Routes as trad in Repubblika ta’ Malta

A crucifixion just right of the crescent. Span minimalist tufas and visualise a long reach to underclings. The rest is easy by comparison. The grade is hight dependent.

Climb the blank looking slab. Ascend the slabs just right of the corner using bush protection! Go right to gain sloping pockets at a change in angle (Friend 4 useful). Step up to a good pocket, right into an 'L' leaning groove then to the roof. Traverse left to easy ground then over the left hand end of the steep barrier and 'hunk up the munge' to the top.

More of an extended boulder problem than a route. It takes the very shallow scoop and blunt rib just left of the stepped pedestal. Excellent micro-edging despite the contrived start. The crux is avoiding the temptation to step off to the right in the first 5m. Finish up Motorpsycho or traverse off right at the break.

A very physical overhang climb following an “obvious” line of holds.

A direct on The Division Bell. Takes the steep crack directly above the black slabs. Nuts about Rock 7 size are crucial

Direct up the centre of the Blue Wall, with an independent start from the ledges. Up past an insitu thread(!) then follow the faint groove directly past a piton. Thin and exposed but brilliant.

Directly up from the left side of the ledges past good jugs at 5m. Continue up to a good wire placement then traverse 3m right to two small sloping ledges. Make a hard move to get your feet onto the first one and hands on the second (wire runner), step down and right to a thin diagonal crack. Make a move up then reach right for a good hold and runner in the next crack-line. Follow this till beneath the final leaning wall. Move up to a horizontal crack and finish strenuously slightly right.

The smooth scoop on the right wall of the cave. Up to the thread then swing right and up the crack and wall more delicately

Delicate grey slabs 6m left of the crack, no gear on crux

The smooth bulging white slab, starting just left of the crystallized rugosity to finish at a piton.

Starting from a gorse filled ledge, up the slab and thin curving crack to the hanging piton. Desperately left into the sloping groove. Finish more easily up the upper slabs.

Start climbing on loose rock up until you reach a ledge a third of the way up. Pro- tection is useless up to this point. Continue on the overhang diagonally to the right up until you reach a resting position in a hole about two thirds of the way up. Climb right, out of the hole. There are a couple of good slings as protection, however placing them will drain your energy.

Up the black streak

The bulge just right, then a black streak in a corner scoop.

Up the crescent but reach for the rat-hole and exist direct

From the top of the middle boulder, take the bulge on the left and climb the wall to the left of the caves.

A line out of the back of the righthand niche of the cave. Climb the black righthand crevasse to the roof, traverse right under the roof, pull out on widely spaced jugs past a hole.

Start in the middle of the vegetated ledge system. Up a poorly protected slab to better geared slabs then small ledges below the steep wall. Gain a diagonal fault (camming Ns). Spaced hidden moves out right then a step back left over an overlap to reach a belay.

A brilliant route taking the red, barrel shaped wall and the prow above direct, high in the grade. Starts as for Wish You Were Here?.

1 - 20m 5a. The slabs and white groove as for WYWH to the 2 piton and nut belay on the ledge.

2 - 35m 5c. Go straight over the bulge above (friend 3 or near useful). Step right with difficulty. Up and left to small nuts, traverse right delicately to near the right edge of the buttress. Continue up for 10m until you can gain the right end of a handrail, thread, leading up and left to a short corner crack under the prow. Good hidden holds and nut protection lead to an 'out of this world' stance on the lip of the prow. Nut belays up and left.

3 20m 4b. To the top of the pillar and diagonally right across easy slabs to thread belays above the ledge.

Starting 20m right along the shelf from the edge of the buttress, take an indefinite line up to a steep groove and walls above. Up slabs, easily at first, to a short groove. Continue directly up the juggy overhanging wall, thread, then the steep, less endowed wall above to a small ledge. Climb in the same line on sharp rock to finish up a steep chimney right of a long diagonal crack.

Start at the left hand edge of the cave with numerous stalagtites. Trend left, then straight up past pockets and bulges

Belay as for The Division Bell, 6m right of the star shaped hole.

50m 5c. Up easy angled rock just right of the slight groove to a white bulge at 10m. Over to follow a rightward ramp under a rightward leaning overhang. Go up left to a fig tree then right to an awkward blunt arete, then a thread at the righthand end of a bulge. Take the difficult crack to the right then the wall left of a bush.

20m 4a. Up easy slabs above

The climb is poorly protected. Climb up to a sling about half way up the route and continue slightly to the right to access a good sling protection on the right of the right black streak. Move back to the left for the exit.

The center of the wall between two recesses. Trend right past a hole and T then up the arete to finish.

Leg jam the crescent then pray as you reach for the distant flat hold above its lip. pull out leftwards.

Start as for The Gape but continue directly over the roof on good jugs.

Climb the central pillar above two mini caves to the niche, then move left past a hole to finish up the pocketed overlap.

Climb the large overhang at the righthand end of the righthand cave where a thread is visible at the lip of the overhang.

The center of the wall

The overhanging grey corner. Awkward at best

Climb the central pillar moving right to a niche. Finish right up the V-gap in the overhangs

The left arete of the alcove, starting at a stalactite. Climb left of the thick black streak

Follow the corner moving left across a slab below a bush to gain a ramp. The bulge above to gain a crack constitutes the crux. Finish by traversing right past a nose to easier ground. If you are not imaginative in placing gear the grade will feel harder.

7m right of Crossly Notes is a line up the vague white groove left of a steep red central pillar capped by a prow. Start 30m along the shelf just up and left of a vegetated ledge. Surprising holds.

20m 5a. Go diagonally left up the slabs to below the white groove. Awkward moves up the groove. Exit right across ledges to a 2 piton and nut belay.

40 5b. Traverse to the left end of the ledges. Bold moves lead up and left on black rock to a hole, 2 threads. Up and left again across a black wall, piton. After 3m move to regain the groove and improving holds (and gear), to under a leftward leaning overlap. After 3m traverse diagonally left to finish up a stragely featured wall right of a vegetated corner. Belay from cracks below easy slabs in the left side of the pillar above a prow.

20m 4a. Easy slabs trending as far right as you can to thread belays at a ledge. Magnificent!

The grey slabs to the right of CTTC

Re-evaluated today with Andy Warrington for sure an E2

Takes the centre of the slab below the gap in the skyline overhangs. Bold finish.

From the ledge diagonally left up the darkly coloured wall to a crack, (where you'll find an old piton). Up to a sloping ledge then the wall above. Move left to a crack in the rib. Up this until 5m below the top you can follow the diagonal crack heading right to finish.

Up the same weird pillar, exiting above the right hand stalagtite.

Start to the right of "Nina Technology" under the big hole and relatively straight up.

A small brown overhang left of the alcove direct

The bulge at the righthand end of the wall and above the start of the approach traverse

Just to the right of Razor crack, climb the whitish streak on the left side of the grey wall.

Step off a pointed brown flake and gain horizontal cracks. Trend past some rugosities. Go up to another horizontal break. Finish as for Island Games

Start right of centre of the gap in the skyline overhangs. Go directly up the slab. Cross a horizontal break, then finish up the stained slab passing the overhangs on your right.

Brilliant lay-backing up the right side of the perched flake, starting at a shallow gully right of the dry stone wall, finishing up the thin diagonal crack.

P1 - Ascend through the weakness in the overhangs. Climb the slab above aiming for its top left side.

P2 - Up the centre of the steeper slab above. Continue up with difficulty to a narrow ledge (a hanging plaque commemorates the 1st and 2nd ascents). Sign the guest book!

P3 - Continue up the exposed slab with good moves and exposure to the top.

Climb from a corner at the bottom of the valley to a good ledge. Continue up a small overhang and then straight up.