Geek_the_Greek Posted January 24, 2003 Share Posted January 24, 2003 Legendary BC mountaineer John Clarke passed away yesterday, apparently peacefully with his family. For those who didn't know him, John was responsible for hundreds of first ascents and ski traverses, mostly in BC's coast range. Lately he had been working with several environmental groups doing talks and slide shows and raising awereness for wilderness issues in BC and elsewhere. John has a wife, Annette, and recently had a son, Nicholas. John was the subject of a great Tami Knight cartoon in the late nineties. In the strip, John is giving a slide show to the BCMC "Beautiful granite walls, easy 26-day approach..." I hadn't seen him for a couple years, but will miss his ageless, cheerful joking and energy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisT Posted January 24, 2003 Share Posted January 24, 2003 You have my sympathy. How old was he? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geek_the_Greek Posted January 24, 2003 Author Share Posted January 24, 2003 You know, that's a good question. I think he was in his sixties. His "mad scientist" shock of white hair showed his age, but his enthusiasm made him seem like he might well have been in his thirties. He'd been doing first ascents since the '60s, so he's been around a bit. Dru or Fern could probably answer this better than I. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisT Posted January 24, 2003 Share Posted January 24, 2003 well I was a little confused because you said he died "peacefully" but that he and his wife had just had a baby...oh well I guess Picasso was still having kids in his 70s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geek_the_Greek Posted January 24, 2003 Author Share Posted January 24, 2003 There's a funny article in the 2002 CAJ about the circumstances surrounding the birth of his son. It seems to have been....something of a surprise! You should read it - it's funny, and says something about John. I should stop posting about this, because I don't want to speculate about what I don't know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisT Posted January 24, 2003 Share Posted January 24, 2003 CAJ? Can you send it to me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erik Posted January 24, 2003 Share Posted January 24, 2003 CAJ? Can you send it to me? CANADAIN ALPINE JOURNAL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisT Posted January 24, 2003 Share Posted January 24, 2003 thanks - you'd think I would know that since I was born in Ontario. Once again, my condolances(sp?) to the family of John Clarke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fern Posted January 24, 2003 Share Posted January 24, 2003 John had serious cancer which stopped responding to treatment late last year. He had been in palliative care for a few months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dru Posted January 25, 2003 Share Posted January 25, 2003 He was 57 I think... down a few for him tonight! JC was like Fred Beckey, a true original, and hero to the rest of us. There are few who have inspired me as much, even though I still haven't done one of those multi day unsupported traverses JC style.... The story of him and Paul Adam bribing Dean Hart and Randy Atkinson to rope gun them up Meager Obelisk is one of the all time classics. Or him and Peter Croft making the "Mule and the Acrobat traverse" south of Klattasine: John and Peter leave camp early. Peter leads crux 5.8 pitch and brings John up to the summit of unclimbed peak John has previously tried and retreated from. They descend. John goes back to camp happy, and Peter soloes 2 more lines on the 1200' faces of the peak before dinner, the last one in a rainstorm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don_Serl Posted January 25, 2003 Share Posted January 25, 2003 john was totally unique, with unparalled optimism, energy, drive, focus, imagination, happiness, and patience. there was not a negative atom in his body. i hear from his friend lisa baile that he even managed to bring an atmosphere of good vibes to the palliative care ward. he amassed an unmatched (and probably unmatchable) record: several hundred first ascents, not of routes, but of PEAKS. and he displayed an attitude towards the mountains that we who call ourselves mountaineers can only be humbled by and aspire to: he absolutely accepted the mountains on their own terms. there was no rush, no frustration, no conflicting priorities, no complaint, no avoidance. john simply LIVED in the mountains, and enjoyed that life, no matter what the weather, the discomfort, or the situation. my favorite personal JC-connected incident: in 1988, during john's "technical" period, he and i tried to climb the south buttress on klite peak, beyond toba inlet. we had 57 days available in which we could make the attempt; 57 days for 800 feet of climbing. eventually a weather window arrived, we flew to the inlet, airdropped food and stuff on a glacier, crashed from the salt-chuck up thru 6000 feet of exemplary, mosquito-infested, bluff-laced coast range bush, and walked 3 days of ridges back to the peak - and it started to rain. it rained solidly for 3 days, while we lived on thermarest islands in our leaky tent. finally we high-tailed it for the beach. and john thought this was GREAT! 57 days to climb an 800 foot route, and we FAILED! to john, this epitomized challenge, and why you went into the mountains. he was GLOWING afterwards! my favorite JC memory: a slide show after a trip of his into bella coola country. one slide showed a campfire in the forest after descent from 3 weeks in the alpine; there was a blackened mass in the centre and bits of clothing protruding from the core of the fire... john's commentary: "laundry day on the kimsquit." we were uplifted by his presence, and we're all diminished by his absence. RIP, john clarke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpt.Caveman Posted January 26, 2003 Share Posted January 26, 2003 God rest his soul. I love hearing about guys like this. It's too bad he is gone. Some guys are just way cool partners (I have some with similar motivations) and they can never be replaced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allthumbs Posted January 26, 2003 Share Posted January 26, 2003 hella cool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne Posted January 28, 2003 Share Posted January 28, 2003 I want to be like John.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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