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Aidan’s father, Nick, said it best when addressing the overflowing crowd at his son’s funeral:  “It is an impossible task to distill a life with so much promise into words.”

A full-time lover of the outdoors, Aidan divided his time between New York City and Dublin, New Hampshire, where he could often be found on the lake, on the trails, or skiing nearby. Aidan died tragically in a ski mountaineering accident on the North Face of the Aiguille du Tacul in Chamonix, France.

As a climber, Aidan was remarkable. He took challenges in stride and smiled through … well, most of them. His admirable qualities as seen in the climbing gym poured into all realms of his life. He had an uncommon ability to accept everyone he met. He was extremely opinionated, but, as his father put it, “able to grasp all sides of an issue and, while firmly committed to his own ideals, sought to understand the views of those opposed and to understand that those perspectives were also valuable as collectively we seek to define a path forward.”

As Aidan once put it, “You may not like what people are saying, but you have to let them say it.” His level of acceptance and his desire to learn were rare for someone his age.

Traditionally, the teachers are to provide the lessons, but as his climbing coach (at The Cliffs in Long Island City, New York) I learned as much from Aidan as he did from me. He taught me that it didn’t matter if you had chocolate all over your face. He taught me that on the first day of any school break, alarm clocks just simply don’t go off …. It wasn’t just his rotten luck or irresponsibility, but science. He taught me to be brave and fully myself. He taught me to apologize, to love fully, to keep pushing, to cry, to fight back, and to work at being patient. He taught me that Lady Gaga was boss, and to fully appreciate a well-made croissant.

Aidan was kind and bright, insanely funny, a sincere soul and a great friend. He was passionate about climbing and resolute in his desire to improve. Climbing did not come naturally to him, though you would never know it by watching. He worked hard, had lofty goals, and shared his ever-growing motivation with every member of our Vikings team. He was especially supportive of the growth and development of his peers and had patience that many of us continually strive for. He had a soft spot for the underdog and wanted everyone to feel included.

To quote his teammates, Aidan is: an inspirer. Effervescent. A luminous starfish. Fierce. Generous. Whole-hearted. Courageous. Encouraging. Passionate. Uplifting. Helpful. Kind, warm, caring funny. Magnanimous. Compassionate. Confident. Brave. Supportive. Glamorous. Dedicated. Fighter. “Aidan is what we want to see in a person.”

Please visit https://aidansilitch.com for more information and/or to donate to the Team Aidan Foundation, set up by the Silitch Family to honor Aidan’s spirit of adventure and love of climbing by providing opportunities for kids who may lack the financial means to further their competitive climbing careers.

—Emily Varisco