I'm a woman

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

Thursday 28 November 2013

My mate Jeff, Maltese climber, by Stevie Haston

Jeffrey Camilleri climbing in the Underworld.

Here is my mate Jeff, a native Maltese climber, me and him, climb together sometimes and try and do something constructive for our islands. We don’t always succeed but we always have fun.

Tunisia gets nuked.

"We just got back from the THE UNDERWORLD greeted by this sunset  -  As many know this is a  place in the middle  of a huge sea-cliff, where  the rage of the sea pumps  huge waves crushing under and around the dry rocky platform…

Besides the mystic view of a torrential sea river running into the depths of the cave ,is also currently 15 routes offering every type of angle imaginable. Many climbers have visited the cave and everyone’s experience surely varies! Few of them though return with enthusiasm and vigor to try and test themselves against something bigger and wilder then anything else on the islands. 
Inigo developing superhuman powers.

Question is why?  Most routes go on for over 30 meters. The moves can always be mellowed down with crafty technique as whoever watched Stevie walking upside down these creations of his own making knows. A few sessions at the UW skyrockets your stamina and makes you a better climber before you even realize. 

Today, me, Inigo, and Stevie  tried the latest route Stevie opened here –The Kinky Dwarf, possibly the longest and most exposed safely bolted 6c route in Malta. I surely don’t view this great place as a hostile place, but a hospitable place where patience and perseverance are required to try send the routes here, where none are similar to each other, and all are magic. The two new 8a routes we were trying are too good for words and wouldn’t be out of place at the best cliffs in the world. One is a 45 degree overhang the second a twenty meter horizontal roof.’ Jeffrey Camillery.
 
Inigo suffering a thyroid problem on the dwarf

Anyway thanks Jeff, he is basically trying to figure out why no one wants to climb on the one of the best cliffs in the world! Climbing is bizarre, climbers are bizarre, the world is bizarre and the Kinky Dwarf is the bizarrest , you must do him, he wont give up without a struggle and he has a vicous spiteful character. Jeff is the provisional president of the Maltese Climbing Association and moi is the Honorary President, we are the most reluctent  Presidents in World history. Hopefully we will get Malta a decent climbing wall, and some bolts for its sometimes fantastic rock. We want to see another generation of local kids breaking into the sport but its not happening at the moment.