Splinter – Malcolm Smith

This is old, but well worth it. If you do not know who Malcolm Smith is, click here and see for yourself. He was/is a beast. How about a woodie boulder project five years old? That is persistence.

Some of Malcolm’s Career Highlights

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.

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.

Courtesy of Wild Country

Tags: Bat Route, E7 Age, Featured, Memorable Boulders, Memorable Routes

Category: Bouldering Areas, Peak District, UK