Congratulations to BMC member Steve McClure, who yesterday (Monday 28 May) climbed possibly the UK’s hardest sport climb.
The new route is an extension to Overnite Sensation, an 8A+ off the Catwalk at Malham Cove, and climbs through the massive roof above that route’s belay. After spending around 30 days over the past three years trying the route, Steve considers it to be harder than the three 9A routes he has established – Mutation (Raven Tor), Northern Lights (Kilnsey), and Rainshadow (Malham). Steve is still deliberating over the grade of the route, which has also yet to be named.
The only route in the UK to be tentatively graded 9A+ is Violent New Breed, a desperate boulder problem type route at Giggleswick, which was climbed by John Gaskins in 2004 and is unrepeated.
Whatever their grades both these routes, though very different in style, are clearly at the cutting edge of sport climbing world standards.
There is an active thread discussing Steve’s climb on www.ukclimbing.com
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