As I sit down to type this I realise that it’s been two weeks since my last blog post here. Partly this is because of our recent holiday, where for this year we swapped the English Lake District for the Austrian equivalent in Salzkammergut. Things also remain very busy at work, leaving less time to juggle between my other commitments. I also realise that much … Continue reading Giuseppe Climbing Autunno Sardo
Ending this week with a quick throwback to a walk through Dwejra, Gozo from a couple years back. I have made photos of this chapel before, but it still draws my eye every time I visit Dwejra. Perhaps it’s the location – the chapel sits almost alone in some lovely countryside (if one ignores the parking area, the droves of tourists, and the boathouses in … Continue reading Kappella ta’ Sant’ Anna
This week is flying by fast, and before it’s over I wanted to share another photo from an evening outing in Dingli earlier this month. The building with the dome is the radar station that sits at the edge of the clifftop, while the other structure are nearby radio towers. The long telephoto lens compresses everything into a single image, almost silhouetted against the evening … Continue reading Dingli Radar Station
For this week’s throwback I’m sharing a couple of photos from a walk I did near Xlendi, Gozo, a couple years ago. The first shows a cave in the cliffs to the north of Xlendi, known as Għar ta’ Santa Katerina. The second shows a wider view, with the entrance to the inlet at Xlendi clearly visible, as well as the coastal defence tower there. Continue reading Għar ta’ Santa Katerina and Xlendi
Some weeks ago I travelled to Sicily with some of my regular climbing partners, for a few days of rock climbing (and of course some great food and pastries). Sicily is only just around the corner – a short flight of a little over half an hour, about an hour’s driving, and we were out in the Sicilian countryside. We stayed at an agriturismo – … Continue reading Gole Della Stretta
A bit of a late post today, closing off this busy week with a throwback. The theme is similar to last week’s, with another 17th century watchtower, this time from the Lascaris era, at the entrance to Xlendi bay. The photos are from a walk I did there just over two years ago, a very enjoyable walk taking in the cliffs at Sanap and leading … Continue reading It-Torri tax-Xlendi
Last week, during the few days’ break I took over Easter, R and I headed up to Dingli one late afternoon. The idea was to pick a peaceful spot, have a picnic, watch the sunset, and perhaps make some photos. We were lucky enough that there was almost nobody where we chose to go. Maybe one or two people turned up with their dogs and … Continue reading Sunset at Dingli
This week’s throwback is a trio of photos of the coastal watchtower at the entrance to the bay of Mġarr ix-Xini, in Gozo, built in the 17th century by the Order of St John. We walked by the tower on a walk along the coast from Mġarr harbour, heading into the bay of Mġarr ix-Xini. We continued upstream along the valley floor, climbing back up … Continue reading Torri ta’ Mġarr ix-Xini
A couple of weeks ago, on a national holiday, I spent most of the day in and around Żurrieq. I met two friends of mine there for a walk in the morning, and returned again after lunch for some trad climbing in Wied Babu. I had promised Alessio I’d introduce him to trad climbing, and thought that taking him on the classic Main Buttress in … Continue reading Climbing Main Buttress with Alessio
Plans change, and I find myself catching up on things this morning and writing this short blog post to wish a blessed Easter to those who celebrate it. The accompanying photo is from a walk near Dingli a couple years ago at Easter time. I had my macro lens with me and took a few photos of various wild flowers. This one has been waiting … Continue reading Hoary Stock
Last week I took the tiny Osmo Action with me climbing; we had plans to do a trad multi-pitch route, and I knew even the M5 would be a bit of a bother. The Osmo, on the other hand, can be easily mounted onto my gear sling, taking it out of the way. I took a few photos with it, which proved more difficult than … Continue reading Morning Light on the Dachsteingebirge
I recently had a chance to visit Wied il-Bassasa again with climbing in mind. I wanted to introduce my friend Stefano to the experience of climbing in areas where there is no bolt to be seen, top anchors have to be built by the climber, and an alternative descent needs to be found after dismantling the top anchor. Wied il-Bassasa fits the bill nicely, as … Continue reading New Routes in Wied il-Bassasa
Muddy Boots 