Summer is coming, by Stevie sunny Haston

 the view from the 17 th Century sentry box on fungus rock.

Pay Pal button is working at top right of page, donate if you want good climbs and good bolts.

It's very warm today, a big El Nino will ruin the ski season I suppose, who knows now a days.  I was enjoing very warm conditions, and went soloing, and to do a bit of work. The work was to lever off a big flake of rock on one of my routes. A bit dangerous, glad I got rid of it, more than two meters high, and a meter wide! I watched a climber pull on it a few months ago, it's off route, but people will wander around! Any way it's gone. Then I did another, that one took me an hour, it moved, and rattled but wouldn't come out. Soloing stuff afterwards was easy.  

 BerndArnold, East German route developer, and ace climber.

The year is nearly out and gone, just a religious festival, and a weird arbitrary new years day to go! Solstice is my celebration. It felt good to know every day will be lighter now.

 A little rainbow, rainbows symbolise hope, we all need a bit of hope. Good luck to you all.

This year will be climbing, climbing and more climbing. 

 Titanium bolt and rams horn lower off. good stuff, not cheap but it will last.

Next year there will be a festival in Gozo for climbers, and before that I would like to do a fair few routes, and make a few things safe. Please donate to my bolting projects, button at the top, they promised it will be alright now.

 A beautiful fossil on one of my routes, a giant worm I think!

We seem to live in changing times, the next few years will be a fight for various freedoms. Democracy and the rule of law are almost dead. You are lucky if your governments pay lip service to anything. So climbing for some people will be their big escape. 

sector Titan, brilliant stamina routes for the winter.

Any way putting out the feelers to all my mates, all the old climbers, all the vets, and all the young climbers who like exciting climbing, and a nice chilled place, Gozo Climbing Festa, Festa Tal Biceps, 2016. Give me feedback guys, and girls.

Ginger bread climbers and climbers dog.

In 3 weeks I got a bit of work, I,ll be pulling the stops out to do a hard route before then, you got to be positive, you gotta train hard, you mustn't get injured, and you can't drink! Well perhaps one for Auld Lang syne.

Help me create climbs. By Stevie Haston.

 local fishing boat with basket traps.


Right my Pay Pal button is up and running, I expect to be overwhelmed by contributions. If you have climbed on Gozo and enjoyed it, or whether you expect to come, and have a good holiday with some rust proof bolts, please think of adding to our great climbs.

 Mr T, and a strange mythical creature taking his light image!

Gozo has gone Titanium and this will take a lot of work, one way or the other. We hope to make some climbs that will benefit the climbing community, increase tourism, and cause more fun, and success for everyone.

 The kind of route you can expect, 35 meters of slightly overhanging rock.

Today Mr T was red pointed by Martin, it was very impressive, and while he was on the top crux, three dolphis where lashing about hunting, very cool.

Mr T is a very pumpy 7a, its extraordinary.

A very nice day was passed, I was in the company of a nice man, and no horrid people, no social chit chat, or unnecessary pleasantries were exchanged. Just rock, sea, and sky.

The view from the top of Sector Titan.

What can I say, one more good climb done, one more little journey for climbers in serene ambiance, one bit of peace in an increasingly at war planet. Peace and love to you all, except for the cnuts, death and transfiguration to them. Sorry didn't mean that last bit, it just slipped out. Peace to all, even the Cnuts.

Precipices, Portraits, Pirates,

 Just crucify me, love this photo.

Just found out that one of my all time favourite climbers is coming here to Gozo, so I am Stoked.
Steve Maclure is famous in many ways, but in some ways - he is so casual about his great climbing, that it misses people.

 Steve Maclure stealth climber.

The editor of UK climb Mag came over recently to interview me,  and as we were talking in the auditorium of the inner Underworld cliff, you could see Ian Parnell eyes light up as he could imagine Steve Mac eating the rock. I enjoyed it too. It was nice to see a UK sea cliff climber like Ian, appreciate my cliff, and my climbs. Oh my precious. Yes its personal.  I get so fed up of people coming to the Underworld, and they just get grossed out by the thugginess of the place, they miss the beauty, the fossils, the singularity of disappearing perspective of the routes in the Time Tunnel. Yep it's wasted on Plonkers, it won't be on Steve Maclure.  

70 meter pitches at this cliff, far out and funky!.

 Freda Kahlo

 world champs they are invariably Grivel athletes.

I keep promising to do a dry cliff here, for the boys and girls to play around on our softer than cheese rock, I,ll try and get some money together, and do it for next year, when we have a Gozo climbing festival. Big overhangs for Mixed climbers, yep should be fun!

 Master of the Universe.

Official rope testers are auditioning here on Gozo. We will be testing a few bolts this week, we will test some glue, but above all we will be placing Titanium as part of Gozo Climbing Association policy.

Stephan and his Red Chilli team enjoying our sunshine.

Lots of people climbed on Gozo this year, I am happy, things will get better. I had a bad day when I let the CNUTS of this world get to me with their egos, and nonsense, guys who climb 5+ and 6a. Gozo is great, me and my mates will try to make it better, promise. Plus got a bit of work in Germany at ISPO so will be able to eat, pay my electricity, and climb. Thanks Grivel I needed the money.

Bad day at good Rock, by Stevie Sad Haston

 Alas poor stoic I was once well.

I saw a turle, about a thousand barracuda, and it looked like Tuna hurding lots of fish, finally a very big dolphin fish appeared. None of this did its usual trick of making me feel special, and lucky. I can't actually believe how some people have let me down recently. You probably feel that I shouldn't off load onto you, and you want your usual entertainment, but hey I'ave had a shitty day. Clearly not a serious Syrian kind of day, but I really am fed up with certain people on Malta. They are holding the sport back. We have no kids and the general level of climbing is lamentable.

 A fossil, I think its a tube worm, but if you actually know, please tell me.

Right whinge over. Today was ok, it was a perfect day, a new route called Sissyfuss 6a, and a bit of scoping out. I am a bit loath to share this cliff with horrid climbers, because it's rich in fossils, and I don't want them broken. I saw litter from climbers today, I picked it up!

 Sissyfuss, 6a 40 meters, very nice.

Cant wait for the winter solstice to be honest, the lac of light is making me glum. You probably think this is whinging of a high order, but I really don't like the dark nights. That's why I am here in the sparkling light.

 looking at a 7b?

The overhanging wall I was looking at today was very nice. It will provide a lot of fun.

A silver Dollar fossil, there is always a silver lining with a silver dollar.

Good times ahead, good routes, blue skies, azure sea, pleasant kind company. Lots of yoga for me to keep the CNUTS at bay. I need to retreat into my yoga climbing bubble, and be selfish for a while. 

Celerbrate life, climb. By Stevie Haston.

 Matterhorn Boulder, route Matterhorn 6a+. Sopu Labyrinth.

Teamed up with Didi, and Alex, and kids, and dog again, cleaning paths, and doing a few routes with Alex. 

 Matterhorn 6a+ a bit pumpy, wonderful generous holds, in the sun in December with daffodils.

Didi and I did a lot of path work, and he then told me that Scottish Ron had died. Scotish Ron was a bloke we played pool with in our local boozer. Our age, chest infection, coma, and gone, sorry Ron, and thanks for being convivial, and jovial, good bye mate.
   

Sector Titanium.

Enjoy yourself celebrate the good things in life. Do a few good, beau things, share them with others. Enjoy the sun. Especially if your flooded like all my friends in the Lake District. The Sun is here for you. Routes are here for you, like the Matterhorn, which I guess is the opposite of the Matterhorn, it's in the Sun. Hope you have a sunny warm seat with a good view Ron.

Mistra rocks and Sopu Towers complex. by Stevie Simple Haston.

 man eating brambles.
A little day trying to distract my self from the problems of the world. Two meter high black berry bushes, and hedges of local Devils thorn can take your mind off anything, I assure you.

 A wall of nobs and stuck on things, perhaps a few little climbs.

The Nadur cliffs on Gozo have the most routes in the Maltes Islands now, with over a hundred routes! It's got routes up to 8c+, and a few novice routes. It's a lovely maze of big rock pinnacles, and cliffs with strangely a lot of stamina routes for its short height. The longest pitch is 40 meters, but they are generally around 22, or so. 

 a bit tired in the daffy down dillies.

Went out "en famile", a dog also, the two young girls sometimes becoming lost in the labyrinth of blocs and holes and the maze of thorn bushes. The poor dog, a small one, suffered the most, having to be carried occasionally by me. He enjoyed snuffling out the large rats however, he loved that.

Prickly pear eating, with the White Tower in the background.

Thanks to Jeff and Ken for being supportive lately, man you need mates sometimes. It rained today, found a new wall, messed about, looked for crystals and fossils. Spotted a few of the blue Black Rock thrushes, the national bird of the islands. All nice. 

big up to Jeff and Ken, this is 21.12.12. the strange numerical name of a fine 8b.


It's been a beautiful day. Among the rocks and flowers, despite the troubles of the world, and my total inability to help any one, a little peace was found.  I hope that these few photos, and the knowledge that there is little oasis of calm in between the horrid people and turmoil,  hope it gives you a little pleasure. Remember climbers we are one, we fight without a victim, we war against our selfs to be better, to be calmer, to have more fun and success among the rocks, or if your lucky among the mountains. Peace and serenity to you.

Return to Basics, by Stevie Basic Haston.

 Basic crack, it's at least 8b+.

Did a bit of training, 1300 pull ups on a few different edges, and holds. It felt good to do some work. I started to do some yoga again. I miss it, and my Yoga teacher. I miss France,  but certainly don't wish to live there at the moment. You must balance problems with solutions. Training is a solution to being weak, so I train.

 Basically a bit windy and beau.

I love my little island, and realise how Gozitan I am. I was never French, nearly, but never quiet, more from the Pyrenees, than from Chamonix, more garlic, than primrose.

 Basically lead, and heavy.

I am a bit too weak to use the 12kg weight belt, did a couple of sets, I can feel it in the belly of my lats, a dull ache. Basically good pain.

Basically wood, out of focus, and kind to your fingers.

How do you do 1230 pull ups? Slowly, and carefully, like Hedge Hogs mating! And you must use wood, and a good board.
Finding "the wood" is very important if you'r a porn star, avoiding "the wood", is very important if your red pointing, and finally "a good Woody", is clearly your best friend. Clearly.

Basically Titanium 2, completely rust proof, and the only solution!

So Titanium doesn't rust, is very ductile, so it stresses less in manufacturing, and therefore shouldn't get stress corroded. It will be there long after I die! Basically, if you are placing bolts that are not titanium, you have wood for brains. 20° today-sea is warmer than the air-not a bad place to live. I am glad I don't live in Syria. And the French should be careful about draconian policing, and arresting, and beating people up, like they are now doing. That's Fascism-Basically.