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Malcolm Smith (UK)

There are legends and there are legends - and some legends retain their mystique like the legend of Malcolm Smith, the 'strongest man in the world' for many years yet probably the least seen or known about 'great' climber.

And certainly compared to Jerry and even Ben Moon, Malcolm was more of a recluse, even when living in Sheffield - but this was more to do with his style of training, indoors and often rather than any shyness. Yet even not seeking publicity Malcolm's star rose on the back on some amazing ascents and then grew as his strength grew - yet for the most part very few people saw him climb and saw him operate first hand. I must admit I was one of the lucky ones and climbed with Malcolm a number of times - and he always tended to amaze - yet when he did he either instilled great motivation to climb harder or made you want to give up.

Malcolm on his own creation Monk Life 8b+ Kyloe In The Wood Northumberland

Anyway I'm pretty psyched he's climbing routes again and on board with Wild Contry now too - but anyway enough of me dribbling on, here some words and routes from the man himself.

In his own words

"Since the age of 15 rock climbing has been my passion. It has dominated my life and given me so much back. For me nothing can come close to the feeling of climbing right at my limit. After 20 years I am just as keen and I still feel that I can make big improvements. I hope that I have another 20 years of gains to look forward to.

I love to train hard, get stronger and then test myself on something tricky. Over the years I have put a lot into ‘the training bank’ and for me it’s great that the more I put in the more I get in return. I feel more inspired than ever, especially now that we have a new generation of super-mutants who are pushing the absolute limits of what can be climbed. I think the word is psyched!

My first climbing inspiration was Johnny Dawes. I remember watching the video ‘Stone Monkey’ and being blown away. How could a man climb that hard?! Later I read about Ben Moon and Jerry Moffat and discovered that in Sheffield there existed cellar dwellers - guys who trained for years on wooden holds then emerged to crush an 8c. At the age of 16 I built my first wooden board and dedicated my life to getting stronger. The improvements came quickly. I climbed my first E7 at age 16, 8B at 17, and then 8C+ at 18. For me, training was the key.

For years I lived the life of a professional climber, sustained by my parents, sponsorship, a government climbing grant, or the odd rope access job. If I could climb rock then I didn’t want for anything and I was surrounded by people living the same dream. The routes, boulders and competitions fell thick and fast.

These days I have a mortgage and I work, almost as much as a normal person. However, I like to save up, take time off and then just climb for weeks on end. Climbing will always come before money.

I started climbing in ’88 and for the first ten years routes were my main interest. In ’99 bouldering became my focus and I more or less stopped climbing routes until 2003. These days I’m a route climber and for the moment I have put the bouldering on the back burner. I’m a sport climber but dabble in the occasional trad route. I enjoy on-sighting or red-pointing routes that I can do quickly. I am becoming less keen on drawn out battles with big numbers. For me a quick repeat of something a grade easier than my limit is a lot less like hard work. I want to climb a 9a though so I may have to buckle down! In many way’s the hardest battles are the best.

Some of my most memorable routes:

Hubble, 8c+ - Age 18. I did the second ascent in ’92. I couldn’t believe I could climb that hard. Winning the lottery would not have touched the feeling.

‘Cry Freedom’8b+- I did the route very quickly, shortly after climbing a long hard traverse project in Northumberland. I felt fit and managed to recover completely at a very poor rest before the crux at the top.

‘Bat Route’8b+ - This was another surprise. I was intimidated by the route and wanted to have a relaxing day of on-sighting but I forced myself to try for the red-point.

‘Fated Path’ 7c+/E7 – Age 16. A big step up in difficulty for me, the fingerboard sessions had worked.

‘Magnetic Fields’ 8B – Age 17. Straight from 7C+ to 8B. I thought I’d dreamed it the next morning and had to ask my Dad to confirm the ascent. Trained for specifically on my board.

‘Transcendence’ E8 6C- First ascent and a lot harder than any other trad route I’d tried. An amazing line.

‘Metal Core’ 8C+- 2nd ascent ‘07. Marked a comeback to fitness.

Some of my most memorable boulders:

‘Monk Life’ font 8B+ - First ascent. An absolute classic and a dream for 10 years. Forced into action by a certain local who was hot on my heels.

‘Leviathan’ Font 8B+- First ascent. A very sustained traverse at Kyloe-in-the woods. The culmination of months of training and hard work.

‘Pilgrimage’ V14- First ascent. Weeks of epic commutes to Parissellas cave from Edinburgh. A sustained burl-fest.

‘Dream Time’ font 8B+- One of the most beautiful boulders I have climbed. A lot of work and a shock to discover that I could operate at the very highest level.

‘Surprise du Chef’ font 8a –A flash of the sit down start. No warm up and my first font 8a flash. A memorable trip to Ailefroide with Jerry Moffat and Ben Pritchard.

Competitions:

I am not a natural competition climber. Competitions tend to scare me, but despite my character I’ve had some good results over the years. I was British bouldering champion for 4 years in succession and finished second in the bouldering World cup series in 2002.
 

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