Malcolm Smith's Summer Ticklist

Michael Tweedley - 14/09/2001

ScottishClimbs.com caught up with The Dunbar Crimp Monster - AKA Malcolm Smith - to survey the wreckage of a summer spent brutalising boulder problems in Wales, Norway and the States.

The highlights of his stay in Wales were a crouch start to Pool of Bethesda (8B), Manchester Dogs and Diesel Power (both 8A).

Then on to Norway where he was working for Scarpa on a boot demonstration. Despite these professional commitments, Malcolm found time to make the first ascent of an 8A and repeated two 7C+s in a new climbing area in Odea-South Bergen called Briksdal.

Next up was the States and the first competition of the Pusher bouldering series. Expectations were high, but Malcolm capitulated disgracefully to some American chancer by the name of Chris Sharma! Shame on you Malcolm! Seriously, though, second was a respectable result given the quality of the field left trailing in his wake, and this performance netted him a tidy sum of $1700.

After the competition the first area to feel the wrath of Malcolm's iron fists was the granite of Little Cottonwood Canyon, where he swiftly despatched the 'steep and burly' Bully (8A+) and made the second ascent of another 8A+ Gross Reservoir, which involved steep footless pocket pulling. With the heat somewhere in the thirties, this was a fine effort.

As for the future, Malcolm has more trips, more problems and more comp's lined up (poor lad, his sponsors work him to the bone - does he ever get a holiday?). He has just been to Cresciano, where - if conditions were good - he was due to try Fred Nicole's supposed 8c problem Dreamtime, which he did well on the last time he was there.

Then he will be visiting the States again for a two month roadtrip, including a date with destiny at the second Pusher competition. Among the problems he hopes to send are Dominator (8B) - the original way with no heelhook (who says the man has no technique?), Dave Graham's Spectre (8B/8B+), Chris Sharma's classic The Mandala (8A+) (both near Bishop) and Ben Moon's Black Lung (8B) at Joe's Valley. Watch this space for photographs and damage reports as Malcolm tours the States.