Profile of Malcolm Smith Photos by Jerry Moffatt
  
 

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              <p align="left"><font size="3" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#990000"><br>
                When you were eighteen years old, you repeated the Ben Moon test 
                piece 'Hubble'. Did you have to do any specific training for this, 
                like other ascentionists, and was it completely at your limit 
                at the time?</font><font size="3" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br>
                <a href="p06.htm"><img src="images/p08_sml.jpg" width="188" height="250" align="left" vspace="5" hspace="5" border="0" alt="Click here to view larger image"></a>I 
                did a lot of specific training, mainly static locks on similar 
                undercuts. It wasn't at my limit at the time, I could chalk up 
                at the crux when I returned for photo's one month after I did 
                it. It's still very hard to this day it's probably Font. 8b.</font></p>
              <p align="left"><font size="3" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#990000">You 
                seem to be concentrating on bouldering mainly at the moment. Do 
                you have any plans to try to repeat any of the Fr. 9a routes that 
                are around now?</font><font size="3" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br>
                No immediate plans to try any. I feel I could (repeat them) but 
                it's a lot of hard work and I don't think it would advance my 
                climbing as much as what I'm doing now.</font></p>
              <p align="left"><font size="3" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#990000">You 
                climbed Font. 8b+, 'Leviathon' at Kyloe in the Woods, some time 
                ago now. Since you have tried and repeated other peoples 8b+'s, 
                how do you think 'Leviathon' compares and do you still rate it 
                as one of the hardest pieces of climbing you have done?</font><font size="3" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br>
                Definitely, the individual moves aren't so hard but there's a 
                lot of them and it takes time to learn. Also finishing up a Font. 
                7c+ after traversing fifty feet takes a bit of power.</font></p>
              <p align="left"><font size="3" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#990000">A 
                few years ago you repeated such Fontainbleau classics as 'Duel' 
                (Font. 8a) and 'Karma' (Font. 8a). How did you find the technicalities 
                of the forest and are there any lines you plan to finish off or 
                attempt?</font><font size="3" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br>
                I love Fontainebleau. I do enjoy the technical nature of the climbs 
                but because they are so technical and sloping there's only so 
                much power you can get down onto the rock. I'm keen to go back 
                soon and do 'Pierre Philosophale', a classic Font. 8b.</font></p>
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              <p align="left"><font size="3" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#990000">You 
                visited the Frederick Nicole stomping ground of Cressiano last 
                year. Rumours have it that you were very close to repeating Fred's 
                Font. 8c 'Dreamtime'. Do you plan to go back to finish this off 
                and how do you rate Swiss bouldering?</font><font size="3" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br>
                I went back recently but it was still too hot for the full thing, 
                but I did the standing start (Font. 8b) which I was pleased with. 
                I want to return soon and do the whole problem. Like all the problems 
                at Cressiano it's an absolute classic.</font></p>
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