EP 68: Steve McClure — Hitchhiking Stories, Tenacity vs. Strength, and Making Your Own Luck

Steve McClure is one of the best rock-climbers in the world, having made the FA of the hardest sport route in the UK at 9b (5.15b), at age 46. We talked about early hitchhiking stories, discovering sport climbing, the three parts of climbing ability, how to improve over the long haul, foot-on campusing, and much more.

Support on Patreon:

patreon.com/thenuggetclimbing

Show Notes:

http://thenuggetclimbing.com/episodes/steve-mcclure

Nuggets:

4:12 – Podcasts, and the desire to listen

6:22 – Hitching

13:58 – Growing up in the Northeast of England, and the climbing wall Steve built in his garage

18:43 – Early climbing, and discovering sport climbing

22:36 – Steve’s first E3

26:42 – Tenacity, and trying hard

29:22 – “It’s all down to motivation.” - Ben Moon

34:16 – ‘Rainman’

37:28 – Going with the flow vs. pursuing long-term goals

44:08 – ‘Mutation’, and Will Bossi

47:21 – “You make your own luck.”

48:19 – Was ‘Mutation’ the first 5.15?

49:54 – “You can’t have regrets.”

52:32 – My (Steven’s) struggle with personal limits, how hard Steve was climbing at my age, and the good news for aging climbers

56:17 – The mental and technical aspects of climbing

57:42 – The three parts of climbing ability (technical, mental, and physical)

59:46 – Foot-on campusing (aka laddering)

1:08:30 – How Steve fits in foot-on campusing around other climbing and training

1:12:27 – Question from Branko: How do you approach climbing at your local crag, after you’ve done everything? Do you only get on the hard stuff, or do you repeat any routes to continue building your pyramid?

1:15:40 – How Steve approached each new season on Rainman, and adding more thought to his climbing gym sessions

1:19:08 – Question from Adriel: One exercise to improve strength?

1:22:00 – Question from Adriel: Who would win in an arm-wresting match between Steve and Dave MacLeod?

1:23:34 – Question from Will: How does Steve balance training and recovery as he gets older?

1:26:23 – Steve’s typical climbing schedule at age 50, and his routine for Rainman

1:31:06 – Question from Anderson: Does Steve think his hardest climbing is ahead of him? What about his best?

1:33:14 – Steve’s hardest climb (his onsight of ‘Nightmare’)

1:34:26 – The best

1:35:24 – Steve’s decision to move to Sheffield

1:38:10 – Steve’s go-to breakfast

1:39:49 – Writing, and Steve’s training diary

1:45:26 – Gratitude

1:49:29 – Frozen fingers, and Steve’s onsight attempt of ‘To Bolt or Not to Be’

1:53:42 – The great equalizer

1:56:52 – Steve’s Instagram and website

1:58:52 – Pembroke, witnessing an accident, and rethinking risk