Overview of climbing sectors

(Note: this topo shows only

the new routes, i.e. those
which do not appear in the
latest published guide, except
Oil
for 2 routes in Oil Drum Cave)
Drum White Walls
Crags not shown in this photo: Cat’s Cave Flake
Chapel Buttress, on the right side of Arches Cat’s Wall
the valley as you walk upstream, just main Arches
right of the chapel in the rock cave. right
Scouts Buttress, also on the right side
of the valley, a short walk
downstream from Chapel Buttress.
Eye in the Sky, on the left side of the
valley, as you walk upstream towards
the Mosta bridge, about 150m before
the bridge.
There are two marked paths from the
top road (Triq Il-Fortizza Tal-Mosta,
starting in front of the bus stop, 150m
before the Mosta bridge): one with
red spots to Cat’s Arches and another
with red crosses to Eye in the Sky.
There are also green spots to mark the
path from the bottom parking (just
before the quarry entry) to Scouts
Buttress, and red spots for the path to
Cat’s Arches from the same parking.
Cat’s Arches Main
0 Like a lichen – 7a** See description on next page
1 At long last - 7b ** Crimpy and techy crux first half, good endurance second half
2 The vertical gardener – 6c ** Nice moves first part, crux after middle ledge
3 Tufa moss - 6b ** Harder if you don’t find the right "tricks"
4 The Lord of the underclings - 6c *** Name says it all. Possibly the best route of the crag
5 Dark ways (but save the figtree) - 7a+ *** A bouldery start around 7a, but save strength 7l
for the excellent (7a+) second half!
5a Variante Emilio - direct start variant to Dark Ways, doesn’t change the grade 7r
6 Damocles’s scimitar - 6a+ *** First route to be bolted in the crag, quite technical and a 18 15 22
good challenge for the grade
7r It’s raining bolts (right) - 6b * Harder right-hand variation to the next one 4
7l It’s raining bolts (left) - 6a ** Overhang on good, though a bit painful, holds. It once did
rain bolts, because of a broken plastic bag! 20
8 Blade grabber – 6b+ Start under the “blade” (the scimitar) and aim for it… yes, you can
grab it, it sounds like a bell but seems to be solid
9 It ain’t 6a - 6a+ * Short but interesting. There were some protests about the original 6a
grading…
10, 11 Stock market, Shareholders – 6c/6c+ * Two short bouldery routes ending on the same
chain. Enjoyable moves. For the second, you may “share” a hold (the famous “regleta”)
with the next route
12 Regleta latina - 7a * A boulder move to a crimper (“regleta”) and out
13 Veggie shag pad – 6b+ * Ask the locals (in this case Aylwin) to explain the origin of the
name ☺
14 Crimpy delight – 7a/6c * Left start (left bolt) from the bottom and straight up is 7a,
right start (right bolt) and using the boulder is 6c
15 Blade Runner - 6c ** Good quality rock, but holds are sharp as blades. Don’t get your
hand in the big hole on the right at the start: the resident rat might object
13 11 9 8 6
5
5a 2
16 12 10 3
16 Looked easier - 7a ** Not so easy, specially after a key foothold broke
14 10
17 The Lord of the Crimps - 7b ** If you love crimps and slopers, this is your route!
18 Holey moley – 6b+ ** Two huge holes, but definitely overhanging
17
19 Ramping up - 4c * Second route to be bolted on this crag
20 Looked harder - 5b ** The crux is to be bold and step out left onto the void on exposed 19 Cat’s Arches
footholds 21
21 She can do it - 6a+ * Bouldery start, named after many attempts by a certain lady Right
(Carolina); initially trad-climbed by Antoine
22 On the sharp end – 6a The last born (2023) left of route no. 7. Nice move but sharp.
Cat’s Arches Right

1. Like a lichen – 7a** Licheny start on small crimps and Oil Drum
enjoyable overhang moves after the ledge. Shares the Cave
anchor with "At long last", 7b (previous page)
2. Rain rush – 6b** Crux in the lower part, then an enjoyable 9
ride up to the top
3. Straight up - 5c ** Good technical route for this grade
8
4. White powder - 6a ** Varied: slab and an overhang move
5. Pull the edge - 4a * Friendly route to start or warm up 10
6. Sniff the crack - 5c *** Cracks are rare on limestone. This
one is good, but watch out for any loose rock
7. Skirt the cave - 6a * Easier, until the finish to the chain 4
8. Snake – 6a** Slabby balancy move, a technical testpiece ☺
Note: the combination of 3 and 8 makes a 20+m line, 11
quickdraws, overall 6a, which is now one of the best in the Cat’s Arches 7
crag (***)
Main 3 6
9. Finger eater - 6a * Overhang on good holds
Note: also the combination of 4 and 9 is a long *** route ☺
10. Shaky flaky - 6a ** Good varied route up the face

1
4 5
2
3
Oil Drum Cave

1. Easy Exit - 5b * Easy line on good holds with no

particular hard moves. Route to exit the cave.
Not ideal for ‘top roping’.
2. Beaches for Peaches - 6a * Tricky start on sharp
holds. Easy boulder move at the very end. First
Ascent Marlene Buschenreithner.
3. Smurfette - 6a * Overhanging start on good
holds. Gets easier towards the end.
4. Love Triangle - 6b+ *** Powerful moves tackling
an overhanging start, leading to a bulge with
hidden holds (crux).
5. Warm Fire - 6b+
6. Minimal Spark - 7b
7. Hungover Pigeon – 6b ** Easy start leading to a
hard move to tackle the overhang.
8. Mary Poppen – 6a * Pleasant route on good
holds

Photo and topo (and most routes!): courtesy of J. Herrera

Oil Drum Cave - right

7. Hungover Pidgeon – 6b **
8. Mary Poppen – 6a *
9. Easy Entrance – 4a * Warm-
up and access to the other
routes
13
10. Scarborough Fair – 6b *** 12
Gets better and better as you 7 8 10 11
go up… start on grade 4, then
5, then 6, and finally 6b to
finish ☺
11. Happy in Sardinia – 6a+ **
Named after Sandro and
Veronica’s honeymoon…guess
where?
12. Romparound – 5c *** Good
going for this grade, look for
good holds most everywhere 13
13. Painted Black – 6a+ (first part
5a) ** Just up the black 9
streak, where holds become
scarce unless you look right
White Walls
Routes are bouldery and hard to start then ease
off. The rock is excellent “Babu” type white
limestone. Not much loose rock in evidence
though still some dirt and moss due to little
traffic. Careful on “Woydyla” with a large flake in
the centre which, while hollow sounding, seems
solid. Also a hollow sounding flake on “One
Green Bottle” so handle with care! All routes
were led by S. Alden unless otherwise stated.
1 Open up the Cake! - 7a+ ** Short but
perfectly formed. F.A. Nicola Gatti, April
2015
2 No superheroes - 7a+ according to James
(but he’s too strong! ☺)
3 Lili Marlene - 6b+ ** Harder if you’re
vertically challenged.
4 Regatta de Blanc - 6b *** Nice bulge then
delicate wall. Best route on the crag?
5 Dual Sim - 6a *
6 Woydyla - 6a+ *
7 Nina Technology - 6a ** Similar to a trad
route set up by A. Warrington and bolted in Photo and topo (and routes!): courtesy of S. Alden
error.
8 One Green Bottle - 5c/6a * Don’t take the
bottle!
9 Reach for the Peach - 6a+
10 Ladybird - 6c * Harder if you go direct from
the initial wall. F.A. Marlene
Buschenreithner, Apr 2015
White Wall 3rd sector - Flake Wall

11 Hungarian Waltz - 5c *
12 Central Groove - 5b *
13 Painfully Easy - 5a * F.A. Dora Farkas, May 2015
14 Watch out for the Bushman - 4 Upper exit pitch to
reach the road
15 Brave new world – 4 Good for learning to lead
15

Photo and topo (and routes!): courtesy of S. Alden

Chapel Buttress

1 Fluttering Arete - 6a+ * One harder move on the little final overhang
2 Ian’s Wall - 6a ** Retrobolted with Ian’s consent. Excellent rock!
3 The Shoe Seat - 6a *** Just fantastic rock!
4 Chim-Chimney - 4c ** Easier, but not the less nice. Can you stem and
bridge?
4e Chimney Exit - 6b * A fairly hard move
5 Five Shades of Grey - 6a *** Different rock types, different climbing
styles, all nice
6 Expiry Date - 6a+ *** Retrobolted with Kurt’s consent. Wall and
hoverhang, you’ll like both
7 Play It Safe - 6a ** The route could have taken another exit to the
right, but the overhanging rock looks scary, hence the current safer
exit
8 Play It Safer - 5c ** Maybe not safer, but easier than the previous
one and equally interesting
9 Hardman’s First - 5a *** Can’t get a better challenge for the grade: a
hole-riddled slab and an overhang that does not require
hypertrophic arms
The Eye in the Sky – right of Jeff’s Cave
All 4 top chains are easily reacheable for abseiling down,
otherwise continue walking down following the red
crosses. All names of songs for the routes ☺
1 Eye in the Sky (Alan Parsons Project) – 5b * Look
up, and you’ll see the eye in the sky looking at
you...
2 Another Brick in the Wall (Pink Floyd) - 6a * EITS
variation, one boulder move on the final wall
3 House of the Rising Sun (Animals) – 5b **
Interesting slab, the sun rises early here (around 3
11am)
4 Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin) – 5c ** HOTRS
4
variation following the stairway-like ridge
5 Into the Groove (Madonna) – 6a *** (6a with the
"cheat starter" or pulling the first two quick-draws,
otherwise much harder) Lovely smooth slab
finishing into a groove
6 Singing Daughters – 6c ** Former trad route, nice
2
bouldery start
7 Walk on the Wild Side (Lou Reed) – 7a ** Start
1
with a hard side pull, then a tricky follow-up 5
8 Crying Water (Brand New Heavies) – 7a *** Former
trad route, figure out the start and prepare EITS 12 10
mentally to change from overhang pulling to
delicate lay back left 11 from
9 Bridge over trouble waters (Simon & Garfunkel) –
6b+/6c* Reach up for the stone bridge and try not
9
the
to break it! Grade is a bit height-dependent 6
10 Shock the Monkey (Peter Gabriel) – 6c+ * The 8 7 descent
“monkey start” is not the hardest bit
11 Absolute Beginners (David Bowie) – 7b * A bit of a path
squeezed-in line, but nice moves nonetheless if you
don’t use the holds of the adjacent routes
12 I want to break free (Queen) – 6b *** Handle the
abundant holds with care, as some may break
(free) in your hands! Ask Mat, or Zac, or Giorgio…
The Eye in the Sky – left of Jeff’s Cave
Short but "spicy" routes

13 Mamma mia (Abba) – 7a ***

When you reach the horizontal tufa
watch the rope placement (better
inside, than outside)
14 Holes in the sky (M83) – 7a **
From tufa hanging up into the two
big holes… big but not so easy
15 Devil in disguise (Elvis Presley) 7a+ *
Under the right arch and then up
straight (easier if exiting left)
16
16 Underneath the arches (Flanagan and 15
Allen) 6c *
Crouch under the left arch and then 14 13
worm your way out (easier – 6b – if
starting outside the arch)
Scouts Buttress is a relatively small crag (8 routes so far, height about 12 meters) which is
right across the valley from Cat’s Arches, or in other words just above the old British arches
belonging to the 19th century Victoria Lines fortifications. The little cave on the right of the
buttress is known as “Scouts Cave”, hence the name.
The best way to approach the crag is by parking in the dirt road (very dirty: expect your car
or motorcycle to be covered in a thin layer of white dust by the time you return to it!) that
leads into the Naxxar quarry, see map on the side.
Go down the evident ramp into the valley itself, and when you reach the bottom you cross
to the right where you will find some green dots to mark the path to the crag.
Approach time: 5 minutes.
Otherwise, walk to Chapel Buttress and continue walking downstream on the same side of
the valley. Or walk to the British arches and scramble up to the crag directly above them. Or
walk to Cat’s Arches and cross the valley.
Sun: morning until early afternoon. Blissful in winter, avoid in summer, OK in mid seasons.
Base: ample and flat, ideal for children. In fact, the whole crag is adapted to kids, beginners
who want to practice lead climb, or simply as a warm-up for stronger climbers heading
elsewhere in the valley!
Rock: very solid, grippy and a bit sharp, similar to Chapel Buttress.
Equipment: almost all titanium bolts and anchors, kindly provided by the MRCC and MC
Adventures (marine steel partially only in routes 1 and 2).
Routes: 8 so far, all in the easy grades (less than 6a).
From left to right:
1. Huewy – 4c ** The easiest of the crag, but still challenging with a vertical section on
good sharp holds
2. Dewey – 5c * Just when you reach a big juggy flake, is where you find the hard move
3. Louie – 5b ** Small overhang but good holds
4. Uncle Donald – 5a ** Consistently good
5. Goofy – 5a/c * Boulder move at the start (5c), then easier (5a). The boulder move can
be made easier by climbing 1m right of the bolts (but still clipping the bolts).
6. Mickey – 5c ** Grippy all the way, but vertical to very slight overhang
7. Minnie Mouse – 5b ** Short but enjoyable
8. Daisy Duck – 5b * Be careful with the wall at the start! Step or push down on the
stones, but don’t pull them or you will dislodge them!
There are 7 fixed top anchors mostly with rings (a carabiner in route 1).
 Via Ferrata
Honey Buttress

This crag is left of Cat’s Arches, looking in.

The bees knees (6c+)

It can be reached from Cat’s Arches in an
easy 2 minutes walk across the scree that
leads down to the arches and up to the
stone-carved steps and the via ferrata.

1. Earth Wind and Honey – 6a+ A tricky

start, and then a smooooth section
before it easies out
2. Bees in the storm – 5c+ A tricky start
and then easier but enjoyable
climbing

(In white: pre-existing bolted routes)