| £4.95 ISSUE 140 SEP/OCT 17 | Re-defining Limits THE FULL STORY OF BRITAIN’S HARDEST ROUTE Irish Adventure James McHaffie Risky Business Legends Reunited Owey Island’s On the rewards Alex Honnold and the tricky Mick Fowler and Victor Saunders trad climbing paradise of a big bold lead public face of soloing return to the Himalaya CHIMERA THE CHIMERA IS THE PINNACLE OF MODERN CLIMBING SHOE DESIGN AND INNOVATION. With its vacuum like upper lacing system, TPS insert and 8 panel upper, this shoe is built for climbers tackling the most demanding routes and boulders. WWW.SCARPA.CO.UK 2 | Climb Chimera Ad_FEB 2017_CLIMB.indd 1 27/03/2017 16:30 EDITOR’S NOTE Changing Times When Shauna Coxsey pulled on for her fourth late 70s, High and On the Edge in the 80s and attempt at the last problem in the finals of the 90s through to Climb Magazine today. As one Mumbai Bouldering World Cup one minute of the editors of those publications - alongside remained on the clock. In previous years, as long David Pickford, Gill Kent and Neil Pearsons, and as a competitor had started their last attempt Geoff Birtles - I have had the privilege to work when the countdown timer read zero, they could with some of the most talented people in the continue for as long as they were able to hold on. climbing community. Whilst there is inevitably Now a new rule change meant a strict time limit a sadness that I won’t be able to turn the pages of attempts – once four minutes were up, it was of a freshly printed copy of our latest edition, I game over. feel very proud of how Climb has contributed The change in the timing rules animated the to that long tradition of high quality, insightful competition climbing community. Many lamented magazines at the heart of British climbing culture. what they felt was an unnecessary change to The good news is that the edition you now hold tradition forced by climbing’s inclusion in the won’t be the last issue of Climb. Our November / Olympics and the need to tighten up schedules to December edition will come out on October 1st as suit TV requirements. At that moment, all that a digital magazine, and will be completely free of Shauna was thinking about was how to get her charge. Yes, you read that right: you won’t have right foot, stretched up at shoulder height, to to pay for the magazine. The same high quality ISSUE 140 stick on to one of the five grey and back blobs writing and photography will be available with that the route setters had fiendishly arranged on just two clicks on your desktop, laptop, tablet EDITORIAL the overhanging wall. or mobile device. The first click will download EDITOR Her first three attempts had met the same fate the Climb Magazine app, and the second will Ian Parnell as the other five finalists so far – back on the download the latest issue. [email protected] crash mats below. If she could reach the bonus CONSULTING EDITOR hold halfway up the problem she’d win the gold David Pickford medal. If she could then top out the problem, [email protected] “It’s a risk, but as climbers she’d send the Mumbai crowd wild. But the clock GEAR EDITOR was ticking down unrelentingly. we aren’t afraid of risk. As on Kevin Avery [email protected] Leaping upwards and outwards Shauna the biggest leads, you have grasped the bonus hold with first one and then DESIGN to embrace the challenge to Joe Walczak two hands as her feet swung in the air behind her. [email protected] The clock now read ten seconds to go and still she achieve success” ed on the official Climb had four hand and foot moves left. As the crowd their safe return. their safe ADVERTISING got on their feet the timer seemed to be racing towards zero. As the clock read 0.01 Shauna The Climb editorial team and publishers have PUBLISHING MANAGER reached towards the last hold. The finishing thought long and hard about this fundamental Karen Dench [email protected] buzzer sounded, the crowd roared, and she swung change to the business model of the magazine. 0116 202 2727 from the final hold. For it to work, we need as many people to read ADVERTISING MANAGER Shauna’s 11th career win meant she’d the new, digital Climb - which in turn will attract Lisa Schulze successfully defended her overall World Cup more advertising revenue to pay for the finest [email protected] title but also the manner of her victory had been content. It’s a risk, but as climbers we aren’t 0776 458 4412 a triumph for the new timing rules. Despite afraid of risk. As on the biggest leads, you have SUBSCRIPTIONS & ADMIN competition traditionalists’ complaints, the to embrace the challenge to achieve success. Or [email protected] 0116 202 2732 ‘closed clock’ rule provided the ‘X factor’ that as Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s co-founder puts every sport craves – tension and drama to the last it, “In a world that’s changing really fast, the only Printed in the UK. second of the event. strategy guaranteed to fail is not taking any risks.” All rights reserved. Copyright © Change is one of the very few things the We’d like to thank all our readers who’ve stood 2017 Greenshires Publishing Ltd. Reproduction without permission is modern world can guarantee – our environment, firm with us over the years, and we’d like to invite prohibited. Photographs copyrighted our political and civic institutions, and the you on this next phase of our adventure. Spread by photographer. technology with which we live are constantly the word to anyone you think would be interested evolving. But few of us welcome change. It tends in the new, free, digital edition of Climb. We look to be seen as a threat - a disruption to the familiar forward to seeing you all back on the sharp end and the comfortable. But it’s worth considering in October. that each of those changes is an opportunity for Climb Magazine something new, different, and potentially better To Find out more about how to download Greenshires Publishing than that which went before. Climb’s digital edition turn to page 70. 160-164 Barkby Road, Climb magazine now faces a big change. This Leicester, LE4 9LF (ISSN: 1745-2775) is published bi-monthly by Greenshires Publishing. Subscriptions are available on direct mailing. Cost for the is published bi-monthly by Greenshires Publishing. (ISSN: 1745-2775) September / October issue that you are reading Email: [email protected] Website: www.climbmagazine.com now will be our final paper edition. Greenshires Publishing, our owners, have been involved postal areas £25, £45 Europe. Articles may be submitted by e-mail or typewritten. When submitted, articles are deemed to be for publication at our be for publication articles are deemed to submitted, by e-mail or typewritten.When Europe. Articles may besubmitted areas £25, £45 postal with the publication of the best British climbing Climb Magazine UK normal rates, as are photographs. If accepted, articles may be edited and shortened at the Editor’s discretion, could us Magazine website. Materials sent for publication will be at the sender’s risk, while every care is taken by publishers magazines for over 40 years, from Crags in the Climb | 3 COVER Steve McClure on Rainman at Malham Cove. Steve recently made the first ascent of what for him was a ‘lifetime project’ to give the hardest sports route in the UK at 9b. Turn to page 36 to read Steve’s remarkable account of his seven year obsession to explore the absolute limits of his climbing ability. PHOTOGRAPH BY IAN PARNELL CONTRIBUTORS Bernd Zeugswetter Hjördis Rickert Mike Hutton Neil Gresham Kevin Avery Steve McClure Mick Fowler Victor Saunders Eleanor Fuller John McCune James McHaffie Dr Richard Sly Pat Nolan Craig Hiller Noel Dawson Jacopo Larcher Jimmy Chin David Mason Steven Gordon THIS PAGE: Majka Burhardt on Atlantis (5.11c) on The Sorcerer, one of the superb granite towers in the California Needles. ZEUGSWETTER / RICKERT CONTENTS Features 18 Regulars 12 | EXPOSURE 6 | HOT LINES David Pickford takes his climbing shoes and camera Barbara Zangerl and a crack German speaking into the rural hinterland of the French southwest to team impress on Pembroke’s trad testpieces, find one of Europe’s finest unknown climbing areas - Frenchman Charles Albert boulders 8C barefoot, the Gorges de l’Averyron Chris Sharma makes his biggest deep water solo yet and Shauna Coxsey becomes double 18 | WILD ATLANTIC WAYS World Cup champion. Following Alex Honnold’s Leading activist John McCune, celebrates the trad remarkable solo of El Cap we take a look at the climbing paradise of Ireland’s Owey Island 30 changing place of soloing in climbing 24 | ETERNAL MAGIC 42 | THE CLIMB INTERVIEW: Bernd Zeugswetter and Hjördis Rickert take JAMES MCHAFFIE us on a tour of the world class granite climbing at Climb talks to the understated Lakelander on his California’s Needles biggest day climbing, the empowerment of risky leads and his recent avalanche of new routes at 30 | FRIENDS REUNITED the cutting edge of trad climbing After a 29 year break Mick Fowler and Victor Saunders resume their climbing partnership 46 | GEAR LAB and head to India to tackle the first ascent of the Kevin Avery reviews the finest climbing harnesses impressive Sersank on the market 36 | RE-DEFINING LIMITS 36 56 | MY CLIMBING LIFE Steve McClure reflects on his seven year journey to Eleanor Fuller talks to mountain instructor Rachael climb Britain’s hardest sport route - Rainman (9b) Crewesmith about rain, tea, biking and her love of mountain multi-pitches 48 | STRENGTH FROM SOFTNESS Dr Richard Sly looks at the ancient martial