Happy work, by Stevie sometimes Haston.

Work is some times necessary! Sometimes work is happy! 
Anyway Richard a lovely guy and a journalist brought his kids over and Tutu to climb with me and Alex. Climbing in the sun and shade trying to give something from the great sport of climbing to other people, it can be more of a pleasure than I can say, its also harder than I can say, very hard.

 Mgar Xini where the shot guns are many and the youngest asks why do you kill birds Stevie!

Journalists are very much in the news in my small country where our best journalist was assassinated in the last few days and our country is in a turmoil! I have the pleasure and honour of knowing more than a few journalists come to that a few bankers as well, yes I often disagree with them, but obviously not about climbing in this we are all agreed. More people should go climbing but certainly not Toni Zarb the government political advisor who likened some female protestor yesterday to prostitutes. What a monumental dick Mr Zarb from the planet misoginist is, how can he underline more the zeros of the present incumbent.
 

 Buddy checking each other!

I insist on Buddy checks it's not something that would have gone down well in the early 1970s, misogyny and bullying should also be out of fashion today. One of the things I love and increasingly love about climbing is it's anti sexist nature, it's anti ageist nature, it really is a sport for all, But please mr Tony Zarb, never darken my cliffs, you will have an argument on your hands. 

 the main aim of today was to get us down here and back!

When these fine folk go I will be sad, Richard the Journo likes my blog, and is complaining I don't blog enough, he is right. But you all know the reason Iam not blogging, it's because I am naffed off, Grenfield Tower, Malta nonsense, arms sales, British ministers not knowing that certain countries ceased to exist 20 years ago! I have been looking after myself, my own sanity, please forgive me, I have been climbing for my self, swimming for my self, and scuba diving for my self.

 Tutu waving.

My little island in the sun, my little brain tangled with Gordian political knots, the pleasure of others wiping everything clean.

 Sebastian looking cool.

I will do new routes, I promise to increase the pleasure, even though I had a report that a public footpath now has a gate on it, and hunters have made a small lake where they are attracting ducks to shoot on the way to one of our best cliffs, and barring us from climbing. Can you believe it? Nearly as daft as rich people killing foxes for nuffing except pleasure and snobbery.

 9 years old, which one is nine years old, or are there three?

I,ll leave you with this, this is a doorway to pleasure, its Alice down through the looking glass to a strange world, or the yellow brick road….

Bye for now.

Are you young, by Stevie not old Haston.

There is chronological age, and physiological age, emotional, intellectual and a few more. Are you young, is your body young enough to climb well?

 Old enough to buy gear, or having kids when you should be having fun! You working too much?

How old am I? I would say I am any where between 7 and 20, I pass physical tests for normal people with ease, yet I have the wonder of a 7 year old. Am I happy with my body, yes provided it does what I ask, its getting a bit less co operative. Or is it, there has always been a battle to just sit on my arse!

 Do you wonder if your body is out of synch with your ambitions-me thinking can I dive deeper, or do I want another 2 pints. Will I climb or swim tomorrow?

 Are you still being silly, up for a jape, etc.

 Do you know whats available to help you climb and their only cost is money, not effort?

 Spice up your life, do it different, try visiting world class cliffs.

Go snowboarding, run up that little hill and go red. Swim with the fishes, sleep out under the stars, do not buy that electric can opener.

 Harder than nails, can you still trim your own?

Skip breakfast, unless its nails! 

 Little test, do it, fail or pass?

 Little test fail or pass?

 Are you happy when you train? Be happy.

Adults forget what the floor is, they want seats, and posh ones, get on the ground, get on the sea, or under it, rough paths not easy roads, try a bit, stretch your self.

Think how your body can help you, it is your only real friend, unless you are very sick, it wants to help you. But sometimes do use a stick, beat yourself once in a while, you must be in control of your space craft. Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun. Pipers at the Gates of Dawn, listen to your heart, and breath before you are listening to a wheeze, you're dying gasp. Too late, is too late.

Just like that, by Stevie Shoes Haston.

My life seems to be flowing away, from the mountains to the sea. It's been a nice journey-bucolic at times, but now it seems to be turning into the last rendition of Blade Runner-a confused story with lots of product placement. Beware the Ides of March.

Wheres my climbing shoes, bare foot climbing is not all its cracked up to be.

Confession part one, I am a very big nerd!

Confession two, I don't like boots and shoes, I love them for what they can do.

 Discussing fins for free diving, when the current record for no fins diving is over 100 meters depth, makes me feel a bit useless, discussing boots when people have done 8b barefoot might appear the same!

Without boots I can climb certain 6bs on face climbs, that's really  it. I don't climb crack without shoes, I promised myself never to suffer that degree of pain unless it was with a pretty domiatrix, crack climbing bare foot is a hell of pain. Boots, or shoes are climbing to me. The better the shoes the harder I climb, the kinder the shoes to my feet, the longer I enjoy that special pleasure of movement.  I have more climbing shoes, diving fins, running shoes, ice climbing boots than anybody on the planet, I take them very seriously. 

 The Chimera, I climbed 8b+, or this boot did straight out of the box!

When I help people climb I spend a few minutes talking about climbing shoes, and I then ask them to remember what I have said as I take them climbing. Most climbers think hands and fingers, as they climb.As they climb harder they worry about foot holds, and shaking off the holds, you start to ask your boots to stick, or edge, or to get further in that pocket. Good boots really help. A good fit really helps. Understanding your requirements, the rocks requirements, and where those bones in your feet that support your weight, and stick to the rock are fundamental to success. Please take boots seriously. 

 Scarpa Furia, a narrower toe which has a soft and comfy foot bed, velcro fitting for ease of, ON and OFF.

I used to climb dangerous 7b in really bad shoes, with rubbish gear, god only knows how good I was, because today if you gave shoes like that, I would be in hospital. I climbed the Eiger in mountain boots which weighed four times what a modern mountain boot can. Take boots, and how they fit you seriously.

My all-round shoe, it's ON and OFF in the blink of an eye, The Stix sticks to a teflon shovel!!!!3 mm rubber ensures I feel every thing!

Climbing shoes are to me like the ones that nimble Greek God Mercury wears, he has little wings at the back, and allow him to be a bit super human. Be nice to your shoes, place them with care, exactly right, press the rubber into the rock, engage the rubber-it will stick, push on your wonderful godlike fully graceful body, which is in harmony with the rock, succeed -fly.
If I can bore you just a bit longer, when I free dive, after 18 meters depth I normally don't have to fin, or swim, you glide through the water propelled by your negative buoyancy, and some impetuous. This "glide" is one of the most incredible things in my life, I used to get it running, I used to get it trudging up mountains, and I still get it rock climbing when my body and feet propel me through mysterious rock with magical ease. So guys get those winged feet.