I'm a woman

I'm a woman
Photos copyright Laurence Gouault
No reproduction on other media without the photographer's permission.

Saturday 3 September 2022

Querganger, the route you do with pride, by Stevie Straight Haston

 Today I went climbing, there was a Gaypride march on the tiny island but I thought I would strut my stuff like the true YMCA guy I am by putting up a new route-Querganger! Querganger means traverse in German by the way, and this is a 45 meter traverse to a hanging belay followed by a 15 pitch to the top.



24 quickdraw, and its incredible rock, its gritstone like or very rough sandstone, it will provide a lovely deep water solo for the young of heart but needed a little cleaning by this old man. Alex hadn't really done a proper horizontal traverse before so she was in full German swearing mode.




There was a big flock of very big Barracudas for a while but sadly they got chased off by a speed boat and there were also fried Egg jellies fish floating around eerily. It was fairly somber down there under big over hangs and we weren't sure how to get off if we messed it up. I guess we would just have untied and jumped off!

The last little pitch is a very nice 6a+, which felt hard today, delicate with sore toes, very little pride as I didn't dance up it but moaned and twitched, overwieght and out of practise on such a fine bit of climbing as Queerganger, did I say 24 clips, good holds except for two sections of little crimps and friction stuff for the feet. It will be in the new guide book, coming soon to Malta and Gozo.