It’s that time of year again: the weather is finally cooling down a bit, the days are much shorter, and most people are getting ready for the holidays in one way or another. It’s also a time when (in the Western world at least) we take stock of the past year and start thinking about what we’ve done and what we want to get done in the following year.

Here at the MCC we’ve just had a successful outdoor meet earlier this week, on 13 December, which is a public holiday here in Malta. During these popular gatherings of local climbers it’s always a privilege to introduce new people to climbing, to meet again and touch base with those whom we haven’t climbed with for a while, and especially to see them learn and improve their skills. The meets have become an important item on the local community’s climbing as well as social calendar!

This year has been particularly busy from an administrative point of view, with a new committee elected in February which has met regularly since then. Club resources have also been instrumental in the setting up new routes, such as those at Fearless Wall, and in re-equipping some of the older lines. Together with our friends from the MRCC, we have also made significant progress in a joint titanium rebolting project with the generous support of the MTA.

We cannot do all this without your support. This is where we appeal to all local and visiting climbers to renew their membership or to join the club. We do our best to keep membership fees low to make the sport as accessible as possible. In return for your membership fee you get the use of club equipment during our regular outdoor meets, access to the artificial indoor climbing wall, and a 10% discount on purchases of climbing and outdoor equipment from Mochika Outdoor Life in Qormi. You also get that warm fuzzy feeling of knowing you have contributed to the growth of the sport in Malta.

Finally, we also value your time and effort. If you think you can help out with any of our work and activities, please get in touch with a committee member. Even something as simple as helping out with belaying during club meets makes a big difference.

Thanks once again for your support and we look forward to meeting you at the crags soon. Or pop by for the Christmas drinks event on 21 December.