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RIP - Peter Aitchison

Garrath

12-Aug-2013
9:09:16 PM

Peter Aitchison recently passed away doing what he loves.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/accomplished-climber-dies-on-alberta-peak-218798631.html

Peter was the early pioneer of climbing at Booroomba, he soloed Aitchison's Needle in 1966.

RIP Peter.

IdratherbeclimbingM9

12-Aug-2013
9:29:31 PM

Thank you for informing us, and also for the link provided, Garrath.

I did not know him personally other than discovering for myself the climbs that he did at Booroomba and being impressed by the style for the time.

The link given is about as good a write up as I have ever seen in the press for such a tragic event.

A few things worth noting (from the link), re the accident that took him from us, were;
• It was Aitchison's sixth ascent of Mount Victoria.
• He'd roped up for an earlier, tougher section of the climb, but hadn't bothered to rope up for the easy scramble.
• He was apparently doing a relatively easy scramble up a slope when he slipped on some loose rock, falling backwards. He hit his head during the fall (of about 150 metres), cracking his helmet. By the time his fellow climbers reached him, Aitchison was dead.

Vale an aussie pioneer with a good innings till the end at 71.

Miguel75

12-Aug-2013
9:46:21 PM

Thoughts for his family, friends and rescuers.

Ithomas

12-Aug-2013
11:41:46 PM

Another legend bites the dust. Sad for his son and family. Peter was on the first ascent of Integral Crack which many people, myself included, think should be listed as one of the very best Australian climbs and probably the most beautiful.

ithomas

14-Aug-2013
9:48:50 AM

Seems to me a bit more ought to be said about Peter Aitchison's climbing. Andrew Bowman, another ACT pioneer sent these words.

"What a man, what a legacy. I think that his last months in Canberra in 1969 in which he picked the plums day after day must stand as one of the great productive moments in Australian climbing, culminating in Integral crack. We all stood in awe. I have a feeling that he had just submitted his PhD and then knocked off Jetts Set, Fiasco, the Girdle Traverse and Integral in sequence. Peter c--ker's (Peter was on the first ascent and an amazing climber in his own right) account of his ascent of Integral is amazing: no pegs few nuts and up and up."

ithomas

14-Aug-2013
9:50:43 AM

I wish the censorship facility on this site would enable a man's name to be written. Peter c--ker is his surname, you know, like Joe c--ker or c--ker Spaniel. It not only blocks out his proper name it changes the first letter from capital to lowercase.

Climboholic

14-Aug-2013
9:18:11 PM

I've stood at the base of Integral Crack and looked up in wonder and excitment at the prospect of stepping into the unknown. An inspirational climb, an inspirational life and even an inspirational manner in which he passed.

I hope his family and climbing party take comfort that he went out doing what he loved at the age of 71, instead of succumbing to the slow decline of old age. That’s how I’d like to go.

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