and Overshadow, but with quite a lot of new climbing. The BBC got wind and were keen to film it for some reason. However, and somewhat harder than the redpoint, was pretending to be a suitable ‘personality’, hiding my lack of TV looks and complete absence of on-camera ability until the last minute when they met me and it was all too late.
There was to be only one day of filming and I’d been holding off, hoping to get the moment of success on camera. First go I gave it everything, the camera spurring me on to glory. I got to within three moves, half a metre. Close but absolutely no cigar. The BBC were happy, it was all a bit more than they’d expected anyway. Second go was even closer, better conditions now but tired from the first effort. The last move! Close enough to be satisfied I’d do it another day, though when that day would come was anyone’s guess.

That day came just after climbing Hubble, just after a large party with lots more beer. A totally unplanned trip to the cliff on a hot and sunny day. I climbed the route first go, one of the longest and most sustained pump fests on the crag. A total body drainer with an assortment of desperate bat hang and kneebar rests along the way. There could not be a bigger contrast to Hubble! Within three days I’d done one of the hardest bouldery routes of my life, to one of the longest and most sustained. How does that work?

The programme called ‘Inside Out’ is due to be shown on BBC 1 sometime early October around 7.30pm.

August 31, 2009 12:21 PM

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