Steve McClure's extraordinary journey through the vertical landscapes of rock climbing has culminated in a truly remarkable milestone - conquering a staggering 1000 climbs graded 8a or harder. BMC's Claire Maxted gets Steve's reflections on this monumental achievement, as he takes us on a retrospective journey spanning 28 years. Read more »
All sports need role models and climbing and hill walking are no exception, so we’re excited that some of Britain's most well-respected climbers, Britain's well-loved hill walker and access campaigner, have all agreed to be part of our inspiring team of BMC Ambassadors. Read more »
Earlier this year two Peak District climbers, Steve McClure and Haydn Jones, set off to see if they could climb eight 8a routes on eight different Peak District crags, travelling between on foot and bicycle. Niall Grimes and filmmaker Ben Pritchard tagged along to see if they could achieve this monumental feat. Read more »
On September 4, Neil Gresham made the first ascent of Lexicon at Pavey Ark. Soon after, Steve McClure, who had been itching to get on it, claimed the second ascent... after taking a 70-foot whipper in his stride during his first serious 'look' at the route. This is Steve's second of the grade: he made the third ascent of Dave MacLeod's Rhapsody E11 7a at Dumbarton Rock in 2008. Sarah Stirling interviews. Read more »
How should you go about choosing a sport project and successfully repointing it? Pro climbers, mountain instructors and performance coaches offer their advice. Top tips from Steve McClure, Emma Twyford, Katy Whittaker, Neil Gresham, Matt Woodfield, Be Fuller and Sam Farnsworth. Read more »
You’d think that any crag would do the job but it’s very obvious, looking back, which places motivated the kids to climb. Just as it is for adults, if the venue doesn’t say ‘climb me’ then no climbing gets done, at least with any enthusiasm! For young kids it’s not about a hard bouldering challenge, it’s about having fun, running around and getting on top of stuff. Read more »
"Time was ticking very fast and I was in a pumpy position facing a fall onto a sky-hook. If it fell off... I searched for a panic slap option." Steve McClure talks about doing something few have done, onsighting E8. Steve also offers his thoughts on climbing dangerous routes as a dad. Read more »
48-year-old BMC Ambassador, Steve McClure, has made the first ascent of what has become an infamous project at Nesscliffe. The route has been looked at by plenty of strong climbers, including James Pearson, Dave Birkett and James McHaffie. Steve named it GreatNess Wall and suggested a grade of E10 7a. In this interview he describes the moment when he almost took a whipper... Read more »
Long live the king! The UK’s best sport climber has put to bed another project at Malham, proving that this iconic crag is far from climbed out. BMC ambassador Steve McClure named the new route ‘The Reign Is Over’ and reckons it’s around 8c in difficulty. We caught up with Steve to find out more about the route, its name, and how it climbs. Read more »
Steve McClure argues that it makes sense for the whole climbing, mountaineering and hillwalking community to speak with one clear voice for greater influence. That's why he will be voting Option A in the upcoming BMC AGM. If you haven't voted yet, then make sure you have your say. Read more »
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