Steve joined the Oxford University Mountaineering Club as an undergraduate fresher in 1997, having already spent 11 years hillwalking, scrambling, and more recently rock climbing in the English Lake District. Following an apprenticeship in the European Alps he went on to enjoy a number of expeditions to the west coast of North America, including both alpine rock and big wall aid-climbing in both Yosemite Valley, Squamish, and the Canadian Rockies. In the UK, he has climbed extensively in North Wales (climbing the classic routes of Lliwedd and Tryfan more times than is perhaps healthy), the Peak District, Scotland and the Lake District, enjoying routes of every grade between Easy and E6. Whilst at university he completed a two-week solo marathon over the hundred highest peaks of the Lake District, soloed the Cuillin Ridge traverse, and made numerous long enchainments on the mountains of Snowdonia.
Following a handful of unpleasant winter alpine trips he has taken part in two expeditions to unclimbed peaks in the Indian Himalaya, and has also made many first ascents of rock routes in the UK and Morocco, and ice climbs in both Scotland and Norway. Indeed, at the time he lost count, over a third of all of the routes he had climbed were first ascents. In recent years, along with his wife and former Club President, Katja, he has spent considerable amounts of time in Morocco, developing previously unexplored regions of the Anti-Atlas mountains and writing the first guidebook to the north side of the Jebel el Kest Massif, which was published by the OAC in 2010.
Steve was President of the Oxford University Mountaineering Club 2000-2001, Chairman of the OUMC Centenary Committee 2005-2009, and was elected President of the Oxford Alpine Club in 2010. He currently lives in York, where he works as a fast-jet flying instructor.