UKC

Hi Guys,

After some advise on Trad in Malta. Have seen that the trad guide is out of print but can be rented on the island.

Ideally want to have a look at the options first if anyone has the trad guide to lend/sell?

We're a mix of sport and trad climbers and basically don't want pay to take extra ropes/racks out there when we're going in completely blind!

Cheers 

Problem is that there has been a lot of bolting and retro bolting since that guide. We went at Xmas and were sport climbing. Didn’t see anyone on trad, and it looked really scruffy. We might have just been in the wrong areas?

It hasn't all been retrobolted but large areas have.  I have the old trad and current sport guide at home.  I will be at the wall tomorrow so could bring them down then if you are about.

The route I really wanted to do fell into the sea just before I went there last year.  Typical.

Hi Paul, I have climbed there quite a bit over the last 10 years (average 3-4 times a year) both sport and trad. Not at a particularly high level, up to 6b+ sport and E1 trad. 

I would agree, especially recently there has been a surge in bolting new routes which means even the “new” sport guide is already out of date. 

Trad wise, there are some pretty special trad routes there, some dating back to the British commandos like “Continuation Wall” a classic E1, easy climbing but a tad run out, but in a magical setting, plus many more pioneered by locals as well as visiting Brits that have been respectfully preserved by the locals.

One thing to be aware of is that many of the trad routes are sea cliff climbs and require long abseils, up to100m to access, so you need a long ab rope that you can leave in place as a safety feature, or you need to be Bold and set up a halfway anchor which you clean on the way up, with the risk of wet ropes.

Don’t be put off, instead I strongly recommend getting in touch with one of the local guides like Andy Warrington, who will not only be able to give you up to date beta, but also provide gear like long ab ropes etc so you don’t need to haul them out there.

If there are a few of you keen on your trad, I would go as far as hiring Andy as a guide for a days trad. This way he will sort the gear and introduce you to the area, then if you are hooked, take your own trad kit on the next trip.

Enjoy!

Paul

I have been a couple of times to Malta too, there are some decent crags but I would say avoid Victoria Lines as its not worth it. Motorcycle Gulley and Wied Babau are well worth a visit. One of my favourite climbs is Owls Nest Crack which is a classic. 

There is also the Malta climbing club who it would be worth getting in touch with. One time I went over, as a group we were able to borrow some kit off them. I think their main guy is called Simon Alden from memory. 

Also, have a look on youtube for a video called "Tango whisky takes a big lead fall". Its a mate of mine who took a big fall on a route called Kleankutter (6a+) after falling having ran the route out where a bolt had been removed. 

Hi Paul,

We went for a week over Hogmanay for primarily trad climbing. It was a bit of a mixed bag, but there was some absolutely superb trad climbing.  Hamrija Tower Slabs were some of the best slab climbs I've done anywhere - bold, run-out E2+. It'd be worth taking a rack just to climb there. The trad routes we did at  Wied Babu - West Side were really fun and unusual for trad - big holes/tufas/roofs normally reserved for sport, but well-protected on trad gear.  Others were disappointing - Victoria Lines being one, and the trad at Ghar Lapsi being scrappy on the whole.  Mgarr-ix-Xini was also a bit overgrown and in serious need of traffic. 

Definitely worth taking trad gear if you can though - we had a really good varied week (even with the slightly limiting 50mph+ gales) of 4 days trad, 3 days sport and a bit of DWS thrown in for good measure too.

We were lent the guidebook by a friend, I'm sure someone on UKC will be able to lend you a copy. It's a smartly produced book, but needs to be taken with a pinch of salt given the changes that have occurred since it was written.

Have fun.

Joe