Climbers need to support Gozo climbing. by Stevie Gozitan Haston.

So fellow climbers I thought I would ask you for some support about access to climbing on Malta, and Gozo.  As you know the famous Azure Window, a stone arch over the sea fell down, this has prompted all sorts of erroneous ideas as to why it fell down. We as a climbing community on the island are worried that our already fragile access to the climbing here is at risk. The scare mongering press wanted the Azure window fenced off, it fell off in a heavy full of energy storm! A few tourists, or climbers, can never excert the force of a huge wave on a static structure in its way! Please help me and Gozo, and Maltese climbing. 

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We are as a sporting group scared of loosing access to these fantastic places, despite adding to the economy of the country.

Climbing is the fastest growing new attraction, or activity on the island, and provides visits outside the main season so it is very, very valuable to the economy of the little island of Gozo, and its mother island of Malta. If you have climbed here, and enjoyed it, please support us. 

 This route Bernd has made it into international climbing magazines and is one of the best roof cracks in the world, it is on Gozo, Malta.

People who know me understand my passion for climbing, but might also understand this passion means I am not the best negotiator! I am asking for support, and trying to get things together with others, and the wider climbing community to let logic, and climbing prevail over knee jerk reaction, and a feeling of mourning for a lost arch of stone. 

Spread the word please, that climbing is important, and very good for tourism, and is a healthy sport.

Please help Gozo, and Maltese climbing as much as you can. Are there any engineers out there who are willing to explain the absurdity of comparing a climber to the forces of nature? People can email me with ideas, and suggestions about effecting a positive result. 

News of the arch is wide spread, and a few climbing web sites have carried  my opinions already, I repeat please help.

Defenistration of a Maltese tourist icon, by Stevie Azure Haston.

The Azure Window of Gozo has fallen down, it was one, if not thee touristic sight of the Maltese Islands. It regaled travel brochures, and "In flight magazines", and now it is dead!
  

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 A sea arch is a lovely thing, plans to make more are being looked at by the government. 

For the last few years the Azure window has been loosing its paint, and getting a bit loose as it were. There was ludicrously a fence for a few meters on one side, which some how was to keep the tourists off it. There was a fine of 1500 eus for going on it, a fine I am not sure could be justified in any way. Today the security service (?) was there trying to stop tourists from going on an arch that was not there. The fence by the way is about 20 meters long, and you simply walk around it, no signs on the other side!

 the rock of Gozo is a pleasure to climb-in most cases.

I love the rock of Gozo, perhaps I am its biggest fan, and I know the most about it, after all I have climbed on it through out my life. The Azure Window was purposely left out of the guide book to climbing, even though historically it had been climbed on for 50 years. Indeed, thank god I left it out because for the last few years the papers have been full of shouting, and complaints about people damaging the arch by walking on it! The Azure Window was never going to fall down due to a fat tourist, or five, it fell down in a storm. It was created by storms, and it was killed by storms.

 A photo which appeared in a magazine.

International news, is the "disappearance of a window", but it never made it into the press when the Mielah window (the one in the photo above) was draped in toilet paper, and sewage. Out of the sewage came this arch, the fear is that now, instead of a great tourist attraction to climb on, the circus of burger vans, and tea shacks, and diesel generators will come!

This is the iconic,window that is no more!

It's a sad thing, a Window into peoples sensibilities has been shut. It takes millennium for the arts, and crafts of the ocean to make a window, and now it is so drab without it, its weird because it is still so pretty, but not like it was. It's almost like the removal of a beautiful painting from a wall, and now you just see the out line on the wall, in dust and dirt!  

Back to the Future, by Stevie Haston.

The new cliff gets better, and better. 3 routes so far, but 12 done, need bolts! I want this cliff done, or  a good 20 routes done for the new guide, as I am sure it will give people lots of pleasure.

 Withnail and I, 7a.

The route we did yesterday was very nice, a bit hard for a porky old bloke like me. Intricate, delicate, and finger moves up very sumptuous rock all proving hard to read. Climbing seems like a foreign language when the lard coat is on.

 Lunch, a packet of glue and some nuts please.

After we did our little route, we had a bit of time, so explored a bit. We thought there was a big cave some where near from our big swims, but we didn't know for sure, as it's hard to know where you are. Anyway we found another set of fishermen's cut steps down a different part of the cliff, and chose to accept the challenge. So down the steps we went, the 39 Steps to Heaven, they soon turned out to be.
  

 between swearing at me in german, Alex was happy with the stone.

The rock goes through three layers or strata, with a lovely bit of sandstone for a few meters, that uncharacteristically for the islands, produces a bit of friction like moves, and a change of emotion..

 Lunar like landscape, don't know why I said that (wrote that) haven't got a clue what the moon looks like!

As I said, it's hard to know where you are, large parts of the top are similar, or without noticeable markers. There are fishermen's threads, where the fishermen used to, and sometimes still do attach traps. But without knowing the cliff it's a problem orientating one self. The guide book will require a bit of thought.

Behind is a cave of special magnificence!

Notice in the above photo, a bollard cut in the rock by fishermen! These bollards are a great historical reminder of the local "hanging" fishermen of Gozo. I have seen reference to them from at least 160 years ago! The steps we followed down were very impressive, and ended with a view of a great cave, which I remember had a couple of brill, but time consuming lines. Ah the future looks busy. We were too scared to look at them, yesterday

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Pirates, Pilates, and politicians, by Stevie Polite Haston.

The island is very green, and pleasant, temperatures are perfect, so why am I on a cold cliff these last few days. The answer my friend is blowing in the wind, "it's because the stone, is stoned immaculate".

 Friction slab, unusual for limestone!

Two new routes yesterday, I need bolts. Donate some money if you can, or have climbed on my island.  One was 6a, easy 6a at that, the name Mega Stone came to mind. The next one we did was better! Couldn't think of a name, but it was petrified joy, it was a neat little layback up a corner where my fat fingers made it tricky. 

 how green is my island, very green it is, going soon to be brown.

The flowers are very nice this year, the South African Sorel is rampant. This week the Magreb dwarf iris is out, I lost all the photos I took yesterday so can't show you, sad how things blink off computers, isn't it?

A faithful pair of shoes!

Finally gave a pair of climbing shoes a viking burial, well not really, put them in the bin, very sad to see these friends go the way of the Dodo. I need Bolts, I need Glue, I have some time to do some routes, and feel keen. Titanium does not grow on trees. Ah just thought of a name for the second route we did, the "Titanium Tree". The route we failed to bolt was a diagonal route with a slab move on friction, and then the final few moves went over a little overhanging wave of sandstone by hidden generous holds, but either due to being fat, missing the correct footholds, or the steepness, a nice slap was necessary. A perfect route sadly not bolted.  

Why I get upset, by Stevie Haston.

 Hey Dustin hope your ok buddy after Carnival.


Legend has it that we were Hansons, and changed to the anglicised name of Haston, to escape some normal kind of misdemeanour that makes folks immigrate sometimes in a fast fashion.

 the almond blossom is very happy this year and drags me back to that sublime place.

All the people who have got on my case this week about black people, Muslims, hard working Poles, and any other stupid tosh can go to hell in a hand basket.

 Without flowers I don't have life…

I will climb with anybody as long as they are reasonable, and don't hate people because of their colour, or some other flavour. If your political beliefs are different from mine, and they will most certainly be, because yes I am from the Left, the deep off the screen Left, don't worry I won't eat you. But, and it's a big BUT, I might think your not kind, so don't get upset. If you are not a socialist, or if you want people like me to FUCK off back to their own country, please be aware that I might not like you, because you have no empathy, and guess what, I have no country, only a passport. 

 without rock I don't have life.

The UK was never that great for us, four of us lived in two damp rooms, with no toilet, or bathroom. Dad was often black listed for being on strike, or demanding safe conditions of work. Now that I see unelected Prime Fascist May, and the Cons dismantling the last barriers we have to a social defence for workers please forgive me for drawing some lines in my friendship criteria.

without foolish fun I don't have life, after all I am a mix of northern european and arab …

The word Slavic gave us the word Slaves, my present country of visiting, was a slave trade nation, except it was more of a business. The Knights of Saint John , the so called Hospitalers were just a business, and a crooked one most like. My Maltese name comes from Farug, ok. If you don't like it, it is not much to me, I will know you by your dislike. 

Soothing sea of distraction, by Stevie the sea Haston.

It's Carnival in the village, indeed all over the island this week you see people in fancy dress, or costume. It's pretty cool, although of course I don't normally take part, I just go climbing, and the traffic from the extra tourist just gets on my nerves.

 Local viewpoint, each year a few tourists get washed away-it's a local sub sport. Recently there was a much exaggerated story of six people being rescued in the news-it was fake news, they were knocked over!

 Kids just want to have fun, Dustin and Lilly, showing off on "the brain", in years to come it will of course be illegal to stand on this rock, and you will have to have a certified guide etc.
  

the Brain rumours to be modelled on the average size of a local villagers brain, or testical, take your pick.

This section of the north coast is seeing lots of walkers and climbers, this is good as normally its just the preserve of hunters, and four wheel drivers!

 over laden, trying to get across with a big wind ,and sea raging!

This route is taking some time! 

When this route is done it will be four little pitches, finishing through the obvious Alice in wonder hole! It is getting on my nerves, because I can't seem to take the harness pain, and back pain anymore. Still I hope to live on beer through my old age given to me by thankful climbers who climb it.

Slotty Slit of doom, by Stevie Slavering Haston.

Revisiting cliffs you some times get a shock, some routes seem really great, some ordinary. The crazy ones always stand out of course, they throb, they pulse, you can smell the fear dripping in your arm pits, just looking at them.

 A bit of spring cleaning….. never ending story.

The slot of doom has one great route in it, it's called Orchestral manoeuvres in the Dark. It's a pokey 7a, having done it twice I can say that it doesn't get easier on second, or third time around.
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Having always wanted to do the left hand side of the arching cave, I finally worked it all out today, have to bolt it of course. It will be a three pitch route, with some fairly improbable climbing, and architecture to die for. It will be a must do. Hopefully it won't be very hard.

 this bit is easy…

The last time I was here we were shot at by hunters. Today just some tourists admiring the spectacular limestone plateau with it's great shapes.

 Little Lilly, 10 years old she did a grade three today.

The slot of doom gets abit uncomfortably wide, depending on where I choose to finish it! If I want I can finish on some jammed blocks, and finish fairly easily. If I choose to be demonic, I can finish it by Batman chimney!

 where to finish?

I fell off trying the Batman finish, but is that any reason not to bolt it that way?