Steve McClure

Notable ascents

Sport climbing routes

1996: Evolution , Raven Tor. Fourth ascent of Jerry Moffatt's 1995 test piece, which is still a coveted route. 1998: Mutation , Raven Tor. First ascent. The second-ever 9a route in Britain. Only repeated 23-years later by Will Bosi, despite attempts by Alex Megos and Chris Sharma, who suggested a grade of "at least" , which would make it the world's second-ever 9a+. 2000: Northern Lights , Kilnsey. First ascent. The 3rd 9a in Britain, 2002: Indian Summer , Kilnsey. First British onsight of an 8b+ sport climb. 2003: Rainshadow , Malham Cove. First ascent. Has become one of the most well-regarded and coveted 9a routes in Britain. 2007: Overshadow , Malham Cove. First ascent. The second 9a+ in Britain; (The first British 9a+ was considered to be John Gaskin's 2004 route, Violent New Breed, a short-semi bouldering route at Giggleswick in North Yorkshire.) in 2011, Adam Ondra repeated it as a "hard 9a+". 2008: North Star , Kilnsey. First ascent (an extension of Northern Exposure), and repeated by Adam Ondra in 2010 who confirmed grade. 2013: Batman , Malham Cove. First ascent, links up with Bat Route . 2017: Rainman , Malham Cove. First ascent; links Raindogs to Rainshadow , to finish directly. Rainman is now considered to be the first-ever 9b route in Britain.

Traditional climbing routes

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. 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. 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. 2014: Strawberries (E7 6b), Tremadog. North Wales. First British onsight of the classic Ron Fawcett route. 2015: Choronzon (E10 7a), East Range, Pembrokeshire. 2nd ascent after Neil Mawson's FFA in 2014. 2015: Muy Caliente! (E9/10 6c), Stennis Ford, Pembrokeshire. 6th ascent after Tim Emmett's FFA in 2010. 2019: GreatNess Wall (E10 7a), Nesscliffe. First ascent of a project that had been tried unsuccessfully by several parties. 2021: Impact Day (E8 6c). Pavey Ark, Lake District. First onsight flash and 2nd ascent of Dave Birkett's 1999 FFA. 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.