It's Easter and kids are stuffing their faces with chocolate eggs, and the climbers are stuffing their fingers in sharp pockets. There is a group dynamic at the moment and we need to get together, and become an organisation to help climbing in Malta move foreward, and you know, it's really difficult, people are difficult and prickly, and the vision gets lost. Climbing is a really great sport for kids, adults, semi adults, and those folk who don't even know what classification they should be heaped under. We have just made an agreement to gain us access to private land to climb it's very important to us, and yet some of us think we have a god given right to climb were ever we want. Well folks we don't have that right, we have reasonable access to governmental land to recreate, as do hunters and other folks, some times we might be in conflict, and yet we must somehow accommodate every body. And remember our voice is small, and many people don't understand us, or our sport.
Communication and friends in high places go along way.
This is Ken from the MCA, whose enthusiasm has taken him to 8a+ in a short time, and he is a guy like me who has recently tried to help bring us all together in an official way to make more head way with the government. Ken is a burly beast who has a very gentle manner, and he is very patient with the right authorities. I would like to thank him here publicly for all his work to get climbers together, and give them a platform, it is very important for us and him, to share our opinions and create a group consensus.
These guys are using their democratic right to carry wooden crosses around. There are a lot of democratic rights, and sometimes it's hard to understand a new one, or a minority one. There are more shot gun licenses on this island than in any other country in Europe, maybe the world, and yet we are a fairly peaceable nation. We don't normally shoot each other. Some of us would like to climb, we think it's healthy, good for staying in shape, and doesn't harm anyone, we also want more climbers especially from the Maltese.
At the moment we are trying to get funds to re equip lots of climbs, make them safer for every body, and make some new climbs. If you think you can help, or want to affect policy please talk to Ken, me, or anybody concerned. Please join the Malta Climbing Association, help us make group policy, and speak with one voice so we can get somewhere with the government, and local bodies. They want to help, but their rules mean they want to deal with the Association. Ok lets boogie, personally I don't even want to be a member of a club, but I am. Personally I don't want to be a member of an association of clubs, personally I just want to climb. But, and it's a big but, you need to communicate this stuff with the big boys, the government and the guys with money. Ok.