Malcolm Smith

Quick Info ˅

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.

Dave "Cubby" Cuthbertson:

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]

References

[1] Dave Cuthbertson interview with Niall Grimes on The Jam Crack Podcast Jan 2023. 1hr13mins. https://open.spotify.com/episode/2cj6Zduv5LRmqwotmqg5Nd?si=42c01ce82102438f

[2] Splinter, a short portrait by Ben Pritchard

[3] Stone Love

Contributors: remus

Quick Info

Nationality:	GB
Hardest Boulder (Worked):	8B+
Hardest Sport (Worked):	9a
Hardest Sport (Flash):	8a+
Hardest Trad (Worked):	E9
Notable Partnerships
Jerry Moffatt
Ben Moon

Dave "Cubby" Cuthbertson:

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]

References

[1] Dave Cuthbertson interview with Niall Grimes on The Jam Crack Podcast Jan 2023. 1hr13mins. https://open.spotify.com/episode/2cj6Zduv5LRmqwotmqg5Nd?si=42c01ce82102438f

[2] Splinter, a short portrait by Ben Pritchard

[3] Stone Love

Contributors: remus

Lists

Pics + Vids

Added at 16:01 on 13 January 2021

Added at 17:01 on 13 January 2021

Added at 21:01 on 16 January 2023

Pool of Bethesda (Malc's Start) (8B, FA)

Added at 20:02 on 23 February 2024

Careless Torque (8A)

Added at 00:02 on 01 February 2024

Monk Life (8B+, FA)

Added at 07:12 on 22 December 2020

Powerband (7C)

Added at 10:01 on 07 January 2021

Firefight (8B, FA)

Added at 23:02 on 15 February 2021

Magnetic Fields (8b)

View this post on Instagram

Added at 16:01 on 22 January 2023

Hunger (9a, FA)

Added at 20:09 on 22 September 2022

https://www.scottishclimbs.com/wiki/File_IMG01217-...

Hunger (9a, FA)

Added at 20:09 on 22 September 2022

https://www.ukclimbing.com/photos/dbpage.php?id=30...

Pas de Deux (8a+)

Added at 08:04 on 13 April 2022

Gut Buster (8B+, FA)

Added at 20:09 on 22 September 2022

Ascents

36 recorded ascents.

This timeline is missing some ascents where the date of the ascent is unknown. Use the other tabs to view these ascents.

Year	Climb	Grade	Style	Ascent Date
1991	Magnetic Fields	8b	Lead \| worked	4th May 1991
1991	Magnetic Fields	References [1] Fourth redpoint of the day. https://www.instagram.com/p/CnuOhI_NugM/
1992	Hubble	9a	Lead \| worked	1992
1992	Hubble	Second ascent.
1993	Cry Freedom	8c	Lead \| worked	Jun 1993
1993	Cry Freedom	An early, fast repeat (date not exact)
1994	Transcendence	E9	Lead \| worked	1994
	Transcendence	First ascent.
	Leviathan	8B+	Boulder \| worked	1994
	Leviathan	First ascent.
1995	Evolution	8c+	Lead \| worked	1995
1995	Evolution	Second ascent.
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000	Transform	8c	Lead \| worked	2000
	Transform	First ascent.
	Frank's Wild Years	8A+	Boulder \| worked	Mar 2000
	Frank's Wild Years	References [1] On The Edge Issue 108, page 60.
2001	Pool of Bethesda (Malc's Start)	8B	Boulder \| worked	2001
	Pool of Bethesda (Malc's Start)	First ascent. References [1] On The Edge, Issue 112 page 11
	Turn That Frown Upside Down	8A+	Boulder \| worked	2001
	Turn That Frown Upside Down	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
	8 Ball	Third ascent. https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2001/11/malcolm_smith_repeats_8_ball_font_8b-1801
	Careless Torque	8A	Boulder \| worked	20th Dec 2001
	Careless Torque	Third ascent. 3 sessions. I think it's the best boulder I've ever done quality-wise! ... I bouldered out the start quickly the first day, top roped the upper arete on the next day and then did it on the third day. [3] References [1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2001/12/malcolm_smith_repeats_careless_torque_-_as_fawcett_watches-2119 [2] https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/rock_talk/how_was_careless_torque_first_climbed-335185?v=1#x4944420 [3] On The Edge, Issue 114
	The Joker	8A	Boulder \| worked	20th Dec 2001
	The Joker	References [1] 6th go, shortly followed by The Ace and the same day as Careless Torque, https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2001/12/malcolm_smith_repeats_careless_torque_-_as_fawcett_watches-2119
2002
2003	Monk Life	8B+	Boulder \| worked	Oct 2003
2003	Monk Life	First ascent. References [1] https://vimeo.com/6245846 [2] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2003/10/smith_completes_kyloe-in_project_at_font_8b+-9503
2004	Pilgrimage	8B+	Boulder \| worked	2004
	Pilgrimage	First ascent.
	Mithril	8B	Boulder \| worked	2004
	Director's Cut	8B	Boulder \| worked	2004
	Dreamtime (pre break)	8B+	Boulder \| worked	Feb 2004
	Dreamtime (pre break)	References [1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/rock_talk/smith_repeats_dreamtime-73118
2005	The Ace	8B	Boulder \| worked	2005
	The Ace	Third ascent. References [1]https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2001/12/malcolm_smith_repeats_careless_torque_-_as_fawcett_watches-2119
	Supersize Me	8B	Boulder \| worked	Jun 2005
	Supersize Me	First ascent.
2006
2007	Metalcore	8c+	Lead \| worked	Jun 2007
	Metalcore	2nd ascent.
	True North	8c	Lead \| worked	Jun 2007
	True North	https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php?topic=7758.0
	The Smiddy	8b+	Lead \| worked	Aug 2007
	The Smiddy	First ascent.
	Blackout	8b	Lead \| worked	19th Sep 2007
	Blackout	First ascent.
2008	Unjustified	8b+	Lead \| worked	Jun 2008
	Unjustified	https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2008/06/malc_smith_climbs_unjustified_8c_-_malham-44629
	Gut Buster	8B+	Boulder \| worked	Sep 2008
	Gut Buster	First ascent. References [1] https://vimeo.com/5098601
2009
2010	Firefight	8B	Boulder \| worked	Apr 2010
	Firefight	First ascent. https://vimeo.com/11089789 https://www.stonecountrypress.co.uk/2010/04/firefight-by-malc-smith.html
	Pas de Deux	8a+	Lead \| worked	18th May 2010
	Pas de Deux	1st redpoint. http://doylosblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/malc-crushes-lpt.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEoMeB7EpA8
	Blood Diamond	8c+	Lead \| worked	16th Jun 2010
	Blood Diamond	First ascent.
	Hunger	9a	Lead \| worked	7th Jul 2010
	Hunger	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
Hunger	9a	Lead \| worked	7th Jul 2010
Hunger	First ascent. Scotland's first 9a. References [1] https://www.scottishclimbs.com/wiki/Scotland's_First_9a!_Malcolm_Smith,_Hunger
Hubble	9a	Lead \| worked	1992
Hubble	Second ascent.
Blood Diamond	8c+	Lead \| worked	16th Jun 2010
Blood Diamond	First ascent.
Evolution	8c+	Lead \| worked	1995
Evolution	Second ascent.
Metalcore	8c+	Lead \| worked	Jun 2007
Metalcore	2nd ascent.
Transform	8c	Lead \| worked	2000
Transform	First ascent.
Cry Freedom	8c	Lead \| worked	Jun 1993
Cry Freedom	An early, fast repeat (date not exact)
True North	8c	Lead \| worked	Jun 2007
True North	https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php?topic=7758.0
The Smiddy	8b+	Lead \| worked	Aug 2007
The Smiddy	First ascent.
Unjustified	8b+	Lead \| worked	Jun 2008
Unjustified	https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2008/06/malc_smith_climbs_unjustified_8c_-_malham-44629
Dr Crimp	8b+	Lead \| worked
Blackout	8b	Lead \| worked	19th Sep 2007
Blackout	First ascent.
Magnetic Fields	8b	Lead \| worked	4th May 1991
Magnetic Fields	References [1] Fourth redpoint of the day. https://www.instagram.com/p/CnuOhI_NugM/
Pas de Deux	8a+	Lead \| worked	18th May 2010
Pas de Deux	1st redpoint. http://doylosblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/malc-crushes-lpt.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEoMeB7EpA8
Energy Vampire	8a+	Lead \| flash
Energy Vampire	Early 90s.

Climb	Grade	Style	Ascent Date	Suggested Grade
Leviathan	8B+	Boulder \| worked	1994
Leviathan	First ascent.
Monk Life	8B+	Boulder \| worked	Oct 2003
Monk Life	First ascent. References [1] https://vimeo.com/6245846 [2] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2003/10/smith_completes_kyloe-in_project_at_font_8b+-9503
Pilgrimage	8B+	Boulder \| worked	2004	9a
Pilgrimage	First ascent.
Gut Buster	8B+	Boulder \| worked	Sep 2008
Gut Buster	First ascent. References [1] https://vimeo.com/5098601
Dreamtime (pre break)	8B+	Boulder \| worked	Feb 2004	8C
Dreamtime (pre break)	References [1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/rock_talk/smith_repeats_dreamtime-73118
Pool of Bethesda (Malc's Start)	8B	Boulder \| worked	2001
Pool of Bethesda (Malc's Start)	First ascent. References [1] On The Edge, Issue 112 page 11
Supersize Me	8B	Boulder \| worked	Jun 2005
Supersize Me	First ascent.
Firefight	8B	Boulder \| worked	Apr 2010
Firefight	First ascent. https://vimeo.com/11089789 https://www.stonecountrypress.co.uk/2010/04/firefight-by-malc-smith.html
Mithril	8B	Boulder \| worked	2004
Director's Cut	8B	Boulder \| worked	2004
The Ace	8B	Boulder \| worked	2005
The Ace	Third ascent. References [1]https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2001/12/malcolm_smith_repeats_careless_torque_-_as_fawcett_watches-2119
Frank's Wild Years	8A+	Boulder \| worked	Mar 2000
Frank's Wild Years	References [1] On The Edge Issue 108, page 60.
Turn That Frown Upside Down	8A+	Boulder \| worked	2001
Turn That Frown Upside Down	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
8 Ball	Third ascent. https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2001/11/malcolm_smith_repeats_8_ball_font_8b-1801
Pinch 2	8A+	Boulder \| worked
Pinch 2	1 session. References [1] https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,6362.msg89768.html#msg89768
Halfway House	8A	Boulder \| worked
Halfway House	First ascent.
Careless Torque	8A	Boulder \| worked	20th Dec 2001
Careless Torque	Third ascent. 3 sessions. I think it's the best boulder I've ever done quality-wise! ... I bouldered out the start quickly the first day, top roped the upper arete on the next day and then did it on the third day. [3] References [1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2001/12/malcolm_smith_repeats_careless_torque_-_as_fawcett_watches-2119 [2] https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/rock_talk/how_was_careless_torque_first_climbed-335185?v=1#x4944420 [3] On The Edge, Issue 114
The Joker	8A	Boulder \| worked	20th Dec 2001
The Joker	References [1] 6th go, shortly followed by The Ace and the same day as Careless Torque, https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2001/12/malcolm_smith_repeats_careless_torque_-_as_fawcett_watches-2119
Muttertag	8A	Boulder \| worked
Muttertag	Got told by a German named Fabian that he showed Malc muttertag n went round to clean the top for him, by the time he'd walked round the boulder Malc met him comin over the top. Then within 20 mins he climbed thro the sit to miss the top hold. He put his boots in his bag n Fabien said what are you doing its one of the best projects here to which Malc replied its not is it n then walked off. src
Powerband	7C	Boulder \| worked
Powerband	References [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVyQ2_Gs7o4

Climb	Grade	Style	Ascent Date	Suggested Grade
Transcendence	E9	Lead \| worked	1994
Transcendence	First ascent.

Climb	Grade	Style	Ascent Date	Suggested Grade