Steve MccClure

Chocolate

Chocolate and climbing. My two big passions. Perhaps best kept separate, but I couldn’t resist a chance of combing the two!

Actually I always combine the two, with some kind of chocolate always in the bag of essential climbing kit, but when I got asked to come and climb a tower made of chocolate with a chocolate waterfall I wasn’t going to refuse! The latest attraction at Alton Towers was a climbing tower modelled on the famous Rocky Bar, if you know these you’ll know they are pretty nice! The wall has real chocolate in its paint, and a real chocolate waterfall, though, unfortunately, for health and safety reasons it’s not recommended to have it pour directly into your mouth!

So I went down to hang around, clamber about, and taste the chocolate experience. Though I didn’t actually fancy a lick of the wall, I did get to leap off the top when health and safety weren’t looking, and as a reward I got 500 rocky bars. So the question is, after these 500 bars.
1/will I be able to climb harder than 6b+?
2/will I still have rocky bars on my list of chocolate favourites?

http://www.facebook.com/liverocky

 

 

April 21, 2012 09:03 AM

New Climbing Wall in Sheffield.

But don’t get too excited, unless you are five years old and live in S10!

I built a traversing wall at Westways Primary School over the Easter holidays. Entreprise gave me a great deal on their holds and I set about creating a few traverse routes on their natural stone outdoor wall. Routes tested by my daughter.

Four challenges 1/rainbow. 2/yellow. 3/blue and purple. 4/brick edge only. The brick edge traverse is nails. If any of you kids manage it then I’m well impressed!

So to all you parents, or future parents, now you have a reason to move from S7 to S10!

April 16, 2012 09:37 AM

Lifetime ambition.

OK, so blog efforts have been poor for a while! But there are reasons for that, which I will go into later. But basically a combination of being too busy and too injured has meant that I have done nothing of interest for an eternity. But what exactly is interesting anyway, and what is the point of writing a blog in the first place? A spray to the world, a sponsorship obligation, or keeping in contact with all your mates in one hit. Maybe the latter sounds best, but it could be even more, like a channelling of energy and thoughts or getting something out of the system. Anyway, after much self pity I finally noticed that the glass was actually still half full and opportunities were there to be taken.
About five years ago Rich Simpson pointed out that I was never going to get any better unless I got stronger. I already knew that, so spent the next five years not doing anything about it, in the hope that just a high volume of random activity would eventually sort the problem. Unsurprisingly nothing changed. The key to training is structure, a word missing from my climbing dictionary. So now faced with some time off the crimpy world a new direction was needed in order to find motivation.
Climbing may be filled with grades to measure yourself against, but when it really comes down to it, when the boys need to be sorted from the men, it’s all about power. Forget what you can do with your feet, or even what grade you can climb, if you want to impress, it’s all about 1-5-9 and one arm pull-ups. So there must be some use to that stuff. Campusing makes me feel ill, just the thought of it, but maybe now was the time to crack the lifetimes ambition of the one-armer. Not that bent arm start or flicky cheat method, a proper 3 seconds hang and then gradual pull through all the way. Completely beyond me at first in January, but now steady on each arm. Next step will be two from an edge. Then I’ll be really strong, and have a new status down the wall. People will want to hang out with me, share circuits they have made up and girls will be impressed. I knew there was more to climbing than just going out on that rocky stuff. Thank God I found it before it was too late.
Will it make any difference on the rock? That’s the big question, but right now, it doesn’t matter!

April 02, 2012 07:43 AM

Top weather on top

The summit of Snowdon last week. While most of the country sat in drizzle including Llanberis, the tops were out for a sun tan!

Worth a cycle ride – up the railway path, then along the Snowdon Ranger Path, awesome descent, bit of a slog up with about 900m height gain but worth it.

March 18, 2012 09:04 PM

winter is here at last

As in a winter that is any use to us. Us being climbers. So far its been no use to anyone, last year it was good for kids building snowmen and good business for sledge sellers. At last we have those cold clear crisp days where you remember what the gritsone was invented for. More used to warmer days it feels like cheating! Jerry’s traverse easier than it’s ever felt, even the drop down traverse a path. But the big sloper slappy stuff I still can’t do, that takes a little getting used to, not translating well from indoors and limestone crimps. Hopefully there will be some time. Yesterday (Friday 3rd Feb) was amazing, but it’s forecast snow today!

If you go out know that anything in the sun is perfect, if it’s not, or hasn’t been at all, it’s probably frosted up and unclimable without a brushing.

February 04, 2012 09:39 AM

TCA GLASGOW

Image - Jen Randal. TCA Glasgow

I recently went through some time travel which was interesting. Leaving home on Friday at 6am, I arrived back Sunday 4pm but seemed to have been away for a whole week! I was up at the new mega wall in Glasgow. This isn’t a plug for them, but just an observation about how the standards of indoor bouldering venues have risen so much recently. With the Works in Sheffield setting the bar so high, it’s been a tough act to follow. TCA hits the mark!
And the important point is that top facilities mean top climbers. Anyone else noticed how standards seem to be cruising upwards at the moment? Out at Stanage yesterday it was clear that those hard problems in the circuit that were rarely done are now the norm for plenty. This summer could give us a bumper crop.
So in my 2.5 days I managed 13 hours of travel, 11 hours of route setting, a lecture and 9 hours of coaching, plus some climbing, meeting tons of people and eating a good chunk from the TCA café (top pizza). Thanks to the guys there, and to Al Cassidy for putting me up.

January 17, 2012 10:06 AM

Costa Blanca

Pic - Alex at Cabezon onsighting 8a

A perfect recipe needs all the right ingredients. Miss some out and what you get might still be good but not quite right. The perfect climbing trip needs a lot of ingredients to come together. Good climbing most important, but feels empty without good people, beautiful surroundings and a comfy place to crash.
The Costa Blanca was my first Spanish climbing venue, back in 1985 when I was still at school and had no idea of sport tactics; it was double 9’s and crippling fear without a solid wire above my head! But I could already see I’d be back. More recently I found all the ingredients were on hand, bound together with the best weather in Spain. The Orange House is what really makes it work though, an amazing place to stay which is close to absolutely everything; airport, shops, beach, countryside and central to all the climbing. This isn’t an advert for them; it’s telling you what you need to know! I was in the Costa Blanca about 6 times over two years, until the key ingredient ran out: the climbing. Ticking the very last route at Wild Side was a sad day, I reckon its one of the best crags in the world. There was no need to come back!

So I’ve spent more time in Catalunya, the vast expanses of awesome cliffs taking all the attention. Rhodellar, Margalef, Siurana. These have held the action and quietened the Blanca. But a very last minute 4 ½ day trip took us back, stuck for a doss an email to the Orange house swung our decision on venue and we rolled straight in. A breath of fresh air! It was like returning home, and I surprised myself at just how good everything felt! And the real treat? A whole new supply of climbing, new routes at old venues, and complete new crags to get started on. If you have not been for a while, or never been before, remember, this used to be the premier venue in Spain, and in reality, it still is!

Things you should know!
Wild Side has a load of new routes
Cabezon also has new routes, but doing the old ones again is amazing!
Rincon De Bella is awesome for 40m routes of all grades
That massive wall up from Cabezon is ‘Sherpa’ and is as you always thought – amazing! Topo from me if needed!
theorangehouse.co.uk

Sherpa was the highlight, way up there with a cool wind. It’s kind of like Oliana, technical face climbing with the odd tufa. It’s blatantly sustained, 40 or 50 meters, almost no rest! The grades felt hard! Fill in the topo with your own ideas!

December 01, 2011 10:44 PM

Stars Shining at Kendal

As a kid, in fact even as an adult, I looked up to the stars of the climbing world. Then slowly, as you meet them you realise they are actually normal people. It’s almost a surprise! Ben Moon is Human!
But some stars remain up there, and even when you get to know them well, there is still just something about them that sets them apart. I can be having a totally normal conversation about something totally normal, but there is something else, a depth of history surrounding us like a mist. Unseen but felt.
Normally Kendal doesn’t excite me that much, but this year there were a few people that I really wanted to see, all doing talks, and all good friends. It’s strange to think I’d want to see them talk, when I could just sit with them in a pub for a few hours, but hearing their story from amongst a crowd is different, another side. It puts them back up there from a good mate to a star.
A triple hit, I fluked tickets to them all. Andy Kirkpatrick, Lynn Hill, Johnny Dawes. No introductions necessary.
Andy is mountain hero. And talk expert! I wanted to see his show as I’ve just read his book. The only problem is it makes me realise my talks are totally dull, as his are really funny and fly along at a blistering pace. He covers his book, ‘Cold Wars’. Great, though his talk is ALL funny. There is a lot in the book that is pretty deep, the strong bond between his kids and himself and the struggle to justify the risk. I thought he’d go into this, but maybe some things and best just on paper!
Lynn had the house packed out. Her story is just so vast! She picked out the important bits but barely got started. A history lesson on why Lynn is just such an Icon. We know it, but when you see how much she’s done….. And at 50 she’s still cranking, 8b+ and font 8a!
Johnny was the big one for me. Undoubtedly THE legend in British Climbing, and recognised on the world stage. His talk is pure genius. No plan, a rough idea of what to cover, but the genius is in the way he can wander. Details that should take ages to describe he paints with incredible detail in just a single sentence. Occasionally he read from his book and it added an extra sparkle to the words; when I read them again they seemed to tell a whole new story. Watching Johnny was like when you see a true performer in action, maybe a singer, where the talent shines so brightly it’s clear that there is something entirely special. Johnny isn’t just a climber that did some hard stuff!

November 23, 2011 10:53 AM

Jet Lag

I’ve just had a new experience. Coming back from a trip away to find the weather at home better than where I have just been. (exclude Norway from that!). I’m a day into the UK from China. But don’t get me wrong, China was awesome, and good climbing weather too, I just didn’t coincide my trip with the sunny days that they usually have at this time of year. And it’s sunny here. I went straight out to the peaks, and then realised I was totally jet lagged and totally useless! 8 hours sleep in 4 days, not a good amount!
And also suffering that ‘just back’ feeling, a bit empty and plan less! I always get it after a Rock Trip, these events being one the best events of the year. Being invited along is a massive privilege, hanging out with the best climbers in the world at the best destinations. China was just off the scale, hard to get your head round. I’m telling people about it now and doubting my own description – was I even there or was it a dream? So much to tell.
Look out for my article in CLIMB next month which has the full details: Why you’d want to go, what there is, what the routes are like and what the stars thought of it all.

November 02, 2011 10:28 AM

Lost In Translation

From the first moment that I stumbled under the arch and pretty much fell over at the scale I’ve wanted to climb a multi-pitch. The challenge is pretty obvious, to climb all the way up, the short hard routes on the side being hard, but relatively, short! Though not exactly short at all, it’s just this place is ridiculous! The Petzl heroes have put in an insane effort to put up a bunch of multi-pitch routes through the most ridiculous terrain, the two that stand out being Dani’s project, and Arnaud and Stephanie’s. Dani’s took 11 days to bolt, Arnaud about seven. That’s a lot of effort, but worth it because these are world classics.
Obviously Dani’s was out, it not even completed yet, but even if it had been, with pitches at around 8a+/8b/7c+/7b/8b+/8c/8a/8a+ it was probably slightly out of my league for a last day effort. Added to that I was hanging out in an effort to expel all nasty stuff from my body via frequent high velocity sprints to the bathroom. Multi pitching with an added layer of fear! Arnaud’s route, named Lost In Translation, goes at 7b+/7c+/8a+/8a, not exactly a path, but a hell of a lot easier than the terrain looks to yield. I climbed it with Cody Roth, amazing. One of the best routes I’ve ever done. To make it even better we had a view all the way up of Dani redpointing each of the pitches on his route, one after the other over about five hours. A fantastic last day, and I didn’t even need a bung!

October 30, 2011 09:44 AM

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