Climbing Projects - Glasnost
This route is one of those that impresses you from the first eye-contact you make with it... The scenery is simply stunning, the rock hard and smooth (not polished though) and it looks deceivingly simple. In terms of climbing it is not a hard route, the crux is half way up the route and the last 3 or 4 metres are easy to climb. However, what makes up for its easy climbing is the lack of protection and the extreme exposure in leading this route. Rated at E3 5B, this climb proves a real test for the morale of the climber. There is no sound protection to be found all way up, no bolts, no pitons and if you are lucky (like I was) you manage to find and jam the smallest sizes of hexentrics in 2 places along the 20 metre steep face that awaits you! That's right! Don't fall or you might meet your god sooner than you expected. To make matters worse, vegetation grows all around which makes your boots slippery like a female's hot hole just before her climax! But it's fun to climb. It was one of the most satisfying experiences I have gained till now...
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The photos above show me searching for some place where to put protection. I spent 2 hours on the rope in the scorching Maltese sun of June! The 2nd photo shows one of the two one-finger pockets one must use in the crux. Groovy!
Photos of me leading this route are to be found on my Webshots album. Go, have a look! It's worthwhile! Of course this climb wouldn't have been possible without the attentive perfect belaying of my best friend and climbing partner Kurt (not mating partner mind you... only climbing partner) We had set up this major event of this climb together, trained hard for it and succeeded. And the reward for our success???? A great techno party!!!
This route makes your climbing holiday worth to the last Euro-cent (or whatever your currency is) you had spent. Beautiful setting, quiet, away from the jungle-cites, and the sun set is something you will never forget in your life (picture of sunset on my other Webshots album taken with a crap camera) The only drawback is that the nearest beach is a little far away. And if you fall into the sea? Have a nice long distance swim (you might become an olympic champion after this long swim) and good luck... you are venturing into sharks territory (btw, great white sharks not some small cardboard shark like they use in films, but real big great whites with real teeth that are happy for a free meal)
My personal feelings about this route... It was a very nice experience climbing it, the fear, the sweating, the vegetation, the sun all played against me. But the satisfaction of reaching the top most carabiner cannot be described. We trained hard for this route, climbing it on top rope lots of times until we were sure there was no flaw in our climbing. One slip and it's harm's way... The adrenaline rush I felt when I clipped some sort of protection, chalking, and looking at the next protection and knowing how far it is is too great! Now as I look back I think that fear played a major part in it. It stopped me from falling, it kept me moving on although I was feeling pumped by fear itself, and fear kept me from doing crazy things. I owe my life to my fear. I embrace fear as if it was most precious loved one... IT SAVED MY LIFE!!!
