Steve McClure - The Full Interview

Even facing dreary English conditions, no set training schedule, seepy local crags, all-day routesetting sessions to make ends meet, raising a 20-month-old daughter, DIY house-dismantling projects, coaching, and writing, "Strong" Steve McClure still sets world standards. McClure, 37, has onsighted 5.14a hanging the draws, as part of his 330 5.13b-or-harder onsights, and FA'ed four unrepeated 9a-on-beyond (5.14d) climbs in England, including Overshadow, at Malham Cove in Yorkshire. McClure is a true working-class hero, calculated and humble about his instinctual talent. With his lean, wiry frame, McClure may not be the strongest climber, but he has fierce determination and the mind of an engineer, breaking each move down to find the perfect, most precise and efficient position. A native of Brotton, in northeastern England, McClure has been climbing for 30-odd years.

Here, Climbing presents the full interview with McClure, which was excerpted for Perspective in our April 2008 issue.

When did it all begin?
Both my folks were keen climbers so there was no getting away from it. We were in the rock environment right from the start. I dabbled in and out as kids do probably from when I was about 5 or 6, one day keen, the next preferring to build dens or crawl through small holes.

How did you get the nickname Strong Steve?
At first people thought I was strong because I could hang on little holds, but as time went by the name was dropped when it became obvious that I am actually piss weak! No joke, relative to the wads I’m feeble, not sure how I get up anything!

How do I get strong fingers?
Start hanging on brick edges when you are 6 years old! My dad and I made a brick-edge climbing wall back in 1976; we’d never seen a wall of any kind but even at that age I wanted to climb. I guess it was kind of ahead of its time. However, I haven’t got super-strong fingers, like I can barely hang off a crimp one handed —in fact I can’t with my left hand. But when it comes to ting edges, like quarter inch or less, then I’m happy!