Steve McClure (born 25 July 1970) is a British
rock climber
Rock climbing is a sport in which participants climb up, across, or down natural rock formations. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a usually pre-defined route without falling. Rock climbing is a physically and ...
and climbing author, who is widely regarded as Britain's leading and most important
sport climber
Sport climbing (or Bolted climbing) is a form of rock climbing that relies on permanent anchors (or bolts), permanently fixed into the rock for climber protection, in which a rope that is attached to the climber is clipped into the anchors t ...
for a period that extends for over two decades, starting from the late 1990s. In 2017, he created ''Rainman'', Britain's first-ever sport route, and by that stage was responsible for developing the majority of routes graded and above in Britain. McClure has also been one of the most successful British
traditional climbers, and British
onsight
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This glossary of climbing terms is a list of definitions of terms and jargon related to rock climbing and mountaineering. The specific terms used can vary considerably between different English-speaking countries; many of the phrases d ...
climbers (in both sport climbing and traditional climbing).
Climbing career
McClure started climbing early as both parents were keen climbers, and by age 16 was onsighting
E6.
[ McClure did not take up British ]sport climbing
Sport climbing (or Bolted climbing) is a form of rock climbing that relies on permanent anchors (or bolts), permanently fixed into the rock for climber protection, in which a rope that is attached to the climber is clipped into the anchors to ...
until he was 24, and said that it took him time to adapt saying, " n sportit's possible to commit 100%, rather than considering the risk and the danger n traditional.[ He went from onsighting E6 to onsighting ; within one year was doing redpoints in a day; within 2 years he was doing ; within 4 years, at age 28, he was doing .][ As a late-comer to sport climbing, McClure had mixed form in competitions, retiring in 2004.]
For the next two decades, McClure dominated British sport climbing, repeating the hardest routes of his predecessors such as Ben Moon's '' Hubble'' (8c+/9a), and Jerry Moffatt
Jerry Moffatt (born 18 March 1963), is a British rock climber and climbing author who is widely considered as being the best British rock climber from the early-1980s to the early-1990s, and was arguably the best rock climber in the world in the ...
's ''Evolution'' (8c+), and developing Britain's first 9a routes. In 1998, he created ''Mutation'', at the time Britain's second ;[ but on its first repeat 23 years later was regraded to , Britain's first 9a+.][ In 2000, he freed Britain's third , Ben Moon's ''Northern Lights''.][ In 2007, McClure created Britain's second route, ''Overshadow''.] In June 2017, aged 46, McClure completed his long term project ''Rainman'', considered to be Britain's first-ever route,[ with ''PlanetMountain'' saying: "Steve McClure is the climber who almost single-handedly has dictated the pace of cutting-edge sport climbing in the UK. Practically all the hardest climbs in the country are his, starting in 1998 with his 9a Mutation at Ravens Tor".][
While McClure is best known for sport climbing, he is one of the few who have repeated the hardest ]traditional climbing
Traditional climbing (or Trad climbing) is a style of rock climbing in which the climber places all the necessary protection gear required to arrest any falls as they are climbing, and then removes it when the pitch is complete (often done ...
routes in Britain, including Dave MacLeod
Dave MacLeod (born 17 July 1978) is a Scottish people, Scottish rock climber, ice climbing, ice climber, and climbing author. MacLeod is best known for being the first climber in the world to climb in free solo style (without rope) a route ('' ...
's ''Rhapsody'' ( E11 7a, 5.14c R/X) in 2008,[ and Neil Gresham's ''Lexicon'' (E11 7a, 5.14a R) in 2021.][ He has also freed projects such as ''GreatNess Wall'' (E10 7a), in 2019.][ On traditional climbing risk, he had said: "Routes like ''Harder Faster'', ''Indian Face'', ''The Bells The Bells'' and '' Meshuga'' just fill me with dread, and I have absolutely no drive to do them at all.",][ and, " I like the technical challenge of placing gear, but I'm not interested in death routes".][
McClure is also known for ]onsight
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This glossary of climbing terms is a list of definitions of terms and jargon related to rock climbing and mountaineering. The specific terms used can vary considerably between different English-speaking countries; many of the phrases d ...
ing routes, and in 2002, became the first British climber to onsight an with ''Indian Summer'' at Kilnsey (he has since onsighted several more routes at 8b+, such as ''Tom et je Ris'', in Verdon Verdon may refer to:
People
* Verdon (surname)
Places
France
* Verdon, Dordogne, in the Dordogne ''département''
* Verdon, Marne, in the Marne ''département''
* Vinon-sur-Verdon, an old French town in the département of Var, Provence-Alpes- ...
in 2013).[ In 2009, he was unlucky not to become the first British climber to onsight an failing at the final move of ''Amistad'' in Rodellar, Spain. In 2019, McClure made the first onsight of ''Nightmayer'' (E8 6c),][ one of the hardest onsights of a traditional climb in Britain,][ and in 2021, he flashed ''Impact Day'' (E8 6c).][ McClure's first British onsight of ]Ron Fawcett
Ron Fawcett (born 6 May 1955) is a British rock climber and rock climbing author who is credited with pushing the technical standards of British rock climbing in traditional, sport, bouldering and free soloing disciplines, in the decade from the ...
's ''Strawberries'' (E7 6b) in 2014, was also considered notable.[
In 2013, McClure became the first-ever British nominee for a Salewa Rock Award at the 2013 ''Arco Rock Legends'', and a citation calling him: "a true legend of this sport and his nomination rewards a lifetime of cutting-edge climbing";][ the four nominees were Steve McClure, ]Chris Sharma
Chris Omprakash Sharma (born 23 April, 1981) is an American rock climber who is considered one of the greatest and most influential climbers in the history of the sport. He dominated sport climbing for the decade after his 2001 ascent of '' Real ...
, Alex Megos
Alexander Megos (born 12 August 1993) is a German rock climber. He was the first climber to on-sight (climb on the first try without prior practice or advice) a route graded . He has completed multiple routes and boulder problems that are not ...
, and Adam Ondra
Adam Ondra (born February 5, 1993) is a Czech professional rock climber, specializing in lead climbing and bouldering. In 2013, ''Rock & Ice'' described Ondra as a prodigy and the leading climber of his generation. Ondra is the only male athlete t ...
(who won).
Notable ascents
Sport routes
* 1996: ''Evolution'' , Raven Tor. Fourth ascent of Jerry Moffatt
Jerry Moffatt (born 18 March 1963), is a British rock climber and climbing author who is widely considered as being the best British rock climber from the early-1980s to the early-1990s, and was arguably the best rock climber in the world in the ...
's 1995 test-piece, which is still a coveted route.
* 1998: ''Mutations'' , Raven Tor. First ascent. The 2nd 9a in Britain. Only repeated 23-years later by Will Bosi, despite attempts by Alex Megos
Alexander Megos (born 12 August 1993) is a German rock climber. He was the first climber to on-sight (climb on the first try without prior practice or advice) a route graded . He has completed multiple routes and boulder problems that are not ...
and Chris Sharma
Chris Omprakash Sharma (born 23 April, 1981) is an American rock climber who is considered one of the greatest and most influential climbers in the history of the sport. He dominated sport climbing for the decade after his 2001 ascent of '' Real ...
, who suggested .
* 2000: ''Northern Lights'' , Kilnsey
Kilnsey is a small village in Wharfedale, North Yorkshire, England. It lies on the B6160 road, between the villages of Grassington and Kettlewell, near Arncliffe and just across the River Wharfe from Conistone. The village is north of Skipton ...
. First ascent. The 3rd 9a in Britain,[ and repeated by ]Adam Ondra
Adam Ondra (born February 5, 1993) is a Czech professional rock climber, specializing in lead climbing and bouldering. In 2013, ''Rock & Ice'' described Ondra as a prodigy and the leading climber of his generation. Ondra is the only male athlete t ...
(2010), and Alex Megos
Alexander Megos (born 12 August 1993) is a German rock climber. He was the first climber to on-sight (climb on the first try without prior practice or advice) a route graded . He has completed multiple routes and boulder problems that are not ...
(2016).
* 2002: ''Indian Summer'' , Kilnsey
Kilnsey is a small village in Wharfedale, North Yorkshire, England. It lies on the B6160 road, between the villages of Grassington and Kettlewell, near Arncliffe and just across the River Wharfe from Conistone. The village is north of Skipton ...
. First British onsight of an 8b+ sport climb.
* 2003: ''Rainshadow'' , Malham Cove
Malham Cove is a large curved limestone formation north of the village of Malham, North Yorkshire, England. It was formed by a waterfall carrying meltwater from glaciers at the end of the last Ice Age more than 12,000 years ago. Today it is a w ...
. First ascent. Has become one of the most well-regarded and coveted 9a routes in Britain.
* 2007: ''Overshadow'' , Malham Cove
Malham Cove is a large curved limestone formation north of the village of Malham, North Yorkshire, England. It was formed by a waterfall carrying meltwater from glaciers at the end of the last Ice Age more than 12,000 years ago. Today it is a w ...
. First ascent. The 2nd 9a+ in Britain; first repeat by Adam Ondra
Adam Ondra (born February 5, 1993) is a Czech professional rock climber, specializing in lead climbing and bouldering. In 2013, ''Rock & Ice'' described Ondra as a prodigy and the leading climber of his generation. Ondra is the only male athlete t ...
in 2011, who confirmed the grade as a "hard" .
* 2008: ''North Star'' , Kilnsey
Kilnsey is a small village in Wharfedale, North Yorkshire, England. It lies on the B6160 road, between the villages of Grassington and Kettlewell, near Arncliffe and just across the River Wharfe from Conistone. The village is north of Skipton ...
. First ascent; extension of ''Northern Exposure'' , and repeated by Adam Ondra
Adam Ondra (born February 5, 1993) is a Czech professional rock climber, specializing in lead climbing and bouldering. In 2013, ''Rock & Ice'' described Ondra as a prodigy and the leading climber of his generation. Ondra is the only male athlete t ...
in 2010 who confirmed the grade.[
* 2009: ''Stevolution'' , Raven Tor. First ascent.][
* 2009: '' Hubble'' , Raven Tor. Circa fifth ascent of Ben Moon's 1990 watershead route in British sport climbing history; now considered closer to 9a.]
* 2013: ''Batman'' , Malham Cove
Malham Cove is a large curved limestone formation north of the village of Malham, North Yorkshire, England. It was formed by a waterfall carrying meltwater from glaciers at the end of the last Ice Age more than 12,000 years ago. Today it is a w ...
. First ascent, links up with ''Bat Route'' .
* 2017: ''Rainman'' , Malham Cove
Malham Cove is a large curved limestone formation north of the village of Malham, North Yorkshire, England. It was formed by a waterfall carrying meltwater from glaciers at the end of the last Ice Age more than 12,000 years ago. Today it is a w ...
. First ascent; links ''Raindogs'' to ''Rainshadow'' , to finish directly. Considered to be the first 9b in Britain.
Traditional routes
* 2004: ''Elder Statesman'' (HXS 7a, 5.14), Curbar Edge
Curbar Edge is a gritstone moorland escarpment above the village of Curbar, in Derbyshire, England and close to the villages of Baslow, Calver, and Froggatt. It is located within the Peak District National Park at an altitude of . It is regarded ...
, Peak District
The Peak District is an upland area in England at the southern end of the Pennines. Mostly in Derbyshire
Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes much of the Peak District National Park, the southe ...
. First ascent; McClure used three ropes for protection; featured in the films ''Hard Grit
''Hard Grit'' is a 1998 British rock climbing film directed by Richard Heap and produced by Slackjaw Film, featuring traditional climbing, free soloing, and bouldering on gritstone routes in the Peak District in the North of England. It is consi ...
'' and ''The Elder Statesman''.
* 2008: ''Rhapsody'' (E11 7a, 5.14c R/X), Dumbarton Rock
Dumbarton (; also sco, Dumbairton; ) is a town in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, on the north bank of the River Clyde where the River Leven flows into the Clyde estuary. In 2006, it had an estimated population of 19,990.
Dumbarton was the ca ...
. 2nd ascent after Dave MacLeod
Dave MacLeod (born 17 July 1978) is a Scottish people, Scottish rock climber, ice climbing, ice climber, and climbing author. MacLeod is best known for being the first climber in the world to climb in free solo style (without rope) a route ('' ...
's FFA in 2006; one of the hardest traditional routes in the world.
* 2011: ''The Quarryman'' (E8 7a), Twll Mawr, Dinorwic quarry, Llanberis
(; ) is a village, community and electoral ward in Gwynedd, northwest Wales, on the southern bank of the lake and at the foot of Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales. It is a centre for outdoor activities in Snowdonia, including walking, mo ...
. First single-day ascent of all 4-pitches of Johnny Dawes
Johnny Dawes (born 9 May 1964) is a British rock climber and author, known for a dynamic climbing style and for establishing bold traditional climbing routes. This included the first ascent of ''The Indian Face'', the first-ever route at the E9 ...
's 1986 slate test-piece.
* 2014: ''Strawberries'' (E7 6b), Tremadog
Tremadog (formerly Tremadoc) is a village in the community of Porthmadog, in Gwynedd, north west Wales; about north of Porthmadog town-centre. It was a planned settlement, founded by William Madocks, who bought the land in 1798. The centre of ...
. North Wales. First British onsight of the classic Ron Fawcett
Ron Fawcett (born 6 May 1955) is a British rock climber and rock climbing author who is credited with pushing the technical standards of British rock climbing in traditional, sport, bouldering and free soloing disciplines, in the decade from the ...
route.
* 2015: ''Choronzon'' (E10 7a), East Range, Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire ( ; cy, Sir Benfro ) is a Local government in Wales#Principal areas, county in the South West Wales, south-west of Wales. It is bordered by Carmarthenshire to the east, Ceredigion to the northeast, and the rest by sea. The count ...
. 2nd ascent after Neil Mawson's FFA in 2014.
* 2015: ''Muy Caliente!'' (E9/10 6c), Stennis Ford, Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire ( ; cy, Sir Benfro ) is a Local government in Wales#Principal areas, county in the South West Wales, south-west of Wales. It is bordered by Carmarthenshire to the east, Ceredigion to the northeast, and the rest by sea. The count ...
. 6th ascent after Tim Emmett's FFA in 2010.[
* 2019: ''Nightmayer'' (E8 6c). ]Dinas Cromlech
Dinas Cromlech or Dinas y Gromlech is a distinctive rhyolite rock outcrop at the Llanberis Pass, in Snowdonia, northwest Wales, which has a distinctive "open book" shape that is clearly visible from the road ( A4086), and is very popular for rock ...
. First onsight and 4th ascent of Steve Mayer's 1990s route.
* 2019: ''GreatNess Wall'' (E10 7a), Nesscliffe
Nesscliffe is a village in Shropshire, England, located north of the River Severn. The village comes under the Great Ness parish.
The A5 road, which previously ran through the village, now runs around the village on a dual-carriageway by-pass.
...
. First ascent of a project that had been tried unsuccessfully by several parties.
* 2021: ''Impact Day'' (E8 6c). Pavey Ark, Lake District
The Lake District, also known as the Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous for its lakes, forests, and mountains (or ''fells''), and its associations with William Wordswor ...
. First onsight flash and 2nd ascent of Dave Birkett's 1999 FFA.
* 2021: ''Lexicon'' (E11 7a, 5.14a R), Pavey Ark, Lake District
The Lake District, also known as the Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous for its lakes, forests, and mountains (or ''fells''), and its associations with William Wordswor ...
. 2nd ascent just a few weeks after Neil Gresham's FFA in September 2021; McClure took a 70 foot fall.
Bibliography
*''Beyond Limits - A life through climbing'' (Steve McClure), November 2014. .
*''Sport Climbing +: The Positive Approach to Improve Your Climbing'' (Steve McClure, Adrian Berry), December 2006. .
Filmography
* Documentary on McClure:
* Documentary on freeing ''Overshadow'':
See also
*History of rock climbing
In the history of rock climbing, the three main sub-disciplines: bouldering, single-pitch climbing, and big wall (or multi-pitch) climbing can trace their origins to late 19th-century Europe. Bouldering started in Fontainebleau, and was advan ...
*List of first ascents (sport climbing)
In rock climbing, a first free ascent (FFA) is the first documented redpoint, onsight or flash of a single-pitch, big wall (multi-pitch), or boulder route that did not involve using aid equipment to help progression or resting; the ascent must ...
Notes
References
External links
*
*
Steve McClure on Rainman 9b
''UKClimbing'' (interview, 2017)
{{DEFAULTSORT:McClure, Steve
1970 births
Living people
People from Saltburn-by-the-Sea
British rock climbers
Sportspeople from North Yorkshire
English male non-fiction writers
21st-century English male writers
English non-fiction outdoors writers