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John Ewbank - RIP 11-Dec-2013 At 10:20:09 PM Usedtobe

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Sad news indeed.

I climbed with John way back when (hence my user name!) Or to be more honest, I followed him up many of the (then) big aid routes on Dog Face etc, mostly him leading, using my gear! But I did manage to lead some sections.

Many good memories, and reminders of what it's like to be young.

We spent two nights on Goliath, the first on a comfy wide ledge, the second on plywood belay seats. A peg pulled out when he was about 50' above me on the last pitch, and he fell when I was half asleep. Fortunately the other pegs didn't unzip. The last pitch was longer than my 180' double ropes, so I was off belay and we were double climbing for a while. Given that half the pegs came out by hand, this wasn't terribly peasant.

On our attempt at Echo Crack, the Primus choofer ran out of petrol, so we refilled it by candle light. Not a good idea, and it more or less exploded. We threw the ball of fire off the ledge, and it started a very small bush fire way down below. I retrieved the stove a few weeks later, and used it for many years, even with the dents.

His toilet habits left something to be desired. On one first ascent he called out to me just as he started to piss. Thanks mate. On another, he wasn't taking in the slack, and I had a large loop below me for quite a while on a free section. Despite numerous "take ins" from me, the slack just got bigger. Eventually, it all got taken in, and when I got to the top his excuse was "Oh I had to take a shit, so I tied you off to that tree. I knew you'd be OK." Thanks mate.

I lost touch with him when I started work in 1969, although he worked for me on Lord Howe Island as a fieldie when I was surveying the vegetation on the mountains. I'm not sure if he was afraid of flying, but I recall that he was definitely flying before he boarded the sea plane used in those days. Never offered me any!

Truly a great climber who completely changed the scene in Sydney and Australia.

We knew we were immortal in those days. John's death reminds me that that just ain't so.

So long John, it was great climbing with you. I wish I'd had the chance to say this earlier.

John Pickard