It won the George Cross during the second world war, the Germans just couldn’t take it – Malta.  When I posted on Facebook for coaching interest the president of the new Malta Climbing Club Simon Alden got in touch.  A month later I am up at 3:30am to go to Luton airport.  The blue and yellow Ryanair colours wake me up, six hours later I am soloing 60 feet above a dangerously turbulent Mediterranean.  Across the sea is Libya.  Crispin Waddy my old friend has been here before, I toprope his E7 6c “Superior Entity”, later I met an amused local climbing star called Jeffrey Camilleri who Crispin told to spot  with a rucksack to push him out a bit, so he’ll miss the super serrated coastline below him were he to fall.

The last two days I’ve coached and guided, found an amazing crackline under a massive arch and a night relaxing in an Arabic spa in a  stone farmhouse, in delightful muted colours. Met a chap from Mile End and tomorrow the Azure Window on Gozo. Today I did a 60ft route called Crazy Monkey – 7a+ I thought.   I haven’t told you the strangest thing.

By coincidence my parents have booked into a hotel just around the bay at the same time I am here.  We’re all going out on the MV Barbarossa, a 75ft twin masted skiff from which we’ll explore  Comino and Gozo,  deep water soloing.  In a week I my book goes to the printer.  Its great to be exploring again.  Can’t wait to see what else this fantastic island has in store.