Steve McClure Climbs New E10 in U.K. Called GreatNess Wall

Steve McClure has climbed a longstanding project at Nesscliffe, U.K., that he’s called GreatNess Wall E10 7a. The grade equates to about 5.14R, depending on how you break it down. A video of James McHaffie taking a big whipper on the project recently went viral, watch below.

McClure, 48, told ukclimbing.com that the route is “a total face climb, plum vertical, 18m high, with a horizontal break crossing the whole cliff at about 12m. This break divides the route into two completely different halves, fortunately with an excellent (preplaced) thread. Poor footholds with fast hand moves between the bad edges, hard food swaps, where if your feet go you are absolutely certainly out of there! There is nowhere to stop or think or compose yourself as you gain distance from the lonely thread below.”

McClure has climbed many of U.K.’s hardest routes, including the first ascents of Overshadow 5.15a and Rainman 5.15b at Malham Cove. In 1998, he made the first ascent of Mutation at Raven Tor, his first 5.14d and second 9a of U.K. in history.

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The Nesscliffe Headwall project goes down. A fluke window of opportunity taken. I'd convinced myself it would be OK, running it way out there on the top wall. After all, the maths looks acceptable; gear at about 12m, potential fall from 18m. But on lead it was all just a little harder and that final stretch was horrifyingly close. Just about recovered today and got my heart back in the right place after it ended up in my mouth. GreatNess Wall. E10 7a, or something like that, but total three star. Thanks to Ed and Adam Booth for the catch and Nick Dixon for the inspiration. pic – Keith Sharples. @petzl_official @marmot_mountain_europe @fiveten_official @teambmc #helmetup

A post shared by ste mcclure (@ste_mcclure) on May 28, 2019 at 5:47am PDT

McHaffie’s Whipper