Steve Roach

My friend and climbing partner for 40 years died suddenly after knee surgery on May 2. Originally from Ohio, I met Steve in grad school in Wyoming. We climbed at Vedauwoo, Yosemite and all over the West. Steve did many first ascents in the Organ Mountains in New Mexico and even established a completely new crag there. He did all of the 14ers in Colorado and also did Ride the Rockies several times. He was such a positive person and the best partner and friend one could ever have. I'll really miss him.

Sorry for your loss, Mike.  Rest in peace, Steve.

Hi Fred- we were looking forward to meeting you at Steve’s CoL but I was too sick to attend.

Me and my husband Pat climbed a lot with steve over the last few years. He was the best climbing partner you could have- always showing up, always stoked to climb, always knowing just how much to push you into leading something you were nervous about.

We went to Joshua tree over new years a few years ago. One night after climbing we were in Nomads check out gear we didn’t need to buy, and steve picked up a guide book of Vedawoo. He then walked it over to us and asked if we recognized the young man belaying. Turned out that it was him! Belaying you! Anyways- wanted to share that story with you- we heard a lot about your partnership over the past few years and I’m sorry that we both had to lose such a good friend.

Here is a picture of steve leading touch and go from that trip. He took a nice whipper close to the ground, 2-3 pieces in. Pretty rough for 5.9. But hey- it’s Joshua tree so…hugs from Merced.

Sorry I missed you at the memorial. It was great to meet Norm and Shilpa. It makes me happy that Steve had good friends to climb with his last years in Merced. Let me know if you're ever climbing out this way and we'll share some more Steve stories.

The 2005 American Alpine Journal has a nice write-up about an expedition Steve did to The Mountains of the Moon.

https://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12200532202

Mike—I didn’t see this when you first posted, but I’m glad I saw it now. It was great to meet you at the memorial—it really meant a lot to me.

Steve S—thanks for mentioning that article! Of all the stories he told me, I never heard that one, so it was a real pleasure to get one more classic Steve story :)