In Memorandum

I'm dedicating this page to a good friend of mine, Steven Court. Both Steven and Hamish loved it in the mountains and were regular climbers and trampers. They belonged to Auckland University's Alpine Club (AURAC) with who they'd become excellent and respected Climbers, this year assuming the roles of Secretary and Presedent of AURAC (respectively).

On July 1st 1997, Steven and Hamish were tramping on Mt Ruapehu, in the North Island of New Zealand. They left the main group to go for a tramp on the "Pinnicles" with a less experienced tramper "David Hall". During the days leading up to the three going tramping on the pinnicles, unusual weather conditions had caused the snow in the area to become unstable. Their footsteps were enough to cause the snow to give way and begin an avalanche. David Hall was thrown aside by the avalanche, but Steven and Hamish were sucked under and trapped. Two days later, both bodies were found.

I knew both Steve and Hamish - but I knew Steve the best. I met him on the first day of semester when I started at Auckland University and we shared practically the same time table, having lectures and labs together on most days since then. When two people find themselves in a strange new place, like a University, a new town, or a new country, and become friends, they get to know on another very well. You form a strong freindship, because it makes you feel safe in that new place.

Steve was so easy to like. He let anyone be his friend, and in turn made friends with anyone. He went out of his way to help practically anyone. Steve lived in Dairy Flats, about an hour and a half bus ride from the city (that's after a 45 minute walk from his home to the nearest bus stop). Even so, he once treked all the way from his home to tell a friend he wasn't able to keep a lunch date with them because he was feeling Ill. He never let a promise slip by, or a commitment lapse.

Steve touched a lot of people in his time, and had an endless store of stories to tell. He'd talk fondly of people he knew or had met, he'd talk of places he'd been or dreamed he'd go, but mainly he'd about his first passion "Climbing". Steve spent most of his time doing three things. First and formost, Steve worked hard at his studies at University. Never sure exactly what he wanted to do in the end, just that he figured this was one way to get there. Second, Steve worked in a Climbing and Alpine store. He bought an Ice Climbing "Tool" (As he insisted on it being called) about a month or so ago. We sat in the Quad on night after managing to eat yet another "Budgie Meal" from the cafe, and he showed us his new "Preditor". He loved it. Climbing was his life. So the third and most important thing I rember Steve doing, is climbing. Any free time Steve got (An often when he was meant to be flat out with assignments) he'd head off to a local quary or down south to a mountain range and not just climb... Climb HARD!

He had a saying;

"Gregg" he said to me one night sitting in Shadows the Uni Pub, "There's 3 things in life which are important. You've got to Educate, Re-hydrate (Taking a swig of beer) and just 'Climb HARD!'"

I guess what I'm trying to say, is that he really loved rock/ice climbing. It was a passion. It was Life. Having Steve die, is a devesating tragedy that will leave a gap in both my life and the lives of a so many others. It makes it easier, knowing that he died in a place he loved, where he always wanted to be. People die for so many senseless reasons, car crashed, disease, war. I think Steve would have seen it as the warriors of old did, if you're going to die, die fighting... Or in Steve's case, die climbing.

I talked to Steve a couple of times about the risks. Both Steve and Hamish knew them well. In the last AURAC News Letter, hamish wrote about avalanches and the other dangers of mountain climbing, and urged everyone to enjoy doing it... but to be careful.

I once asked Steve about ice climbing, after watching it on TV one day. He said it was the best feeling in the world.

"It's white in front of you, white behind you, and your hanging on to the ice with your two ice tools and crampons. It's like your now where and could fall away into nothing."
"You're crazy" I told him
"It's the forth rule... 'It's better to burn out, than to fade away'...." he laughed, and went to the bar for his round.

I'm glad I got to know Steve over the last year and a half. I'll have a hard time going back to University next Semester knowing that he wont be there. He wont be telling me about where he went climbing over the holidays or complaining about eating the Cafe food.

I know all of his friends will keep his memory alive for years. I always thought we be the kind of friends that would finish university and send christmas cards to each other for the next 50 years or so. Mine from where ever I end up, and Steve's from where ever the Mountains call him!

You never expect this kind of thing to happen, and in a way you shouldn't. I know Steve never dwelt on the "What if's" and only ever looked at the "Why not's!". I will miss him, but I promise that I'll try my best to live up to Steve's Moto and "Cimb Hard" in evyerthing I do.

From a dear Freind,

Gregg.