Bolted climbs are going up sharply
A new line at Għar Ħarq Ħamiem on Gozo’s northern cliffs.
About 500 rock-climbing routes, of the 1,500 climbs spread across the Maltese islands, have been fitted with bolts in a project to make the sport safer.
The initiative was launched in 2005 but has picked up momentum over the past couple of years after interest in rock climbing soared, explained Andrew Warrington, president of the Malta Rock Climbing Club.
Not all of the climbs – routes up cliffs – will be equipped with the bolts (to which climbers attach their ropes). Some areas will remain “wilderness”, where climbers attach temporary equipment to the bare rocks, he said.
Over the last few years interest in rock climbing has risen with more locals trying the experience and more foreigners coming to Malta to get a foothold in the new tourism niche.
“A community that until 2005 still numbered only about 25 has now grown into an active body of around 150 climbers,” said Mr Warrington, who has been climbing for three decades and is also the author of Malta Rock Climbing – The Comprehensive Guide.
Last April Malta made it onto the international rock-climbing map when two of the world’s topmost climbers, Canadian Sonnie Trotter and American Tommy Caldwell, spent a fortnight pushing their limits to set up daring new routes.
They were accompanied by one of the world’s leading adventure photographers, Corey Rich, who captured dramatic shots of Maltese cliffs and the climbers to be used to promote the island as a climbing destination.
Last month the online sports catalogue, Black Diamond, featured shots of Malta on its front page as well as a feature about the island.
The front cover picture showed Mr Trotter leading his new route up the north cliffs of Gozo, close to a cave called Għar Ħalq Ħamiem.
The bolting project is being carried out with the support of the Malta Tourism Authority, which has funded the purchase of specialised equipment, including safety harnesses, a drill and professional bolts of marine steel that do not corrode with sea spray.
This year Hilti, a firm that manufactures power tools, donated a second cordless drill, speeding up the bolting process.
This year alone members of the club have installed about 100 bolts, bringing the total number of equipped climbs to about 500. Each climb consists of six to 12 bolts, Mr Warrington said.
The project is also supported by Media Consulta Adventure that helps raise interest in the cause.
For more information visit climbmalta.com.
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Toni Muscat
Aug 24th 2012, 22:40
You forgot to mention Stevie Haston. World famous climber who also worked to set up most of the new routes. Please make sure you get ALL you info before writing this story. He climbed the highest point on the islands this past spring. First to ever do it here. 140 meters.
Andrew Warrington
Aug 24th 2012, 15:36
Yes, I concur with Simon in his comment, it is great to see that the sport is going from strength to strength, to the extent that Malta now has three climbing clubs, as I had mentioned in the last article that appeared in the Times a few months ago. I am very happy that what started out as a tiny initiative in 1996, when the MRCC was first set up with a handful of members, has blossomed into a lively and growing community of active climbers developing their skills together and venturing onto new cliffs both locally and, more rewardingly, overseas. Our bolting project began in 2005 and was instrumental in facilitating the growth of the sport. I was really pleased when both the Gozo Climbing Association and more recently the MCC was set up. This development generates some friendly rivalry between the clubs, which is a great incentive to keep the leaders of the sport pushing for ever better facilities and opportunities for our members. I readily acknowledge the invaluable work done by both the GCA and the MCC in encouraging new members and installing new bolted lines and in fact our MTA-MRCC Bolting Project has contributed generously to the other clubs’ activities by supplying a lot of the hardware they use. At the end of the day, each new climb installed benefits the climbing community as a whole, whichever club they are members of, and that is what is important. The spirit of cooperation which all climbers everywhere feel through shared experiences should be the glue that binds us together into a mutually supportive community. Together we have created a vibrant sport which just 15 years ago was almost unknown on our islands.
I want to mention Panta Marketing and Services in particular who have generously donated two Hilti drills, one to the MRCC and one to the MCC to help facilitate our work in installing safety gear into the cliffs of Malta and Gozo.
Mr Andrew Camilleri
Aug 24th 2012, 15:13
Nice one! First we lose it-Tieqa at Dwejra now we go sticking metal bolts in all the beautiful rocks. Crazy!
Simon Alden
Aug 24th 2012, 11:32
While I do compliment Andrew Warrington on his efforts to promote the sport locally and abroad it should be recognised and highlighted to the Times readers that there are in fact three climbing clubs in the Maltese Islands and that the boom in rock-climbing over the past two years is very much due to the activities and efforts of all three clubs including my own, the Malta Climbing Club which is the most active on the island - an important fact which has regretfully been omitted completely from this write-up. My club meets on a weekly basis and regularly have about 30 or more local and foreign climbers participating in climbing meetings on various local climbing spots. Yesterday we signed up our 195th member in fact. We are also actively bolting many new routes in the Maltese Islands and have been instrumental in bringing world-renowned climber Stevie Haston, who is half-Gozitan, to Malta during the past two years during which time he has bolted over 40 new routes with the Malta Climbing Club's and other local clubs' assistance. His spectacular climb earlier this year on Gozo of the largest roof climb in the world (upside down all the way and very very difficult) which he called King of KIngs has featured in climbing websites and magazines published worldwide. One should also mention the contribution of the Gozo Climbing Association which also provided support and is active in promoting climbing locally as well as maintaining and bolting new routes in Gozo. For more information visit : www.maltaclimbingclub.com and http://www.climbgozo.com/
jason cassar
Aug 24th 2012, 09:58
what a show to watch these climbers ! well-done
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