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| STEVE MCCLURE SHINES ON ROC TRIP |
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Last weekend (16th June) hundreds of people gathered in Thaurac, Southern France to participate in the third and perhaps last Scalatabel. Scalatabel is a climbing festival where amateurs and pros can have a go at the designated routes and keep a score card for an informal competition. There was live music creating a real party atmosphere as the climbing went on well past midnight on the floodlit cliffs. Petzel sponsored the event and invited their A-listers including Lynn Hill, Dave Graham and Chris Sharma to have a bash at some of the unclimbed projects.
Access is not usually allowed on the cliff as it is so close to the entrance of a popular tourist cave. Its rumoured that this is the last time climbing will be allowed and now all 480 hangers must be removed from the bolts.
Cheered on by the French and international crowd Steve McClure outshone his fellow celebrities by making the first ascent of an 8c route on his 3rd attempt and then blew everybody away by flashing an 8b. The route climbed a tufa and had spat off all other attempts including Chris Sharma, some of the holds were a bit damp from the previous day's down pour but the crimpy style suited Steve's climbing. The routes here are old school, meaning that they are technical, sharp and crimpy. Good going Steve!
Steve McClure will feature on the forthcoming dvd 'PSYCHE' from Posing Productions. |
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