Steve – the dreamer

If you are keen click on this link to find out what Steve said about me.  While not essential reading to find out about Steve, there may be some cross referencing in my words about him.

My memory of Steve walking into the PCYC was that it was busy, we had a bunch of newbies and that required more paperwork, training and supervision to make sure they were tying in and belaying safely.  I said a quick hello and carried on, some twenty minutes later I looked round and he and Andrew were still chatting away.  Both of them like a chat.  He came across as someone with a joyful nature, his face expressed a sense of fun but also just a slight sense of something else.  Going out with Steve was nearly always fun, he would make light of most situations:

The only time I can say that he really got serious was when we went to Peak Charles, it was the second big multi-day trip for me since being in Western Australia.  Steve and I went ahead and he was the kid in the candy shop as we drove out and set up camp.  Rongy and Wiggins drove out the next day, as Steve and I hit the big walls.  I could feel he was on edge, I thought it was the long runouts and big walls that spooked him but it was something else.  That sense I had about him before was peeking through a few cracks.  Since then I have learnt that at times Steve will get “on edge”, but not in a bad way and it is just something he needs to, and does,  work through:

That aside Steve loves adventure and we have been out there in some of the most extreme conditions that I have climbed in.  Gale force winds, monster waves and big dark looming clouds that burst open have failed to dampen and have in fact heightened that joy in Steve.  He loves it!  In life he can be erratic, as his mind never sits still and he can drift off on a tangent quite quickly.  That said when he is climbing he keeps focused and he is very safe.  He likes good gear, and will at times really make sure it is good.  A single tug to check it is seated is often not enough for Steve and he can be seen really working that gear hard before moving on:

I don’t think he always concentrates on what has been said, his mind may be drifting off on other thoughts maybe.  A classic example being when we were climbing at Cosy Corner, and I told him the route Crystal Corner went up the wide corner.  As the image above shows he climbed the arête and wondered why the route didn’t match the description.  This is how Bad Directions was established, a route Dan and I led straight after them claiming it was only a grade 9.  More on that if you read about Glen.  Steve’s mind is wired for knowledge and searching for that something new to consider, work out or even create.  These sand shoes to make it easier to walk to Moses Rocks is one example of what he can quite literally pull out of his bag:

No surprisingly he has a wide range of interests and mixes and matches them, often down at the crag he’ll have his fishing gear.  But he does love climbing and while life has been a tad up and down for him over the last few years we have still managed to get out and have a great time.  Climbing with Steve you need to be prepared for moments of intensity as he works a new project hard, and on the flip side be prepared to kick back and take things really slowly.  I reckon that my tea kit has had most use on our trips out.  After we have got some climbing in it is then time for a chat, ponder life and come to the conclusion that life is what you make it and realise just how good we have got it: