Climbing reality, by Stevie Moses Haston.

I watched these guys do the hardest routes of their lives. They can't ever do more. 

Anyway......

Present weight 75 kg  grade possible 8a......... +/- a bit due to grade discrepancies and other variables

if I loose 2kg   8a+ becomes possible  weight 73+/-

if I loose 2kgs 8b   becomes possible   weight 71kg

if I loose 2kgs 8b+ becomes possible   weight 69kg

 

Trying to teach Shiva to be a veggie...about as hard as loosing weight.

If I loose 2kg 8c becomes possible weight 67kg

If I loose 2kg 8c+ becomes possible weight 65kg

If I loose 2kg 9a   becomes possible weight  63kg

Total weight loss would be 12kg .... horrific thought at present.

Some hope lies in the fact that you store glycogen in muscles so this weight loss is also possible.

Anyway all in all, massively scary at the moment, as I feel very comfy being gross at the moment. 

Upside down beings, by Stevie Haston.

This is Zulu, he dragged me out to show me some new moves, he's abit of a show off, he's young after all. The cats were fed up of me being sick, my immune system is a bit shot after only 7 days rest in 5 months!

I like overhangs and slabs equally but I am going to do more slabs this year. And more walls. But most of all I am going to do more overhangs!

This is Cruella, she's the lightest and smallest cat, she does the 9a thin branch stuff!

Do you ski, or slide down snowy slopes? Do  you do it straight i.e. ski, or do you do it side ways, like snowboarding? Are you left handed, Sinister as the Italiens would say. Are you goofie as a snowboarder might say. My cats say all sorts of things, but sometimes I dont understand.

Laurence is upside down as usual. She has promised to keep trying to control my breathing for me, its something we have shied away from doing. After 5 months climbing my skill at climbing is very high but my power is well down, time to sort things out. Climbing is seasonal after all.

I wore out 2 pairs of running shoes and 3 pairs of rock shoes in 5 months, my psyche is slightly dented too, so .... a little rest.... breathing and meditation yoga, then six weeks of plain old power and try to do some hard stuff.

What do you think is hard Zulu? What do you think is hard Cruella? What do I think?

Gozo, France, the Universe, by Stevie Cosmic Haston.

Leaving Gozo is generally desperately hard for me but knowing it was snowing back home and that the cliffs are wet made it a bit worse, oh yeeees it did! Still and all there's a wife and cats to get to know again, chickens garden and of course got to get back into a training thing, a thunderous training thang!

 Inigo lives on Gozo and doesn't know he is born, yet alone one of the luckiest people on zee planet. These are the last of the shitty stainless steel bolts that I put in,  my last batch was "316" which is supposedly much better but which in reality is just better. I'd like better quality than 316, but we, the climbing community of Malta and Gozo can't seem to get the cash!

This is my garden in France, more than 6 inches fell, broke some of my daffodils which I had come home to see. Last year I missed them altogether, because I was in Gozo. Still the big cave is waiting, but my body doesn't feel strong, will have to steel it up, forge it into a weapon of lust, and vanquish the old demon, until I find a new demon.

The climbing world seems to have moved up a notch, with a few very good ascents in Spain. Estado Critico was flashed by a young German, to every bodies surprise it wasn't a young Czech.  I won't talk about grades because I have got a few wrong myself lately but when the same boy nearly did La Rambla you can definitely  say he was walking into a new land of difficulty. Climbing is great, long live climbing and all who live in her shadow. These last ascents have depressed more than a few but have energized me, rather than think how far behind you might be just think that the journey has got more bumpy and interesting. Thanks Alex for the inspiration, and also to Chris for the perseverance to finnish La Dura Dura, it ain't over till the fat Lady sings.

Going, going Gozo, by Stevie Haston

• 
  

  

  (c) Inigo Taylor

  Few more days have passed in paradise, the flowers have gone Gozo. One is called Maltese everlasting, and is one of my favourites, yellow flowers, and dry matte looking grey foliage.

  

  (c)Laurence Gouault

  Been bolting more on a big roof project, which is looking really exiting, 17 meters of ceiling!!! And I got blasted on some stuff i bolted but couldn't climb.

  

  (c) Xavier Hancock

  Anyway here’s Inigo on a 5+ which looks 7+....

  

  When Van Damme meets up with Stevie, to be continued....

  

  (c) Inigo Taylor

  
  
• 
  

Cruella in the Underworld, by Stevie Haston

This route is called Cruella the cruel, damp conditions thwarted several repoint attempts,.. Today was so dry it went first time, but it was so painful because I have been doing too much. Pain is a bit weird, there is mental pain, and physical pain, , pain from being alive, pain from fail, so didn’t fail, tried damn hard, broke bits of holds, some how did a few campus moves on no gas. 


Put a few bolts in a new project which will join up with Cruella the Cruel , will be monster hard, for sure don’t have the right stuff this month, as I seem to have lost something. 

Cant believe how beau the UnderWorld was today, Simon popped down to visit Big X and Inigo who took some very nice photos.

 

 
Some cliff are really so good they shine.


The Underworld is such a physical crag it is like something from an other era, it's more like Gladiator meets King Kong.
I wish I had the Underworld with me all the time but I guess I have it in a pocket of my mind. So threw a few more pennies for the Ferryman...

Sweet time to finish the day...with little Lilly climbing at the Black Slab, Kercem...

...she got to the top!