For ever young, by Stevie old Haston.

If you feel like butter stretched over too much bread, you might be a hobbit. If you feel stretched over a bit of rock you might be a climber. Still when all is said and done I do feel a bit old, nearly 60, some how I should be swinging in a hammock with a pitcher of either gin and tonics near me, or an IV drip in my vein with legal  drugs administered by young scantily glad nurses.  Goodbye Mr Haston, your journey is over, time to put up your climbing shoes ….

 A very blurred photo, probably from fear.

The above photo is in one of the lovely caves that dot the coast. This one is called the Cave of the old man, appropriately enough. There is a bit of magic about this one, I think there's a cave under the water too. Will have to bring the fins and mask and have a look.

 Chris cruising, 10th route of the day!

Yesterday we did 10 routes, none hard, all great. The day started off a bit badly with a farmer refusing to let us through public access! He went ballistic, I was very diplomatic, and he calmed down, tourists both Maltese and foreign had been stealing his crops! Anyway he let us through, but he said he won't allow anybody else through! I have been walking that path for 40 years, and now I might not be allowed, hurumph! 

 I like the shade Chris likes the sun.

 How will the world end? How are you supposed to solve problems? How do you appease people without loosing. Old as I am I don't know many answers, I just know how to climb 10 climbs, and have a lovely day.

a bowl of tulips.

I see that the BMC just bought Crookside cliff in Yorkshire, well done the British Mountain Council! I would imagine that the Maltese Government should be buying little bits of land to make public recreation a bit more easy for its own inhabitans, and for the tourists to have an argument free day.

Underworld revisited, by Stevie Haston.

There was some rain, but as it never rains in the Underworld we went there! What a treat, its like having your own private Nirvana, made of stone.

Big Chris landing from a post apocalypse Brexit Britain after a 60 meter abseil.

On the way to the cliff I lost the path, how? I have traveled the short path down to abseil a hundred times. Well it was so bedecked with flowers, I didn't want to crush them, so, some how got lost on the rocks! 

The Time Tunnel goes all the way back to your atavistic adenoidal England.

First visitors to the Underworld get taken to the back of the Time Tunnel. The recent Azure Window killing storm had done some damage to rocks inside the tunnel, but nothing horrible. A rope had been stripped off a route, and some clips turned to garbage. 

 a crab sheltering in the shoe

We did Stix and Stoners, which is the excellent so called escape route, and Everlasting, which is a 45 meter route, it was enough with some yoga on the Ledge of the Gods in the sun. It was a bit sad without the arch of the Azure Window, not there in the back ground, but things change, sadly some times! 

Any one for camomile tea, top of the Underworld cliff.

I don't want to live for ever, but I do want to climb forever!

Mr Magoo gets drowned, by Stevie sodden Haston.

Sorry guys, but you will have to wait for the review of Norton of Everest. I will take a bit longer to do a better review, it deserves it, and most of all E.F.Norton deserves it. 

 veggie day today, slight detox going on.

Last night I started the horrible task of reading the biography of Margaret Thatcher by John Campbell. It's a prodigious two book gargantuan funeral for the working class of the UK, it's a requiem for much that was good, and I have to read it despite the fact it's depressing as all hell. The reason I am reading it, is because I am trying to make sense of my life, and unfortunately  that horrible woman had a greater affect on me than even my worst lover and/or enemy. The Uk was not great Britain, or even averagely good Britain before her, but after her, and her criminal legacy it was almost unrecognisable. She paved the way for her love child masquerading as a Labour Hercules, Blair the demon of Bosh.  The present re incarnation of "humans without conscious" Mrs May is almost made in her image.

 A lovely snaking groove, third time I have done it, first time for Alex, beau, beau, beau.

6 routes for me today, 3 new, and all good. The 3 new, all have a short section on grit, or rough sandstone, so unexpected on my island, but so sweet. My favourite is one called Mr Magoo, you feel really dumb at the top as you struggle with an overhanging crack, which if you have the courage to climb it correctly, is easy! It is very exposed, and a must do.

 don't you just love palming it, push your palms and pray.

 a tricky finish, extra hard if your short.

The sea was fairly calm, but the cave which we visited, was hard to access, and even harder to escape from. Indeed I was a bit careless with my traverse to explore the right hand side, and a big wave got me, I anchored my self by two prickly jug handles, and was in the dishwasher for a while!

an interesting belay, do you think it is natural?

In the cave there is a good route to be done, maybe three, but they are a bit hard, we will see, without doubt they would be great, but I am feeling a bit like Mr Magoo, and to do these routes you will have to be a  skinny, clever, determined, lucky, brave, gifted… and I feel like Mr Magoo. The route Mr Magoo is 6a+, by the way. Thats all folks. Yabber dabber do time. 

Treassure Island, by Stevie Crusoe Haston.

I have lived in may places, and strangely I have met bigoted, stupid, and racist people in all of them. In some places I have met incredibly bigoted, profoundly stupid and racist people, these are the places I normally leave. These little places were there is a whirlpool of hate, jealousy, and lack of logic have been in no particular order London, Yorkshire, both north and south, North Wales, France, America.  Try to remember that they were often just small eddies of hate and stupidity, rather than whirlpools, but at times there was a flood which caused these vortexes of group hate to become worse. 

  

 On cliffs between the sea and the sky, there is a happy country without hate, and jealousy.

A lot of hate, and jealousy, and blame comes from having, or thinking you have little, or that the little you have, is in danger of being taken away, or diluted.

 I get very grumpy when I don't have this place to myself and start talking about bloody foreigners!

The simple fact is that people of different colours, and different religions are attracted by the same things, they like jobs and money, and they don't like to be bombed, shot, beheaded, and generally messed about with. So they flock like migrating birds, to peck at certain tables, and there, while they nibble and peck, they can become targets for certain hunters. News Paper owners are some of these hunters, politicians are some of these hunters, some are only pretending to be hunters, and are dressed in camouflage to get your vote because they just want your money, your labour for less.

 Thank you Will for sharing your time with me.

The little island of Comino used to have one family from my village on it, now in summer the beaches are covered in sun beds, and burning northern flesh. It is not my cup of tea, I go else where. 
We need to spread out money, and jobs, and security, so that the beauty and quite of some places is secured. This is obviously not easy because of the greed of some of us.

 This is Santa Maria deep water soloing, its not very developed, and is also a commercial diving area, it is also used heavily by fishermen.

I had a lovely swim under the the cliffs of Santa Maria all by myself, one hour of heaven away from my troubles. Normally I would have to share. Sharing doesn't come easy sometimes.

Elephant rock is a great place to climb it catches the dawn light.

Ganesh is the Indian god resembling an elephant, which reminds me of something. I have seen racism, and religious hatred explode in seconds out from peace in India. When you think about the peace, and loving that is promulgated in most religions these explosions of violence, and hatred in India  look like unwanted violent storms! Hatred is a very bad vibe, it damages everybody, that's why I spend most of my time away from people, I like good feelings and peace, which is guarantied only it seems when your alone.

I don't know why I'ave written this, I think its because I am worried that the small afternoon storms can become a raging all year round orgy of violence. And this is precisely what immigrants, migrants, and refugees flee from-the terrible storm. These terrible storms are social, and commercial constructs, they are also often just power grabs, they don't have to be there.

Tourist terror summer, by Stevie Haston.

I think a summer of terrible crowds will be here this year, Gozo is just too popular!

 Alex with a stone in her eye! This fantastic 6c is a route of my ex wives Laurence, it's called Cascade d'or, it's very good.

We went for a paddle around Comino with Gozo Adentures today. Our guide Will took us across the short stretch of water to Comino Island, and we had a great time looking into many caves. There is a lot of undocumented deep water soloing on this island, but the free diving, and swimming is also brilliant. I would recommend it except that in summer it is minging with people, it is truly horrendous. You can kayak around it, and stay away from most of the sun bed loving day crowds, but the best time is outta season.


 the tower of Poseurs, where the rescue practise was done yesterday.

I went for a good swim and dive, got knocked about by a swell on the east side of the island, glad I was wearing a wet suit, it took some big scuffs as I was swept into some rocks. Water was 16° Centigrade, ok!

 Jesus is coming at Easter, and he is coming by motorbike!

There could be a lot of climbing on Comino, indeed there is some, but it's nothing like as good as on Gozo.  After a bit of paddling, over an hours swim, and a bit more kayaking my shoulders felt worked. Nice little day.

 On Comino looking at the caves and cliffs. Dustin admiring a double Arch.

The Blue lagoon without crowds is still exceptional, the blueness is indeed special. We picked up a polystyrene box, some bottles, and a sac, but we could have filled a boat with rubbish. Time Gozo took care of this island a bit better, me thinks.

did the pilot 

pick them up or are they still there on the Tower of Poseurs?

Anyway a great day with Gozo Adventures who are my friends, and I would like people to consider them for their climbing Kayaking, Biking or walking needs. They are nice people, Will our guide was great, Irish Scottish, he promised to take me around the North Coast. I normally access some of the north coast by long swims, but I fancy the easier option of a Kayak visit, to see it all in one go. Thanks Will, and thanks Gozo Adventures.

Help from above, by Stevie Haston.

So my thumb is I think the best thumb in the world, mainly because it's attached still to the rest of my body!

 Diego is my little friend he gets very upset when I go down a cliff.

Diego and I go climbing a bit, I would like him to get rubber shoes, and perhaps learn a few things. But he refuses to learn,  he is like a lot of climbers, he is adamant that he knows it all.

 Little Lilly is 10 years old, and is adamant that she knows everything.

I went climbing today, and did four routes, it hurt a bit, but sure who cares! I went out to belay my friend, and offer support, but I had a quick go, which some how turned into four routes. The best route naturally was on mono's -one finger pockets are it seems, thumb friendly.

The local rescue guys appeared out of the blue for a practise, they use the Tower of Poser as a little pinnacle landing thingy.

Three bemused guys hoping the pilot has gone off to get beers.

While we were climbing the rescue guys came, and did some good stuff. Thanks guys you looked great, thank you for all your practising. I was rescued as a young man once, and was extremely grateful. Are these the guys who pick up the poor unfortunates from the sea as well?

Pull ups for therapy and wellness, by Stevie Haston.

Being injured is no fun, being unfit and injured is probably the road to perdition!

this is me last year a bit fit, photos this year would show a tubby guy without the lead weight belt, and a more natural one of fat.

To keep my spirits up, I did a few pull-ups today, as usual I thought I would do a lot, but unusually I didn't. However some pull ups are better than no pull-ups.

the pull up square was small and not very square today!

 I will do a few more pull ups in the afternoon when I am more bored! Pull ups have been known to cure head aches, they are a panacea, the pull up panacea!

Zee thumb throbs, and goes puce coloured.

For all you people out there with puss coming out of your thumbs, think on the bright side, at least your not Mrs Mays lost conscience, that would be really sickening!