UKC

Steve McClure On the Telly and Malham News

© Alastair Lee, Posing Productions
Steve McClure  © Keith Sharples
Steve McClure
It seems that it has been all go at Malham Cove recently, what with Steve Crowe's ascent of Totally Free II (UKC News Report) and earlier this year Drew Haigh's (UKC News Report) ascent of Mark Leach's 1988 Malham test-piece, Cry Freedom (F8b+), Neil Mawson did the same a few weeks ago (9th ascent). Now it's Steve McClure's turn (10th ascent). That's three ascents this season for Cry Freedom, which considering how long it hasn't had an ascent for is pretty amazing.

On the same day that Steve redpointed Cry Freedom he also managed an onsight flash of the Gaz Parry route, Idefix F8b which is a continuation of Free n Even Easier

Steve has some interesting things to say about time off from climbing, even if his down time wasn't voluntary,

"However the interesting thing for me was that I'd been flattened by flu all week, I'd not even left the house for a whole week, with barely enough energy to climb the stairs. Going to Malham was the first day I could imagine doing anything at all. Andy Cave also climbed GBH (F8a+) comfortably despite a long drawn out effort before. He's just been very involved in baby life with barely no climbing for 3 weeks. Climbers often think they are losing strength if they miss a session and get paranoid about having to climb 3 or 4 times per week for 30 years. Sometimes a rest is all that is needed, and most likely the occasional bit of down time won't hurt. But I wouldn't particularly recomend the flu that I had, even though it seemed to work. Unfortunalely it seems to have come back again!!"

Neil Mawson  © Marmot UK
Neil Mawson

Other significant ascents this week at Malham include Jordan Buy's ascent Power Ranger F8b+, which is Jordan's second 8b+ redpoint of the month. Also just in is Jenny Woodward's ascent of Predator F8b which caps a great year for Jenny who also completed Yorkshire's Triple F8a+ Crown of Supercool at Gordale Scar, Urgent Action at Kilnsey and The Groove at Malham Cove this year (UKC News Report).

Steve McClure on the Telly

Next Monday at 7.30pm Steve will be featured in the BBC 1 programme, Inside Out (BBC website details) climbing a new 8c+ link up at Malham Cove. The footage was filmed by Alastair Lee of Posing Productions

Steve explains,

It's a link between Bat Route, Rainshadow and Overshadow, but with quite a lot of new climbing. I dreamt this up a while ago but was inspired to get involved after I got a call from the British Broadcasting Corporation (the TV)! However, their brief was that I climb a brand new 'hardest route in the world' at Malham Cove on a specific day of their choosing. Apparently I was capable of simply walking up to a cliff, spotting an unclimbed line, and then climbing it first time without any inspection to give the hardest sport route in the world! My first job was to explain their initial brief was fairly unlikely without totally putting them off. The next challenge 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.

photo
Jordan Buys on Power Ranger (8b+) Malham.
Alastair Lee
© Alastair Lee - Posingproductions.com


Jordan Buys is supported by Boreal, Moon Climbing and BoulderUK

Jenny Woodward is sponsored by Wild Country and Moon Climbing.

Neil Mawson is sponsored by Marmot and Zero-G Climbing.

Steve McClure has a blog at stevemcclure.petzlteam.com.

Steve has recently joined the Marmot team (UKC Announcement) and is sponsored by Marmot , Petzl , Beal , Five Ten



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22 Oct, 2009
Steve Mc has been on telly for the last few weeks. He's been presenting Masterchef the professionals with Greg Wallace disguising himself with scruffy greying stubble. A world class climber and Michelin starred chef. What a guy. Seriously has anyone ever seen Michel Roux Jr and Steve Mc in the same room together ?
22 Oct, 2009
I love the BBC brief. fantastic.
22 Oct, 2009
They're clearly all highly ethical on sight trad climbers at the BBC, who have no truck with bolting or redpointing...
22 Oct, 2009
From BBC weblink "Monday, 19:30 on BBC One (Yorks & Lincs, Yorkshire only)" Not much bloody good that.....as per
22 Oct, 2009
channel 976 on sky for bbc1 yorkshire think 977 is yorks and linc. not sure if these can be accessed via freeview boxes?
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