Michael (Mike) Peters - Rock Climber
By Peter Walker
"And what remains of all I see and know if I let go?"
Sadly after a long brave fight against terminal illness, Mike finally "let go" of life on Tuesday July 27th at the age of 52. He had been a member of the KMC for 35 years.
He came along as a chubby, round-faced 17 year old with a mop of beatle style black hair. The cherubic appearance belied a mischievous and lively attitude. A Wythenshawe lad, like a number of us at that time, he lived just around the corner from Stan Roach in Peel Hall, so it was quite natural for him to get a lift to some of his early meets in Stan's van. One of these, it may even have been his first, was to Birchens. I was 10 years older and treated him as a novice but soon had to change my view, when after carefully leading Crows Nest I found he had just soloed up behind as it was not worth putting the rope on! He was obviously a natural, way out of my class and going to be a very good climber indeed.
And so it proved. At a time when there was a strong contingent of rock climbers in the club, Mike was to go on to be one of the best. His regular partner was (the late) Danny Murphy and it was with Danny that he made the ascent described in the KMC 50th year Journal. The Whillans route on Cloggy, Wonbits Left Hand, had had only 2 ascents including the 1st eight years earlier and had certain mysterious aura about it, but they decided to have a go. They pronounced it "Not a very good route, but very very hard".
Another notable climb was the (second?) ascent, with Angus Morris of Red Wall on South Stack. Angus says he can't remember much about it but John Castick was an eye-witness. This rather loose wall had been selected as the venue for one of the BBC TV rock climbing spectaculars featuring American star Royal Robins and Britons Joe Brown, McNaught Davis and Tom Patey - there is an account of this in Tom Patey's book. The televised first ascent was achieved with the help of a number of pre-placed pitons but was brought down to the level of mere mortals by Peters and Morris, soon afterwards. To give you some idea of Mike's climbing standard, when I asked Peter Scholefield about routes they had done together: Vector, Gandalf and Scratch Arête were the first three that sprang to mind!
Mike was really an out and out rock climber and not into the KMC tradition of long walks etc, but showing the traits of stubbornness and determination that were to mark his later life, he did complete at least 2. The 40 mile Lyke Wake with Danny Murphy and a Bowden Black creation, The Shap - Wasdale, ie just walk east to west across the Lakes District Map. Bowden goaded Mike into this and as Phil Ramsbottom puts it "Mike finished but only just, he was just about all in".
Impressions of Mike at this time varied. One person's "bouncy and irrepressible" was another's "brash and bumptious". One thing for sure, things were never dull with Mike around.
Sadly and suddenly, all this was to change. Mike was stricken with a brain tumour and for many people that would have been it, but serious surgery and medical care, plus that dogged Peters determination were to pull him through. Gone was his round moon-face and most of his hair (replaced by a beard) and drastically thinner. Physically a much changed man but as loquacious as ever. When he got a bit stronger we tried a couple of routes, one at the Roaches, Maude's Garden, and one at Ravensdale, Ash Tree Crack. This was to be his last climb. At the top he said he could no longer trust his sense of balance and would not be climbing again, ever.
He had sorted out his education and was in a computing job that entailed communicating with a young lady named Pat. They arranged to meet at Sheffield Railway Station. As Pat puts it "An early example of computer dating". After the good luck of finding Pat, Mike had the good sense to marry her a year later and settle down to married life in Sheffield. Mike had a questioning mind (argumentative if you like) and a strong social conscience which kept him busy: actively supporting many good causes such as Shelter & Greenpeace and so on.
He kept in touch with the KMC over the years, attending Annual Dinners, Presidents Hot Pots, Len's Kettleshulme meets and so on; as bubbly as ever but no longer a climber. I had started running the Marathon and Mike, not to be outdone, with no real training ran a half Marathon, The Great North Run. He finished it, in a somewhat slow time - that Peters determination factor at work again. He decided to do some proper training, the object being for us to run together in the Sheffield Half Marathon of 1998. This was not to be, I ran on my own, supported by Pat and a rather poorly Mike. He had gone to the doctor's thinking from his symptoms that he had had a minor stroke, but a scan revealed the unthinkable; a fresh set of brain tumours, after 25 years, they were back. Mike was very positive and upbeat, he had beaten it once, he could do it again. And fight he did, for about eighteen months but it was a losing battle in the end.
My final memory of Mike is from my last visit when I had taken along my copy of "Hard Rock" and Mike went through it with Pat, recounting some of his exploits from his glory years. A few weeks later he was dead.
It says a lot about Mike as a person that, after so many years away, amongst the large crowd of mourners at his funeral, there were so many members of the Karabiner Club.
Personally speaking, I can only say that Mike was one of the most unforgettable characters I have ever met.
Peter Walker
PS This article is essentially just one person's view. I am sure other members will have their own memories and stories and could share them with us via the newsletter.
PPS Pat Peters is going to arrange a "wake" in celebration of Mike's life, sometime in the near future. She will let us know the date and hopes the KMC will come along.
