Steve MccClure

Masterclass

Masterclass

Last week the Marmot team held a Rock Trip style event over in North Wales. I’m in a privileged position to be invited on something like this. Top climbers coming together from around the world to sample some of the world’s best climbing. Sure we had work to do, product testing and photos, but the main concern was going climbing.
On the way the weather looked sketch. I rang ahead, useful contacts living in Llanberis. Jim let me know it was pouring in the Pass so we bailed to PenTwyn with a high tide and squally showers. Un-motivation upstairs quickly changed as I remembered the famous route ‘Masterclass’, a route I’d been saving and avoiding for years. The guide book description of Moffat’s line is that it was ‘A whisper away from being the world’s first 8a’. Actually that’s more like the UK’s first 8a, ahead of Statement Of Youth just a few hundred yards away (and that’s not including Requiem up in Scotland).
A 7c+ in this style I’d expect to have a fighting chance, crimpy and technical, but the history rattled me and movement wasn’t fluid. Somehow the onsight seemed important and I wanted each move to feel solid, but of course at that grade no move is guaranteed. But perfect conditions were with me to the top. Next was a flash of Chris Doyle’s Masterplan just next door. Confirmed at the grade apparently. And the difference between these two? Not two grades I’d have to say. Controversial? Maybe. Was Moffat really there making history again? Whatever, the history was there anyway, and my Marmot Rock Trip was off to a fine start, with more legends to check out……..

May 29, 2011 09:31 PM

Progress

A progression was evident at Malham yesterday, in various forms. Some small, some large! Yesterday I was back on this new line I’ve been trying. It’s becoming a fitness thing. The moves way up high are still desperate, almost at my bouldering limit, and that is after 9a’s worth of climbing. But I got a new high point, 3 moves or so higher than before, and I also matched my own previous high point again. So a small progression, but still a bunch more to go. But the pleasing thing was being able to climb through the crux of Rainshadow twice in a day, without too much stress. A third time was probably on but driving rain meant it was all a bit horrible and I really couldn’t be bothered. Some years ago I spent many days on Rainshadow and just getting through this crux was the living end and only vaguely possible, in fact I only managed it twice, with one of those times being the tick. So it was good to see progression there too, long term.

But if anyone wanted proof of rising standards Adam Ondra was showing it in buckets. On Monday he had finally cracked Overshadow, and followed that by an onsight of Bat Route (8c) and a working go on Rainshadow (on the same day). When we arrived at about 1pm on Tuesday Rainshadow had already been ticked, first redpoint. He confirmed the grade, and agreed that it was one of the best routes around. What took me over 15 days took him just 2, but obviously could have been done in one, or more likely about an hour!
Later he went up to look at Total Eclipse, a route with a chequered history. John Dunne made the first ascent grading it 8c+/9a. Moffat claimed it easier but broke ‘crucial’ holds off and declared it not possible but Dunne insisted he hadn’t actually used the broken holds. Anyway, whatever the history, Adam was on redpoint within an hour, and through the crux with ease. Unfortunately the top section was soaking wet, blatantly obvious even for spectators 100m away. He came close, but slipped off!
Back on the ground he explained the moves, a few monster reaches, perhaps above me considering my XXX cm shorter reach. 8c+/9a was the grade. It seemed almost arrogant that someone could come down after just an hour on a route, and who would certainly have done it had it been dry, and claim such a high grade. But then you remember, this is Ondra. There is no arrogance, he simply is that good!!

Right now, Wednesday morning, he will be at Ravenstor. Its his last day, or morning rather as he has to leave by 9.30am! So that should be enough time for Mutation, or Hubble, or even both……….

May 18, 2011 07:46 AM

Malham (Again)

Lucky for us this is such a good cliff, as we don’t have that many world class sport venues. This isn’t Spain. But we do have a few. This is the most important confirmation Adam Ondra has made, the fact that he’s returned for a second week means he must like it here, after all, he could go anywhere in the world for sure.

At last he repeated Overshadow and I think reckoned it was a hard 9a+. 7 days of effort confirmed what I always thought, it’s just a hard route to do! That sounds obvious, but its one of those routes that should be easier, but just doesn’t give up, spitting you off when glory was already half grasped. I watched him zip up the start yesterday. Amazing. It was also amazing how our sport is so open to all, with Adam, the best climber in the world, swapping goes on the first part of the route with Carl Bacon who made a cool redpoint of Overnite Sensation (8a+). Adam was just as psyched for Carl as Carl was for him. We are all equal really, just people, trying hard on great routes.

I was trying hard on a great route too. I’m back in the tunnel now, project world. It’s been super easy to enter this year, fitting in really well around work and other stuff that is keeping me back home for now. Normally I’m distracted, it’s a big sport, but this time everything outside my blinkered vision is blurred and there is a light at the end of the tunnel that I am starting to see. I’ve forgotten how many days I have tried this new project, maybe about 10, but it’s coming together now. Yesterday I took a high point about 9 moves after the crux of Rainshadow, but that’s still about 10 moves from where I can get my first vague rest, and after that it’s still 8a to the top. So maybe not close, but there’s no rush. It’s all about the journey.

May 16, 2011 08:30 PM

Witches Point

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You know those kind of days that just work out great. Something unexpected that turns a normal, run of the mill, nothing exciting kind of day into something a bit more special!
Setting for the Leading Ladder this year in Cardiff with Rob Napier was pretty hard work. We left Sheffield at 7am on Thursday and worked solid till after 9pm. Next day we were on the ropes again early, and testing hard all afternoon, tweeking the 7c’s and 8a and 8b. A tough day, but we got ahead of ourselves and were done by 5.30pm. So we Bailed, feeling a bit naughty, like kids nicking off early, even though we’d still done a 9 hour day.
Boulders is a great wall, good climbing and super friendly, and the cakes must be the best in the business. But they are super organised too, and within minutes we were in the van armed with directions and topos to Witches Point, only 30 mins from Cardiff. I’d heard of it before, but obviously I’d never go, unless I was in a situation like this. And then we were there, one minute at the wall drilling screw-ons, next minute pulling great moves on good rock. There couldn’t be more contrast, with the sea lapping by our feet and the rock bleached red in the evening sun. We onsighted a 7b, 7b+ and an 8a+. I was pleased with that. But I’d have been pleased with anything. A top day grasped out of the ordinary. I guess every day could be like that, you’ve just got to make it happen

May 05, 2011 09:47 PM

All My Eggs In One Basket

Happy Easter. This might be a time of the year that you celebrate, or a weekend the same as any other. For me there is little difference, in fact a period to avoid being away with the crowds. But I notice it by the amount of chocolate eggs that seem to come my way, not that I’m complaining! This year was a very happy Easter for many as the sun shone. Just a few years ago it was snowing at Easter! The sun is great, but not for hard climbing.

It seems traditionally I seem to end up at Malham Cove at Easter, a few day visits over the holiday period. I can remember battling with the cold and wet, and also sitting out the whole day waiting for an attempt on Overshadow as the cliff baked in the sun. Frustrating! This year I didn’t even go, way too hot for sure, but I’ve been there a few times recently.

Actually I’ve not posted much on the old blog for a while. There is little to say. I watch as others tick headline routes in Pembroke or Spain but for the time being I seem to have thrown all my eggs into one basket. I’m on a new line at Malham, something I began last year but was kicked off through an early summer arrival and a busted finger. I’m back again. But its gonna be desperate. It’s a variation on Rainshadow, climbing the classic 8a Raindogs, then the crux bulge of Rainshadow to where it goes left and eases off. This new line blasts straight up, and it definitely doesn’t ease off, in fact it gets harder. After three days last year I still couldn’t do some of the moves on the new section of climbing. These moves were a long way up, after absolutely no rest where fatigue will be maxed out. I’ve done 8c+ in less time than this!

But this is good news, it looks like a solid relationship, not a quick fling, over in a flash, unmemorable and without meaning. The forth day this year was a good one, with a link from the ground to within 10 hand movements before I join Bat Route (8c), though from there its still 8a to the top with no rest. But that’s not close really. From the top of Raindogs its about 30 moves where its barely possible to chalk up, never mind clip. I’m gonna have to skip 4 quickdraws out of 6 and face some serious air time! So 10 moves out of 30 is actually quite far away. But it’s become a reality now, though helped by fantastic conditions before the heat set in.

For now I just need to wait, this is England so it won’t stay hot for too long. But I best get involved with those eggs before they melt, it’s good energy food right???

April 25, 2011 07:04 AM

Kick Back

Did you notice when the UK slipped south? Or maybe the sun moved. It got hot, and our spring passed in a week. Winter direct to summer. The entire population of the UK is happy as for once sunshine coincides with a holiday! But behind the chilled sunbathing lies an uncomfortable suspicion – what does this mean? The last 3 years were the same and it just meant the winter came early. Or could this be different? Maybe its like this now till December.

Actually I hope not, sorry to be miserable, I love it hot, but it doesn’t work for hard climbing. I’d like to order day on, day off of sun please Mr Weather Forecaster. The temps can vary from 23 to 14 degrees, but hold off on the rain, except the odd evening to water the plants. Living in England this request is fairly reasonable, except for the rain bit, as it will most likely rain lots, but as for temps and varying weather, no doubt that’s what we’ll get.

So that’s a good thing, for me and my types anyway. British climbers shouldn’t moan, most likely in a weeks time we will be back in the cloud and wind and the conditions will be perfect. Imagine in living in Spain where from now till November its gonna be utterly boiling. For those hard core climbers who are whinging about how they can’t hang the crimps on their hard project (that includes me), chill for now, because the chill will be back!

(The pic is of me up on High Street (about 800m) with the vastness of the Lake District in the background)

April 23, 2011 09:30 AM

Quantums make a leap and Hornets make a buzz.

Quantums make a leap and Hornets make a buzz.

Mile End Boot Demo was busy. Every year it is. But this year there was a bit of a stir around the 5.10 stand as the new range of shoes stepped out with their stand out colours. They were flying off the counter. These new tweaked Anasazi lasts have a down-turned toe but a host of other features, and everyone was impressed.

Next Demo is at Birmingham Redpoint 9th April. Full new range there.

I gave them a blast on the wall again, on steep boards with bad feet and they stuck like glue.

But I’m still struggling on the super steep roof work. I use my toes so much that with a down-toes shoe I can’t get the hook I need. Maybe I need to get stronger and stop pussying around on my toes! But the Blanco still wins over for me. But I’ll be at Malham later this week and on the walls there a toe hook is never gonna happen. The Quantum will be a leap forward in performance.

March 28, 2011 09:01 PM

Route Setting that I want to do!

The mens final, the easy start with a very long way to go!

Route setting can be tough work. But when the wall is awesome I can’t complain. I was setting for the Norwegian Cup last weekend with Rob Napier. The cup was at the city of Stavanger on the west coast, at one of the biggest walls I have ever seen. There are barely any climbers here too. This is often the case, with most of the Norwegian walls being amazing, way better than we have here in England, and designed around spectacular climbing as opposed to vertical flatness with cost and profit only in mind. It is possible to have spectacular easy routes though…

Anyway, we had to work hard to set in time but it all worked out with clear winners and not a single tie. Just lucky I guess. Then a wall re-set afterwards, hard work, like well over 12 hours per day, but setting at this place its hard to feel like its work, because I’m setting something that I am going to climb and its going to be amazing. The wall is so good I don’t think it’s possible to set a bad route, maybe I should have just closed my eyes and thrown the holds on as an experiment. If I had this wall near to my house I think I’d be there plenty, I might even get fit…....

March 01, 2011 09:51 PM

Its not over..

picture - Micheal Madera. Project 1 above Rainshadow!!

New lines in England are hard to find. There are last great problems here and there, but not in abundance, not like 20 years ago. In the sport world I’ve been lucky, really lucky. And I feel incredibly privileged to have had a run at some of the very best and hardest projects in the country. Many of these were prepared by others, laid on a plate for me, and even made famous before I knew what a quickdraw was! Northern Lights, Rainshadow, Overshadow, North Star and others were all well tested ground. But most of the limestone is looking a bit chocka now, and the Peaks has given up all its best.

Yorkshire is where it’s gonna be at. Plenty of people have spotted the gaps but most of them remain. I went for a peak last week, mainly for a breath of fresh air, but this was also a last chance of the year to place any bolts, with the ban starting at the same time as the bird ban in just a few days. So just in case I slogged up with 150m or rope, 2 bosch drills, a bag of bolts and a whole pile of junk than might be useful.

I came away with 2 gaps ready to go, one short and extending an existing 8b, a boulder problem above the belay when you’re gonna be pumped. The other is big, big enough to rival any other route there in scale and grade. Maybe I’ve bitten off more than I can chew, I’ve already got something there I was trying last year that is at least 9a+. But what’s the rush? Just need to wait till it gets dry now….

February 21, 2011 10:12 PM

Summer has arrived

pic - Alex missing out allthe hard moves on Airline, 8a

Or so it seemed, why else would the thermometer say 25degrees! But it was still only February 8th. A dream for most, blazing sunshine, five days in a row without a cloud or a breath of wind. But you can’t please everyone, and I couldn’t help but let out a little whinge as I slipped off the last moves of Blomu, a 35m 8c+ at Santa Linya. The route bakes in the sun from the moment it rises to the moment it sets, and I was not keen enough to be at the crag and warmed up before the glassy slopers turned to soap. Being British though, whinging is to be expected!

But it was only a small whinge. At this time even Spain is a gamble. Last year we betted on Misja Pec, and lost. This year Catalunya was a top bet. Conditions were compromised in the sun, but primo in the shade, it’s all a matter of choosing the right routes. My window was a small one with just 4 and a half days away; it seemed short in advance, but now, a day after returning, my battery feels fully charged. At least my Vitamin D is up there!  We stayed at the house of Tom Bolger and partner Lynn, and spent a few days at Santa Linya, or ‘The Cave’ as it’s known. They live within a stones throw in perhaps the most idyllic pad I’ve seen. Breakfast on the balcony in the sun before strolling down to do battle. Tom is in the zone and knocking out the 9’s. So far he’s up to 9a/+, but I watched him pushing hard on a 9a+. The start holds look like buckets as he floats up, but I look closer and realise I can’t pull on them. Then after a lot of moves he’s at the crux, a contorted position in a horizontal roof on awful holds leads to a massive stab to a poor mono. Then with feet smearing it’s another reach off that to a bad crimp. Apparently its font 8a+ for just that bit, but the style makes me cringe. I won’t be on that!

So I take a more relaxed tact with Rab Carrington and aim for the hills away from power and steepness. The area of Villanova De Mela is beautiful. It has a mountain feel, fresh and remote, but is actually just an hour from the towns. We opted for a 4 pitch route, high above the valley floor that was still frosted and dark in the shadows. The route was immaculate, not a speck of loose rock, every move perfect, never hard, never easy. Belaying at the top in a T-shirt it’s easy to see why anyone would fall in love with climbing. Surely this is what it’s all about, the true essence of our sport.

But somehow I’m back in the cave. My second morning on this route made it clear that I could have done it, would have done it, if it had been cold. I was happy with that. Two quick sessions to nail an 8c+ is good going. It was pleasing after such a long lay off. But I hadn’t actually done it, so I was back next day 40 minutes earlier and battling up the warm up with frozen fingers, but knowing in less than 90 minutes I’d be sunbathing in my shorts. This time, with a tick in the bag, summer felt far more agreeable! 

 

February 10, 2011 11:10 AM

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