UKC

Hi Lads,

I have been working on a book about Tobin Sorenson and am looking for some information about his climbs in the UK.

For those who don’t know the name, Tobin is best known for his extraordinary 1977 season in the Alps, when he climbed four of the six great north faces, including two new routes, a coveted repeat, and a solo winter ascent.

I know he was in Scotland during the winter of 1978 and climbed Zero Gully, Point Five Gully, and The Curtain.   But I have no information about that trip and would love to hear from anyone who may have  details, or better yet, photos.

Cheers

In reply to Removed UserRick Accomazzo:

I have no info re the Ben, but I do know Tobin climbed Intermediate Gully on Dow Crag in 78. I had topped out after doing Great Gully and briefly crossed paths with him on the summit ridge. I suspect his ascent of Intermediate might have been a first in winter. Conditions were near perfect with iron hard neve filling all the gullies. The significance of meeting him only really struck home when I read about his passing in 1980!

In reply to Removed UserRick Accomazzo:

Ask Rob, " robmatheson " username on here . You can email him thro ukc.

Rob climbed Intermediate Gully with Tobin.

He first met Tobin and climbed with him  in Yosemite about 1975 .

There was an  american at the CIC hut on Ben Nevis in February 1978, soloing a lot of grade V  routes. My memory had him as Tim but I might have that wrong, maybe it was Tobin. He was staying at the hut, you could ask the SMC they might still have the hut logbooks.

Such a short climbing career but what a CV.

In reply to Removed UserRick Accomazzo:

It's probably worth asking Alan Kimber.

In reply to Removed UserRick Accomazzo:

1978...we don't get that many but that was one of our really great winters!

In reply to Removed UserRick Accomazzo:

Ken Crocket. He is writing a series of books on the history of Scottish climbing, has written one on Ben Nevis and was active in the 70s.

I have emailed you 

In reply to Removed UserRick Accomazzo:

I guess you've already contacted Gordon Smith ?

Thanks for the ideas everyone.

It may well be that Tobin didn't climb with anyone on that visit, soloing everything.

Jeremy-that is new information to me. I assume it was the winter of 1977/1978, correct? Had my first visit to the Lakes a couple of years ago and loved it.

65-I'll contact him.

 Rick-thanks for the contact and email. I will follow up. There is a lot about Tobin's climbs that people don't know yet. For example, he soloed east face of  Huandoy Norte in Peru. He wrote about this bold effort, but his story  has never  been published.

Sean-Tobin was fortunate with respect to the conditions in Europe. The summer of 1977 was a spectacular snow and ice season in the Alps. There were a lot  of first ski descents that year.

Roger-will follow up with him also.

Doug-I haven't yet, but I don't think he was with Tobin at that time. I interviewed him extensively for a chapter of the book that was previewed in Alpinist a few years ago and expect that he would have mentioned it.

Again thanks. I'll post if I learn anything.

Rick

In reply to Removed UserRick Accomazzo:

I am looking forward to the book - good luck with it. As has already been mentioned, it was a short but stellar climbing career.

(By the way, in case you missed it: Tobin Sorensen has recently been discussed on this forum in the context of John Allen's climbing career.)

Which edition of Alpinist, and which article? Thanks.

In reply to Rob Parsons:

49

In reply to Rick Graham:

Thanks - got it.

In reply to Rick Graham:

There was an  american at the CIC hut on Ben Nevis in February 1978, soloing a lot of grade V  routes. My memory had him as Tim but I might have that wrong, maybe it was Tobin

Todd Swain?

In reply to Removed UserRick Accomazzo: yep, it was February 78, sadly can’t remember the specific day! On doing a bit of digging it turns out Tobin’s wasn’t  the first ascent of Intermediate Gully, that honour goes to Mason, Alexander and Bower in 1919, which is very impressive for the time considering it now gets V(6) winter grade! Conditions can be fickle in the Lakes but that winter was a cracker. Took me until 86 to get similar conditions again for my ascent of Intermediate Gully. One thing I do remember is that Tobin must have been cruising that day, he and his partner set off after us and finished before we topped out.

In reply to Removed UserJeremy Ashcroft:

9th Feb 1986 according to the 2012 winter guide, if that is when you did the lh finish to great gully.

Regarding intermediate, at least the guide says the grade is a guess, I have done a lot of tech 7 that are easier.

Back on the Ben , the week I was there (staying Sunday to Thursday night)  had the 17th as a  Friday. That day Gordon Smith did the FA of Route II direct with Ian Sykes , I think the American, had already left. I guess the best way to clarify the Americans identity would be the hut user registration book or logbook  , if they  still exist, though Colin might know more about the visit.

Whoever it was had a close call, I think on Zero, everything popped and he was left dangling from the lanyard on his chouinard hammer. He was quite wide eyed recounting the tale in the hut that evening.

In reply to Removed UserJeremy Ashcroft:

Too late to edit but please ignore first sentence about dates on great gully.

Looks like you have done it twice, better than me , never got past first chockstone in winter  

In reply to Rick Graham:

May have been an ami guy called Ken Sim who was about at that time & soloed some of the classic grade V`s on the Ben. Very impressive at the time.

In reply to Removed UserRick Accomazzo:

I did Comb Gully on 18th Feb 1978, and was overtaken by Doug Lang and Neil Quinn who had earlier that day done the first ascent of a new route which they called American Pie (perhaps inspired by an american climber around at the time?). I'll send you Neil's contact details, he might remember.

In reply to Grahame N:

Whilst you are on the case , can you ask him where AP goes, please?

I have never been able to fathom it out.

In reply to Rick Graham: now you’re  confusing me, which is easily done! The chronology is, I did the standard ascent of Great Gully in Feb 78 and met Tobin as we topped out. I did Intermediare Gully in Feb 86, the same week as I did the new variant to Great Gully. The same week in 86 I also did a new route on Hen Crag, which sadly I omitted to document. For reference I found Intermediated a good grade or two harder than Steep Ghyll, and at least one grade harder than Zero. It still blows my mind that it was first climbed in 1919. 

In reply to Removed UserJeremy Ashcroft:

No, I am sure I got confused first

Some lakes winter routes can be really nails. I have done intermediate , zero and steep ghyll twice , but one of those IG ascents was in summer.

On the day IG was hardest of the lot by two full grades with steep ghyll being easiest but once harder than zero.

In very banked out conditions , intermediate gully would only have one steep section on the last pitch.

Not trying to knock the old boys, some were hard as nails. I recall trying to repeat some obscure old gully route for buttermere guide work, I backed off and took the cop out , just writing up the route as " traditional".

In reply to Removed UserRick Accomazzo:

Hi Rick

I cannot help here but in relation to other info related to Tobin do you have access to Alex Macintyre's article Mama's Boys, recounting his and Tobin's ascent of the Harlin Direct on the Eiger. It was in a 1978 edition of Climber and Rambler. It is a great insight in to Tobin with good photos. I have copy. You may well have it but if not let me know.