Climber September/October 2017

the climber interview
aerobic) so I asked Steve to talk us
through what he did for each. Also,
how much did he think his general
day-to-day activities supported his
training objectives?
As always it’s a massive trade off. You
need to be strong enough for the moves,
but fit enough to climb the whole route.
Being really strong and really fit don’t
usually happen at the same time, so
which to train? I’d always figured I
needed to be stronger, and worked on
my fingers before this year. As a result
I felt strong enough. Stronger would
have been nicer, but it felt like the weak
link was putting it all together. I spent a
while working classic power endurance,
but also with a recovery element; staying
on the wall between burns shaking out
on poor holds.
Route climbing is so much energy
system based. It’s rare the moves are
actually too hard. And yet many people
still strain strength, cruise the start, and
then fall off boxed. All route climbers,
sport or trad, should be doing a lot of
PE work. But not only that, base fitness
is essential. I’m amazed at how little
exercise many climbers do. They drive
or get the tube to the wall, boulder a few
hours, then jump back in the car. Zero
aerobic. It’s so important. No need to do
stacks, not so much that you struggle to
recover and compromise training. I’m
kind of lucky that I use cycling as a mode
of transport; Sheffield is hilly and cycling
home from the train station after a day’s
route setting with a bag full of drills is
not a bad dose of exercise.
Steve had originally ‘spotted’ the
line of Rainman on his very first trip
to Malham. Could he still remember
how he’d felt then and how did it
feel now that he’d redpointed it to
give the UK its hardest sport route?
On my first visit ever, so way back in the
early 90s, I was desperate to do Raindogs.
It was such a classic. But there was
nothing above it, just a massive section
of unclimbed rock. Obviously I didn’t
even dream I’d be up there, but I could
see the line, the exact line that I would
end up climbing. I remember thinking it
would be amazing when some rock star
finally climbed it. Not that I’m a rock star,
but it’s like I have achieved more than I
ever dreamed, and I dreamed a lot. As a
kid I lived and breathed climbing, it’s all
I wanted to do. I wanted to be my best,
to work through the grades. Maybe even
climb an E6. Not many people surpass
their dreams.
So, who is favourite to get the
coveted second ascent?
It has to be Ondra really, or Megos.
These guys are keen for Britain. Not
many foreigners visit here, but these
guys really like it. I imagine they won’t
find it that hard, as the moves are not
that hard for them. But I’d be so keen for
them to get the second ascent. Sometimes
you worry as a first ascensionist
that your routes will get downgraded, in
the past I have worried. But now I’m kind
of over that.
Now that Rainman is done, what
are Steve’s thoughts and plans for
future? Maybe try the Yorkshire
Triple Crown in a day?
This is such a cool challenge. It’s
something I’ve fancied for years, and
this year it was on my mind long before
Rainman was put to bed. I’ve even
organised with BMC TV to make a mini
film of it. Three of the best routes on the
three best sport cliffs in the UK, all in a
day, and moving between them under
your own steam (I’ll be cycling). It’s not
cutting edge (it’s been done before), but
it will be a real challenge and something
different. F8a+ is not really hard for me,
but it’s still hard, and this challenge is
certainly not a given. I expect to have
to really fight.
Can you see yourself getting
involved with another monster
project – or has that ship sailed
with Rainman?
I’d say it has sailed but I’ve said that
before. When I climbed Rainshadow
I said that was it, that was the hardest I’d
ever climb for sure, and I was done with
‘long’ term projects (20 days, ha! Hardly
even started.). Then after Overshadow,
at F9a+ and 40 days I was certain that
was as hard as I could push. So here
we are at F9b and over 100 days. Yet
again I am convinced I’m at the limit.
But I guess this time it’s different,
because I simply haven’t got enough
life left to go up a notch.
There are a huge number of
reasons why we all climb as well
as numerous benefits that climbing
gives us back in return. I know
Steve has reflected on why he
climbs and on the principal
paybacks that climbing gives him
but – all things being equal – does
he see himself climbing forever?
Why do we climb? I wrote a whole
article on that recently. There are so
many reasons, the scenery, the travel
and the relationships. Then there are all
of the health benefits, not to mention
that buzz of physically performing but
many of these you can get from other
outdoor sports. For me climbing gives
something else, that complete absorption.
Whether it’s a long trad route piecing
together protection and weighing up risk,
or complete focus on movement on a
hard sport route. After a good day’s
climbing I feel a new person, like I’ve
been on holiday. I’m pretty sure I’m a
climbing lifer. I’ll be climbing till I drop.
And, finally, the desert island
question. If you could take one
route or one climbing experience
on to the desert island which would
it be and why?
It’s the corny answer, but it would have to
be Rainman. Not because it’s the hardest,
but I honestly believe it’s the best. It’s such
a complete route with every style. With
this route I feel I was given a real gift. An
awesome line on the UK’s best cliff, a place
I truly love, and in a style that played to
my strengths. The moves are simply
fantastic. I honestly couldn’t have asked
for any more and for it to have been right
on my limit. It’s given me a once in a
lifetime journey. I’ll look back on this
route as the culmination of my career. n
Steve McClure onsighting the
Pembroke classic Ghost Train
(E6 6b) in Stennis Ford. Photo:
Keith Sharples
As we went to
print, news came
in that Steve had
indeed completed
the Yorkshire Triple
Crown in a day.
Steve McClure is sponsored by Petzl, Five Ten, Marmot, Rockcity and is a
BMC Ambassador
www.climber.co.uk Sep–Oct 2017 37