Break on thru to the Other Side, by Stevie Haston.

 A cliff on Gozo.

Faced with sad news, what can you do? 

 Water Taxi.

Life seems very temporary today, and fragile. Please be careful my friends, not just in France but everywhere. The consequence of awful actions is sometimes more awful still, and obviously it's not the guilty who will suffer-the innocent will often become the easy targets.

 some aquatic rubbish collection.

 Rubbish accumulating.

Obviously this blog was supposed to be something else, but I couldn't get my head around much. A nice day feeling good about doing good things was turned to dust. Remy  Bergasse died under tragic circumstances, and his enormous potential lost to us all. This was not eclipsed, but surpassed by greater numbers of deaths a few hours later, and all the good feelings disappeared.  

 le bon heur can sometimes be a bit far away.

Le bon heur, does not arrive so easily as this.

The breeze was fresh, the climbing was good, the evening superb. The news later was devastating. Be careful people. Actions beget actions, violence breeds violence, and it is the innocent who most often suffer. Please do not let this tragedy, turn into a lessening of freedom, please keep this a police matter, not a military one. Please keep the borders open.
Peace. 

Magic Fungus and Fungus rock, by Stevie Haston.

 Lost a fin today, expensive.

It's illegal nowadays to climb Fungus rock, so please don't. We had permission, it's rarely given, so we were lucky. For those who won't get permission what's the story? Well it's a long one, around the year 1650 there was a cable car to the top, and guards living on it. So it was climbed years ago, proving what exactly, that Gozo was a climbing nation, or we were interested in Fungus. The name Fungus rock alludes to the strange fungus like parasitic plant that grows here.

 Water hole and collecting grooves.

Well this Fungus which was thought to be just endemic to this rock, but which has been recorded else where, looks like a penis, and is a red colour also. For this reason it was sold for supposed healing, or magical properties. So Fungus rock was a bit of climbing, a bit of medicine, and a bit of business.

view towards Azure window.

We were careful to walk on rocks, and do no damage, that's not too hard actually, you just take your time, and you don't damage a single plant, so it's not too hard to have no impact. There is a local, or isolated lizard too on the rock, he is interesting for his different colour, but normal size.

 Nice little cliff opposite, possible sport routes on the left and the obvious trad crack.

There has been some scientific research done recently that suggests that there may be some medicinal worth to the penis like plant, but it's still ongoing, or growing heehee.

 sizzling in the sun in November.

There were also fossilised sharks teeth found around the cliffs just north of here, and they were sold as Dragon teeth, so the knights of Saint John,  and /or the local Gozitans, were not averse to a bit of crafty selling.

the little carved room.  A troll protects the Fungas.

The little shelter were the two guards hung out, is complete with a few carved out niches, but is fairly unremarkable. Indeed it must have been a bit of a lonely, uncomfortable job.

the taxi home.

 We were reported for climbing the rock, and had to go to the police station to show our permit so don't be tempted to climb it. The routes are unremarkable in themselves, so you won't miss any quality, they are trad and rather loose, so in many ways your just better off looking at it! I climbed it when I was a kid, when there was no ban, but today the climbs else where on Gozo are much better. It's just a neat little story, and the local name Il Gebble tal General just means generals rock. I have seen spray going over the top of this rock in rough seas, which is a rare sight worth seeing, for it's over 40 meters high. The plants are salt proof, and there is a good sprinkling of the endemic flowering shrub Everlasting. Anyway there you go a little story. 

Suffragettes versus James Bond. By Stevie Haston.

 Bernd Arnold placing bolts by hand, old style.

 Climbing is a bit of a drama sometimes, but normally if you don't want climbing drama, you just stay at home, you don't go. I like a bit of drama sometimes, a tiny risk, a soups con of maybe/dont know/sheeet/argh.  It was not like that for the Suffragettes, they were locked in a drama, a risky horrible drama, they were fighting, and protesting, and getting arrested, for their right to vote.

a little girl that will have rights because the suffragettes fought for the likes of her.

 I got a route called Suffragettes, it's an 8a roof, it's very, very cool, but the real Suffragettes were actually heroines, they did brave things for the rest of us. Yes for me too, cos I wouldn't want to live in a world were woman didn't have the vote, and other rights. 

 A mini dramatic swell.

So I went to the cinema, and James Bond was showing, which was sold out, and Suffragettes was showing, and there were five people watching!

 Slightly dramatic sky.

I thought Suffragettes was one of the best films I'ave seen for a long time, and should be required viewing in schools. It only gets 6.5 on Imbd, were as Bond gets 7.5, sorry thats plain male guilt, or the fact that you can't vote for civil disobedience without getting arrested in the so called free world.

Jeff Camilleri starting Suffragettes, up a wall, then 20 meters of roof!


Suffragettes is a 5 star route, it's a sexy route. The film isn't sexy, it's harrowing, and necessary to understand male stupidity, male dominance, and wide spread all embracing sexism. Go watch it, why don't you?

Women got the vote in 1918 for women over 30. Men had the vote at 21!
Women got the vote in Switzerland in 1971!
Women in Saudi Arabia do not have the vote today!

The Continuing Adventures of Asterix, by Stevie Haston.

 A few weeks ago it was all German forests and Amanita mushrooms, now it's the Middle Sea and pizza! The legend was that Obelix fell in the magic potion, and that's why he was strong, well I feel weak. 

 the three legged beast.

I always  disliked November, but here there's no trees, there's  no mellow leaves, to kick around, there's just mellow yellow cliffs and holds to kick off.  And the endless sea.

 a mellow yellow cliff.

The sea is still warm for swimming, but too deep to retrieve all the gear I'ave dropped in the sea! I'am stuck in a project that's beating me up, it's like being drunk in a revolving door, or a bad relationship, I want to stop.

Rock thats crispy.

I'am taking a few days to do some easy routes to gain karma points, I bathe in Aminita ointment, I pray to the gods (northern ones ), I will sell my soul for this route. That's it, hope you are all doing well, good night.

Performance, equipment and reality. by Stevie Haston.

Things wear out, performance wains, eventually you die. If a rope gets abraided it looses performance, if you loose skin you can't jam. If carabiners are left in a damp humid sea cave they will explode after a while. Things have to be fit for a purpose.  

 Veeda vooooooo granit will hurt you, even if you think your tough!

I want to climb a route which has sharp edges and is gritty, if I used a 9.2 mm rope and bad rope management it might last 5 minutes! So with my last project I was using an old 10mm, because it was at the end of its life, it's a throw away bit of kit now. You cannot ask things to do the impossible, people and things have to be fit for the task. In the old days a single rope was 11mm, now people expect 9.2s to last, or do the impossible. Most likely my project will cost a fortune, in skin, and gear.

 The route Bernd is hurting me and my equipment.

For my route I'am gonna up grade to a 9.8 mm, with a better sheath. My gear will rot. I will loose some, cams will freeze shut, and drop me out of the crack. Even my belayers will get worn out!

 On this fantastic arete you would be foolish not to use a chunky rope. Its called the Wages of Fear, its run out and bolts are on different sides of the arete. Can you imagine the abrasion possibilities?

One little knick in a carabiner, caused by one fall on a bolt plate, can then, when applied to a rope- strip the sheath! Keep your bolt carabiners separate from your rope carabiners!Try to understand the limitations of equipment. I hate Trad climbing, and faffing around with gear, but with some rock, and some places, it's not only obligatory, it's fitting.

 Don't expect this natty excellent sports harness to last very long against sandstone and sharp fossils.

Obviously I am lucky that a few people still like me, and send me gear, so thanks Edelweiss. But  customers, if you want high performance, you must expect reduced longevity.

9.8 mm Edelweiss will last longer than a 9.2, its Math!

A tough rope for a tough job. One of the carabiners had its wire gate bend to the side when I fell and swung on it, so yes I,ll upgrade to chunkier carabiners. My back was scratched, I,ll upgrade to a thicker tee shirt! My muscles were a bit used up, I,ll upgrade them too! 

To Fingerboard, or not to Fingerboard, by Stevie the Question Haston.

 The Crusher Matrix Finger Board, Gozo.

Check this link to some words on fingers.


http://steviehaston.blogspot.com.mt/2012/02/fingers-by-stevie-two-fingers-haston.html

I havent improved in my climbing standard for a year! Why? No systematic training, thats why. More specifically, no real, nasty nose, and fingers to the grindstone Fingerboarding work.

 Dog Day Afternoon. Pockets.

There's a wealth of info out there now, and finger work is a proven method of success, so it's funny that so few do it.

 A  Crusher Matrix in Mahogany, also in Gozo.

Here is a link to some pull up stuff or knowledge.

http://steviehaston.blogspot.fr/2012/07/pull-ups-and-their-variations-by-stevie.html

I actually like fingerboards, they sooth my soul, they don't hurt my skin, and strangely my fingers get stronger, and thus I pull up on smaller blobs, edges, and pockets. So why don't I do it? Well I went to the USA, went to Germany, and been bolting easy routes for other peoples enjoyment. Time to be selfish, time to finger board. Time to get strong, time to vanquish the old foe. Time for that smell of victory, coffee, sweat and blood. Time to loose 10 kg of lard, and look like a famine victim.

 The Masters Board, under Bernd Arnolds office in Hohenstein, East Germay.

Bernd Arnold is smaller than me, his fingers are about the same size, years of working his fingers on all kinds of grips, a thousand bolts placed by hand. Bernd has strong fingers. I have strong fingers, I'ave done the odd pull up on them. The people I'ave trained, make steady progress through amoung other things, Fingerboard work. Fingerboarding is one of the easiest of tools to use and keep records of, just don't get hurt, get strong!

German Pockets looking suspiciously like Gozo pockets.

The gnarly Master himself, did he use a Toe Board? I wouldn't put it past him. Get a Finger board and train a bit longer, and hold things for a bit longer  than they (the experts) recommend. "Don't get injured", is the first, and last of the three rules of Training, remember the middle rule too-"dont get injured"!

A climb called Bernd, by Stevie Haston.

I collect  climbs, well I collect great climbs, I'ave a
 done a few great climbs that other people collect. But some great climbs are greater than others, "One ring to rule them", and all that.

 Trying to make progress on a damp day  pissing down out side.

Jeff came round to see me because he was fed up bolting, and putting chains in for lazy people, who manipulate the powers that be. So I said to Jeff, can you help me mate, "I need a solid belayer and some some one to help me sort a tough crack out. Jeff was thinking 7b kinda crack, he is easy meat for me. Only proviso was, "your sworn to secrecy", cos it's gonna take me ages.

 Head butting the rock, normal shit for me, its called centring yourself.

The crack is big, wide fairly easy, then its massively shut down, it's very tough, it's trad, it's called Bernd in honour of one of the greats.

some stuff fell into the sea, expensive, who owes me money?

I hate Trad it's so messed up. Kurt Albert sorted out the Red point rule in climbing so every body was on the same page. Kurt Albert was Bernd Arnolds best buddy, Kurt Albert was a man who's integrity I was  in awe of, you got what was written on the can.

 Jeff all cool after bolting the routes for every body, and every body else getting the credit, and the money.


Jeffs my mate, he has done as many routes as me, he has done way more deep water soloing, and he is nicer than me. So Jeff came over for a winge, and an adventure when it was raining, and asked "can I climb in Gozo when its raining", "Is the Pope a Catholic", I said.

 the first belay. Leg looking too heavy.


Jeff doesn't always do what I say, which I don't like, he has free will and stuff, what I want is a supportive strong guy, obedient, with good advice about my feet.

here you go, a little ambiance.

Jeff is ensconced on a chock stone belaying, ahead is a wide crack chimney affair, it's not too bad, except for hugely difficult bits bordering on the impossible. It's pissing down out side, me and Jeff are sweating. The day ended  finaly with me falling and ripping a friend, it was a mini kinda adventure, it will be good if we ever finish it, I,ll give it away if I can't do it. One of the best trad routes in the world, Gozo keeps giving.