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Ksolem
Trad climber
LA, Ca
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Feb 21, 2007 - 02:37pm PT
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I only met Pete a few times, usually at the Waugh "compound" in Tuolomne and of course at that JT party pictured above. But a lot of my good friends knew him well over the years and spoke of his amazing ablilies to float up hard climbs with impeccable footwork and style. He seemed like a really nice guy who just loved people and life. Best wishes to family and friends...
Kris Solem
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L
climber
The City of Lost Angels
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Feb 21, 2007 - 02:51pm PT
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I heard about this on Saturday night and just couldn't believe it. I saw Pete at last summer's JT party--he was funny as ever and brought one of the best bottles of white wine I've ever tasted. Not only a wine connoisseur, but a gentleman through and through. He will be missed. My sincerest condolences to his family and friends.
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bob d'antonio
Trad climber
Taos, NM
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Feb 21, 2007 - 03:34pm PT
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A couple of pictures of Pete...in his element.
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rmuir
Social climber
the Time Before the Rocks Cooled.
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Feb 21, 2007 - 04:12pm PT
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Thanks, Bob... That's the Pete I remember.
Pete was always the purist. Probably back in 1976 or so, Pete and I were climbing many long weekends up at Tahquitz together. Many times, we'd arrange our schedules so that three-dayers were the norm. (Many fine routes were done on those Mondays when everyone else was back at work/school...)
One fine Humber Park Monday, we decided that a rest day was in order. I'm thinking that Hot Henry must have had just reported back about those German purists over in Dresden that were climbing barefooted and, since THEY shunned the soles and were "vera bold", they obviously were In Touch. Remember lads? The Barefoot Era. How many others flurted with that back then? Many times I recall Pete thowing off the EBs at the top of Tahquitz, and walking back down to Lunch Rock barefoot.
Like I said, Pete was quite the purist... And his feet were getting pretty calloused by then.
So for our rest day, we decide that it would be a fine day for a hike. Larry Reynolds, Pete and I decide that quick run up to the top of Mt San Jacinto would be in order. Up from Humber, to the summit via Wellman Cienega to Suicide and return. Now, "Lawrence of Monrovia" was probably wearing a pair of oversized Kronies or Spiders; I had the usual TSes. And Pete decides that he's gonna do it barefoot. The dude was so pure that he didn't even throw a pair of shoes in the daypack! (What is that? Something like fifteen miles and 5,000 vertical feet?)
All the way up San Jac, Pete was earning the new nickname of "Indian Pete". Man, he just floated up the trail, thumbs up, at our blistering pace. Started to slow somewhere around Strawberry Cienega on the Deer Springs trail... By the time we got to the top of Suicide, Pete's pads were a bloody pulp! We nearly carried him down the last bit!
Indian Pete. Rest in peace.
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AKDOG
Mountain climber
Anchorage, AK
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Feb 21, 2007 - 04:32pm PT
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Sad news, way too young to go. Didn’t know Pete real well but had the pleasure of climbing with him in Colorado back in the mid 80’s and I remember his penchant for a good bottle a wine. RIP
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Nick
climber
portland, Oregon
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Feb 21, 2007 - 04:54pm PT
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Oh, man. Pete was one of the first people I climbed at Tahquitz with. He was one of my early mentors. Our first climb togeather was Blankety Blank it was like water flowing up hill, amazing. One of the smoothest thin face climbers I have ever seen. Last few summers in the Meadows, I have had many an an oppertunity to catch up with Pete. He was a climber to the core, climbing was his religion. Pete was a gentle and friendly soul. RIP Pete, you are missed.
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G_Gnome
Boulder climber
Sick Midget Land
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Feb 21, 2007 - 07:10pm PT
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Damn! At least it was quick.
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rbolton
Social climber
The home for...
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Feb 21, 2007 - 07:18pm PT
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Pete was an amazing human being. Pete and Hensel demonstrated what could be done with small holds in the seventies. Nobody could move like those two bastards. He became a huge part of my life in the last 20 years. He was uncle Pete to my daughter Nikki and an old time friend to my wife, Tina. He was an integral part of the Tuolumne medows compound every summer. He was gentle and he was kind, but lets not forget he could shittalk with the best of ‘em. Cheers, Pete.
Searching for Mermaids
Helping keep the campfire lively
Pete and friends (Al, Mike, Mariah, Ricky, Pete)
Last summer
Josh
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G_Gnome
Boulder climber
Sick Midget Land
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Feb 21, 2007 - 10:55pm PT
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Thanks for that last look Bob.
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Russ Walling
Social climber
Out on the sand.... man.....
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Feb 21, 2007 - 10:57pm PT
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Bumped into Pete over the years.... I'll mirror all that was said before... good man! RIP.... damn.....
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L
climber
The City of Lost Angels
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Feb 23, 2007 - 12:19am PT
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Nice bunch of photos, Bob. They really show Pete's great sense of humor, not to mention the wild bunch of loonies he ran with.
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Standing Strong
Trad climber
offices & honkytonks
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Feb 23, 2007 - 12:41am PT
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that's really sad. i'm so sorry for your loss. this hits close to home because my birth grandmother died of an aneurysm when she was around 32 or so. i wasn't born yet, obviously, but i hope it doesn't run in genes. i guess this is just another reminder that we need to live life for the NOW... many condolences to Mr. Steres' family and friends. Rest in peace, dude.
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Anastasia
Trad climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
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Feb 23, 2007 - 12:49am PT
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I am very saddened for he is really too young.
Sending my condolences to his family and friends,
Anastasia
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Todd Gordon
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
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Feb 23, 2007 - 02:18am PT
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Both mine and Tucker Tech's mother died also of an aneurysm;....."make the most of what you yet may spend, before you into dust descend......" Live each day to the fullest!
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kimie
climber
Snoqualmie, WA
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Feb 23, 2007 - 01:14pm PT
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Hello there,
Peter was a long time friend of my husband, Joe, and I. It brings tears to my eyes to read all of your comments. It makes my heart sing to hear how he is remembered as such a gifted climber.
I remember being 15 years old attempting to climb a boulder at Stony Point. I remeber the gleam of ecstasy in Pedro's eyes as he turned back to me with blood dripping from his elbow and his knee saying something like, "Isn't this great?!!". It was at that point I accepted that I was a 'climbing bunny' rather than a climber. I spent countless delightful hours observing Pete, Joe and maybe many of you in that vertical ballet moving with unconscious intimacy with the rock. I know that one of the reasons I became an ecstatic Structural Integrator was from that experience of observing the fluidity of Pete et al climbing.
That was back in 1971. Peter was our best man in 1976. My maid of honor, Dolores, married his younger brother David who was a dear school mate of mine. Our daughter, Jana, called him Uncle Pete and remembers climbing with him when she was a youngster.
Pete is the first friend that I have had to let go of in death. At the age of 50, I am grateful and blessed to be able to say that. I am sad that he died so young, but I am deeply in the sweetness of memory...being a girl and part of the joy he felt climbing, being in nature and in deep discussions over many glasses of wine over many years.
Blessings be with all of you and may you continue to experience the joy of your art; being in active intimacy with the rock.
Kim Illig.
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Roynan
climber
Big Sur, California
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Feb 23, 2007 - 02:06pm PT
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Hi everyone. I am not a rock climber, but after reading this thread I had to join only to thank you all for sharing your memories and pictures of Pete. Pete was my uncle, and though I didnt know him as well as I would have liked I did know that climbing was his life and his climbing buddies were like family to him. The messages you all have posted here serve as a better obituary than any of us could have written. Thank you for giving me and my family the gift of your memories.
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bob d'antonio
Trad climber
Taos, NM
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Feb 23, 2007 - 02:24pm PT
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Another shot of Pete.
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Rick A
climber
Boulder, Colorado
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 23, 2007 - 10:18pm PT
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Thanks to wbw for the mention of Pete’s Bachar-Yerian story. It is a reflection on Pete’s modesty and self -deprecating sense of humor that the part of the tale he loved to tell the most, often pausing mid-story to laugh about it himself, was how he got progressively more and more gripped as he approached the bolt after the notorious runout. He would then describe how he, the proud ethical purist (see Robs' story about how he considered shoes to be a taint), gratefully, and with out any qualms, inserted his finger into the bolt hole. It was classic climbing story: full of terror, accomplishment and laughter.
Thanks, Bob, for the gallery of photos of Pete. The last one really captures his playful,impish side.
Roynan-your uncle was a highly- respected and valued member of the climbing community. Please pass on our sincere condolences to your family.
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curlie
Trad climber
SLO, CA
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Feb 24, 2007 - 02:41pm PT
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The first time I met Pete was a momentous day at Joshua Tree. Several of us were wishing Chris Wegener bon voyage by trying to do all of his routes in a day (except the crazy aid ones). We had already knocked off White Lightning and were wrapping up Profundity at Trashcan Rock. White Rabbit was next on our list, and wouldn't you know it? Pete Steres walks up, making our party have 3 of the 4 first ascensionists of the route. With karma like that, it was just meant to be, so off we all headed for the Comic Book. With karma like that, you also know that something will undoubtedly go wrong -- in this case, none of the 3 could remember where the route was! After wandering around for a while, we could finally see the face, but spend another hour scrambling up and down canyons in frustration. Finally, Jim Wilson pipes up with "Oh yeah! We named it White Rabbit because you had to crawl through the Rabbit Hole!" So through the rabbit hole we went and did the route. Chris in a Day is still waiting for a determined party -- I was all set to knock off Walk on the Wild Side as the sun was going down, but then someone cracked a beer.....
Anyway, I caught up with Pete several times since at Tuolumne. He was a cool guy to chat with and share a glass of wine. I'll miss seeing him again this August.
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hossjulia
Trad climber
Eastside
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Feb 24, 2007 - 04:20pm PT
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pierre was one of my best friends. I am shocked at this news. I just spoke with him on the phone a couple of weeks ago.
I was just talking to a friend about him last night, looking forward to seeing him in Tuolumne this summer again. I regret not taking the hike to crystal cave with him last summer. he hand drew me a topo on how to get to it, I will have to go hike it on my own.
he sand bagged me into leading my one and only 5.11 in Eldo 11 years ago. I climbed a route in Tuolumne with him a couple of years ago that he just floated, I loved climbing with him.
Oh Peter, I will miss you so!
Julia White
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