Nationality: | GB |
Hardest Boulder (Worked): | 8B+ |
Hardest Sport (Worked): | 9a |
Hardest Sport (Flash): | 8a+ |
Hardest Trad (Worked): | E9 |
Notable Partnerships | |
Jerry Moffatt | |
Ben Moon |
An early adherent of training on a woody who put his strength to excellent use, putting up many of the hardest problems in the UK from the early 90s to early 2000s. Notably he made the second ascent of Hubble aged just 18, one of the hardest routes in the world at the time.
He had the strength of character to turn his back on the tradition of climbing, the summit and the romance, and do his own thing. As he says, he's always got time for more training. [1]
[1] Dave Cuthbertson interview with Niall Grimes on The Jam Crack Podcast Jan 2023. 1hr13mins. https://open.spotify.com/episode/2cj6Zduv5LRmqwotmqg5Nd?
[2] Splinter, a short portrait by Ben Pritchard
[3] Stone Love
[4] Interview with Neil Mann, 2017 https://www.theprojectmagazine.com/features/2017/2/14/interview-malcolm-smith
40 recorded ascents.
Year | Climb | Grade | Style | Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
1990 | Fated Path | 7c+ | Lead | worked | 1990 |
1991 | Magnetic Fields | 8b | Lead | worked | 4th May 1991 |
1992 | Hubble | 9a | Lead | worked | 1992 |
Second ascent.
|
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1993 | Cry Freedom | 8c | Lead | worked | Jun 1993 |
An early, fast repeat (date not exact) |
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1994 | Transcendence | E9 | Lead | worked | 1994 |
First ascent.
|
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Leviathan | 8B+ | Boulder | worked | 1994 | |
First ascent.
|
||||
1995 | Progress | 8c+ | Lead | worked | 1995 |
Evolution | 8c+ | Lead | worked | 1995 | |
Second ascent.
|
||||
1996 | ||||
1997 | ||||
1998 | Pongo SDS | 8A | Boulder | worked | 1998 |
First ascent.
|
||||
1999 | ||||
2000 | Northern Lights | 9a | Lead | did not finish | Before 1st Jan 2000 |
References[1] Interview with Neil Mann, 2017 https://www.theprojectmagazine.com/features/2017/2/14/interview-malcolm-smith |
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Transform | 8c | Lead | worked | 2000 | |
First ascent.
|
||||
Frank's Wild Years | 8A+ | Boulder | worked | Mar 2000 | |
References[1] On The Edge Issue 108, page 60. |
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2001 | Pool of Bethesda (Malc's Start) | 8B | Boulder | worked | 2001 |
First ascent.
References[1] On The Edge, Issue 112 page 11 |
||||
Turn That Frown Upside Down | 8A+ | Boulder | worked | 2001 | |
Second ascent.
Chris Sharma was close to getting the third ascent in the same session, but the team were arrested for parking in the wrong place before he was able to seal the deal. [1] References[1] On The Edge Issue 112, page 16. |
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8 Ball | 8A+ | Boulder | worked | Nov 2001 | |
Third ascent.
References[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2001/11/malcolm_smith_repeats_8_ball_font_8b-1801 |
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The Joker | 8A | Boulder | worked | 20th Dec 2001 | |
References[1] 6th go, shortly followed by The Ace and the same day as Careless Torque, |
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Careless Torque | 8A | Boulder | worked | 20th Dec 2001 | |
Third ascent. 3 sessions.
References[3] On The Edge, Issue 114 |
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2002 | UIAA Worldcup - Lecco ... World Cup |
1st | 26th June 2002 | |
Int. Event - Arco Rock... Comp |
2nd | Boulder (Men) | 7th September 2002 | |
UIAA Worldcup - Rovere... World Cup |
3rd | Boulder (Men) | 14th September 2002 | |
2003 | Int. Event - Birmingha... Comp |
1st | 16th March 2003 | |
Monk Life | 8B+ | Boulder | worked | Oct 2003 | |
First ascent.
References[2] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2003/10/smith_completes_kyloe-in_project_at_font_8b+-9503 [3] Interview with Neil Mann, 2017 https://www.theprojectmagazine.com/features/2017/2/14/interview-malcolm-smith |
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2004 | Pilgrimage | 8B+ | Boulder | worked | 2004 |
First ascent.
|
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Mithril | 8B | Boulder | worked | 2004 | |
Director's Cut | 8A+ | Boulder | worked | 2004 | |
Dreamtime (pre break) | 8B+ | Boulder | worked | Feb 2004 | |
2005 | The Ace | 8B | Boulder | worked | 2005 |
Third ascent.
References |
||||
Supersize Me | 8B | Boulder | worked | Jun 2005 | |
First ascent.
|
||||
2006 | ||||
2007 | Metalcore | 8c+ | Lead | worked | Jun 2007 |
2nd ascent. |
||||
True North | 8c | Lead | worked | Jun 2007 | |
References |
||||
The Smiddy | 8b+ | Lead | worked | Aug 2007 | |
First ascent.
|
||||
Blackout | 8b | Lead | worked | 19th Sep 2007 | |
First ascent.
|
||||
2008 | Unjustified | 8b+ | Lead | worked | Jun 2008 |
Gut Buster | 8B+ | Boulder | worked | Sep 2008 | |
First ascent.
References |
||||
2009 | ||||
2010 | Firefight | 8B | Boulder | worked | Apr 2010 |
Pas de Deux | 8a+ | Lead | worked | 18th May 2010 | |
Blood Diamond | 8c+ | Lead | worked | 16th Jun 2010 | |
First ascent.
|
||||
Hunger | 9a | Lead | worked | 7th Jul 2010 | |
First ascent.
Scotland's first 9a. References[1] https://www.scottishclimbs.com/wiki/Scotland's_First_9a!_Malcolm_Smith,_Hunger |
Climb | Grade | Style | Ascent Date | Suggested Grade |
---|---|---|---|---|
Hunger | 9a | Lead | worked | 7th Jul 2010 | |
First ascent.
Scotland's first 9a. References[1] https://www.scottishclimbs.com/wiki/Scotland's_First_9a!_Malcolm_Smith,_Hunger |
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Hubble | 9a | Lead | worked | 1992 | |
Second ascent.
|
||||
Northern Lights | 9a | Lead | did not finish | Before 1st Jan 2000 | |
References[1] Interview with Neil Mann, 2017 https://www.theprojectmagazine.com/features/2017/2/14/interview-malcolm-smith |
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Blood Diamond | 8c+ | Lead | worked | 16th Jun 2010 | |
First ascent.
|
||||
Progress | 8c+ | Lead | worked | 1995 | |
Evolution | 8c+ | Lead | worked | 1995 | |
Second ascent.
|
||||
Metalcore | 8c+ | Lead | worked | Jun 2007 | |
2nd ascent. |
||||
Transform | 8c | Lead | worked | 2000 | |
First ascent.
|
||||
Cry Freedom | 8c | Lead | worked | Jun 1993 | |
An early, fast repeat (date not exact) |
||||
True North | 8c | Lead | worked | Jun 2007 | |
References |
||||
The Smiddy | 8b+ | Lead | worked | Aug 2007 | |
First ascent.
|
||||
Unjustified | 8b+ | Lead | worked | Jun 2008 | |
Dr Crimp | 8b+ | Lead | worked | ||
Blackout | 8b | Lead | worked | 19th Sep 2007 | |
First ascent.
|
||||
Magnetic Fields | 8b | Lead | worked | 4th May 1991 | |
Pas de Deux | 8a+ | Lead | worked | 18th May 2010 | |
Energy Vampire | 8a+ | Lead | flash | ||
Early 90s. |
||||
Fated Path | 7c+ | Lead | worked | 1990 |
Climb | Grade | Style | Ascent Date | Suggested Grade |
---|---|---|---|---|
Leviathan | 8B+ | Boulder | worked | 1994 | |
First ascent.
|
||||
Monk Life | 8B+ | Boulder | worked | Oct 2003 | |
First ascent.
References[2] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2003/10/smith_completes_kyloe-in_project_at_font_8b+-9503 [3] Interview with Neil Mann, 2017 https://www.theprojectmagazine.com/features/2017/2/14/interview-malcolm-smith |
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Pilgrimage | 8B+ | Boulder | worked | 2004 | 9a |
First ascent.
|
||||
Gut Buster | 8B+ | Boulder | worked | Sep 2008 | |
First ascent.
References |
||||
Dreamtime (pre break) | 8B+ | Boulder | worked | Feb 2004 | 8C |
Pool of Bethesda (Malc's Start) | 8B | Boulder | worked | 2001 | |
First ascent.
References[1] On The Edge, Issue 112 page 11 |
||||
Supersize Me | 8B | Boulder | worked | Jun 2005 | |
First ascent.
|
||||
Firefight | 8B | Boulder | worked | Apr 2010 | |
Mithril | 8B | Boulder | worked | 2004 | |
The Ace | 8B | Boulder | worked | 2005 | |
Third ascent.
References |
||||
Frank's Wild Years | 8A+ | Boulder | worked | Mar 2000 | |
References[1] On The Edge Issue 108, page 60. |
||||
Turn That Frown Upside Down | 8A+ | Boulder | worked | 2001 | |
Second ascent.
Chris Sharma was close to getting the third ascent in the same session, but the team were arrested for parking in the wrong place before he was able to seal the deal. [1] References[1] On The Edge Issue 112, page 16. |
||||
8 Ball | 8A+ | Boulder | worked | Nov 2001 | |
Third ascent.
References[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2001/11/malcolm_smith_repeats_8_ball_font_8b-1801 |
||||
Director's Cut | 8A+ | Boulder | worked | 2004 | |
Pinch 2 | 8A+ | Boulder | worked | ||
1 session.
References[1] https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,6362.msg89768.html#msg89768 |
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Pongo SDS | 8A | Boulder | worked | 1998 | |
First ascent.
|
||||
Halfway House | 8A | Boulder | worked | ||
First ascent.
|
||||
The Joker | 8A | Boulder | worked | 20th Dec 2001 | |
References[1] 6th go, shortly followed by The Ace and the same day as Careless Torque, |
||||
Careless Torque | 8A | Boulder | worked | 20th Dec 2001 | |
Third ascent. 3 sessions.
References[3] On The Edge, Issue 114 |
||||
Muttertag | 8A | Boulder | worked | ||
|
||||
Powerband | 7C | Boulder | worked | ||
References |
Climb | Grade | Style | Ascent Date | Suggested Grade |
---|---|---|---|---|
Transcendence | E9 | Lead | worked | 1994 | |
First ascent.
|
Climb | Grade | Style | Ascent Date | Suggested Grade |
---|