Tuesday, 18 January 2011

Malteser 6.



Today we climbed jugs and pockets and overhangs. The day started well when we were gentle eased from our slumber by the peaceful lullaby of A PNEUMATIC FUCKING DRILL RIGHT OUTSIDE THE HOSTEL. I lay there dozing to this for some time - I think I've listened too many industrial noise CDs. The sluggish start was compounded by the after effects of the 2nd Maltese food tick last night - Pastizzis, oily and semi-tasty gunk filled pastries. I suspect one has one or two as a snack or starter, rather than 5 of them as dinner along with a big wodge of pizza. So it took a while to roll my lardy arse out of the scratchy bedsheets this morning. Eventually some momentum was gained towards Fomm Ir Rih, and we started at the Lush Boulder which was as steep as yesterday was slabby...

What's wrong with this photo?? Oh yeah, the prospect of placing trad gear at this angle.

A couple of routes on here took a fair amount of time and energy, leaving only enough time to do one route on the headland sea-cliffs. This brought the full sea-cliff flavour of abbing into a semi-hanging stance above an impenetrably navy ocean, and a fully British flavour of committing face climbing to get out, albeit on distinctly foreign knobbly pockety coralline limestone. It felt like a lonely but lovely lead, bringing the day's total to a small but intense 3 good routes.


Since I wasn't allow to buy this tiny concrete shed, I consoled myself by stealing some spring onions from the fields. Off to cook them now...

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