Steve McClure

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox climber Steve McClure (born 25 July 1970) is a British rock climber and climbing author, who is widely regarded as Britain's leading and most important sport climber for a period that extends for over two decades, starting from the late 1990s. In 2017, he created Rainman, Britain's first-ever Template:Climbing grade sport route, and by that stage was responsible for developing the majority of routes graded Template:Climbing grade and above in Britain. Although mainly known for sport climbing, McClure has also been one of the most successful British traditional climbers, and British onsight climbers (in both sport climbing and traditional climbing formats).

Climbing careerEdit

McClure started climbing early as both parents were keen climbers, and by age 16 was onsighting E6.<ref name=UK6/> McClure did not take up British sport climbing until he was 24, and said that it took him time to adapt saying, "[in sport] it's possible to commit 100%, rather than considering the risk and the danger [in traditional]".<ref name=UK6/> He went from onsighting E6 to onsighting Template:Climbing grade; within one year was doing Template:Climbing grade redpoints in a day; within 2 years he was doing Template:Climbing grade; within 4 years, at age 28, he was doing Template:Climbing grade.<ref name=UK6/> As a late-comer to sport climbing, McClure had mixed form in competitions, retiring in 2004.<ref name=IFSC>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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's Evolution (8c+), and developing Britain's first 9a routes.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 1998, he created Mutation, at the time Britain's second Template:Climbing grade;Template:Efn<ref name=pm1/><ref name=GR1/> but on its first repeat 23 years later was regraded to Template:Climbing grade, Britain's first 9a+.Template:Efn<ref name=Mut1/><ref name=Mut2/><ref name=Mut3/> In 2000, he freed Britain's third Template:Climbing grade, Ben Moon's Northern Lights.<ref name=pm1/><ref name=GR1/> In 2007, McClure created Britain's second Template:Climbing grade route, Overshadow.Template:Efn<ref name=GR1/><ref name=uk37399 /> In June 2017, aged 46, McClure completed long term project Rainman, Britain's first-ever Template:Climbing grade,<ref name=GR1/><ref name=PM3/><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> 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".<ref name=PM3/>

While McClure is best known for sport climbing, he is one of the few who have repeated the hardest traditional climbing routes in Britain, including Dave MacLeod's Rhapsody (E11 7a, 5.14c R/X) in 2008,<ref name=PM4/> and Neil Gresham's Lexicon (E11 7a, 5.14a R) in 2021.<ref name=GR1/><ref name=BMC1/> He has also freed projects such as GreatNess Wall (E10 7a), in 2019.<ref name=GNW1/><ref name=GNW2/> 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.",<ref name=BMC1/> and, " I like the technical challenge of placing gear, but I'm not interested in death routes".<ref name=CH/>

McClure is also known for onsighting routes, and in 2002, became the first British climber to onsight an Template:Climbing grade with Indian Summer at Kilnsey (he has since onsighted more routes at 8b+, such as Tom et je Ris, in Verdon in 2013).<ref name=CL5/><ref name=UK10/> In 2009, he was unlucky not to become the first British climber to onsight an Template:Climbing grade failing at the final move of Amistad in Rodellar, Spain.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2019, McClure made the first onsight of Nightmayer (E8 6c),<ref name=NM4/> one of the hardest onsights of a traditional climb in Britain,Template:Efn<ref name=PM4/> and in 2021, he flashed Impact Day (E8 6c).<ref name=PM9/> McClure's first British onsight of Ron Fawcett's Strawberries (E7 6b) in 2014, was also notable.<ref name=SB1/><ref name=SB2/>

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";<ref name=Arco/> the four nominees were Steve McClure, Chris Sharma, Alex Megos, and Adam Ondra (who won).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=Arco>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Notable ascentsEdit

Sport climbing routesEdit

1996: Evolution Template:Climbing grade, Raven Tor. Fourth ascent of Jerry Moffatt's 1995 test piece, which is still a coveted route.

1998: Mutation Template:Climbing grade, Raven Tor. First ascent. The second-ever 9a route in Britain.Template:Efn Only repeated 23-years later by Will Bosi, despite attempts by Alex Megos and Chris Sharma, who suggested a grade of "at least" Template:Climbing grade, which would make it the world's second-ever 9a+.<ref name=Mut1>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=Mut2>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=Mut3>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

2000: Northern Lights Template:Climbing grade, Kilnsey. First ascent. The 3rd 9a in Britain,<ref name=pm1/> and repeated by Adam Ondra (2010), and Alex Megos (2016).<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name=pm1>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

2002: Indian Summer Template:Climbing grade, Kilnsey. First British onsight of an 8b+ sport climb.<ref name=CL5>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name=UK10>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

2003: Rainshadow Template:Climbing grade, Malham Cove. First ascent.<ref name=CL2>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> Has become one of the most well-regarded and coveted 9a routes in Britain.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

2007: Overshadow Template:Climbing grade, Malham Cove. First ascent. The second 9a+ in Britain;Template:Efn<ref name=uk37399>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> in 2011, Adam Ondra repeated it as a "hard 9a+".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=CL9>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

2008: North Star Template:Climbing grade, Kilnsey. First ascent (an extension of Northern Exposure), and repeated by Adam Ondra in 2010 who confirmed grade.<ref name=CL9/>

2009: Stevolution Template:Climbing grade, Raven Tor. First ascent.<ref name=PM3/>

2009: Hubble Template:Climbing grade, Raven Tor. Circa fifth ascent of Ben Moon's 1990 watershed route in British sport climbing; now considered closer to 9a.<ref name=UK6>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

2013: Batman Template:Climbing grade, Malham Cove. First ascent, links up with Bat Route Template:Climbing grade.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

2017: Rainman Template:Climbing grade, Malham Cove. First ascent; links Raindogs Template:Climbing grade to Rainshadow Template:Climbing grade, to finish directly.<ref name=PM3>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> Rainman is now considered to be the first-ever 9b route in Britain.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Traditional climbing routesEdit

2004: Elder Statesman (HXS 7a, 5.14), Curbar Edge, Peak District. First ascent; McClure used three ropes for protection due the danger of cutting a rope on the sharp arete in a fall; featured in the films Hard Grit and The Elder Statesman.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

2008: Rhapsody (E11 7a, 5.14c R/X), Dumbarton Rock. First repeat of Dave MacLeod's 2006 route; one of the world's hardest traditional routes.<ref name=PM4>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

2011: The Quarryman (E8 7a), Twll Mawr, Dinorwic quarry, Llanberis. First one-day ascent of all 4-pitches of Johnny Dawes's 1986 slate test-piece.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

2014: Strawberries (E7 6b), Tremadog. North Wales. First British onsight of the classic Ron Fawcett route.<ref name=SB1>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=SB2>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

2015: Choronzon (E10 7a), East Range, Pembrokeshire. 2nd ascent after Neil Mawson's FFA in 2014.<ref name=CH>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

2015: Muy Caliente! (E9/10 6c), Stennis Ford, Pembrokeshire. 6th ascent after Tim Emmett's FFA in 2010.<ref name=CH/>

2019: Nightmayer (E8 6c). Dinas Cromlech. First onsight and 4th ascent of Steve Mayer's 1990s route.<ref name=NM4>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

2019: GreatNess Wall (E10 7a), Nesscliffe. First ascent of a project that had been tried unsuccessfully by several parties.<ref name=GNW1>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=GNW2>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

2021: Impact Day (E8 6c). Pavey Ark, Lake District. First onsight flash and 2nd ascent of Dave Birkett's 1999 FFA.<ref name=PM9>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

2021: Lexicon (E11 7a, 5.14a R), Pavey Ark, Lake District. 2nd ascent a few weeks after Neil Gresham's FFA; McClure took a 70-foot fall.<ref name=GR1>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=BMC1>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

BibliographyEdit

Beyond Limits: A life through climbing (Steve McClure), November 2014. Template:ISBN.
Sport Climbing+: The Positive Approach to Improve Your Climbing (Steve McClure, Adrian Berry), December 2006. Template:ISBN.