Rick Accomazzo Article re: Tobin Sorenson -- Alpinist 49

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Craig Fry

Trad climber
So Cal.
Mar 27, 2015 - 07:48am PT
Super great article Ricky

A little bird told me that there will be an interesting article about some climb in Joshua Tree in an upcoming issue of Alpinist.
That will be a must Read!
Jefe'

Boulder climber
Bishop
Mar 27, 2015 - 08:10am PT
Jefe'

Boulder climber
Bishop
Mar 27, 2015 - 08:11am PT
Off White

climber
Tenino, WA
Mar 27, 2015 - 01:51pm PT
I bought this issue just because it was on the rack at the grocery store and I wanted to encourage them. Imagine my delight at finding Rick's article, as So Cal boys just a few years behind, Tobin was the stuff of legend. Well, Rick too for that matter...
ß Î Ø T Ç H

Boulder climber
extraordinaire
Mar 27, 2015 - 11:48pm PT
Bushman

Social climber
Elk Grove, California
Mar 28, 2015 - 08:11am PT
I remember watching Tobin attempt Paisano Overhang one time, not sure if it was during this photo. After several tries and falls he crawled up on the ledge, curled into a fetal position, and just stayed that way for awhile. He was so determined, that failure was too bitter a pill for him to swallow. I was climbing about 5.8 or 5.9 around then so I could not imagine what it took to hold ones self in an off sized fist crack while flipping the body around to pass the lip on the overhang. 5.12 was always in the realm of the impossible for me.
Rick A

climber
Boulder, Colorado
Apr 4, 2015 - 08:10am PT
Those are some gems, Jeff and Tim!

The second left ski track photo shows the usual Tobin strategy of full commitment: crank the right foot up high, so you have no choice but to extend on it or fall off trying.

And his despair in failing on Paisano Overhang is very telling, too.

The PO was a climb seemingly designed specifically for the teenage John Long, requiring immense strength, massive hands, and a mindset that anything was possible.

Rick A

climber
Boulder, Colorado
May 8, 2015 - 11:02am PT
One route I described in the article was a first ascent by Gordon Smith and Tobin on the West Face of the Aiguille du Plan, to the right of the Grand West Couloir.

Alpinist had a note about the Grand West in 2008 and described a modern ascent of that route:

The French alpinists, Thomas Faucheur and Didier Jourdain, have made a rare winter repeat of the Grand West Couloir on the west face of the Aiguille du Plan (3673m), Mont Blanc Massif. First climbed from December 10-14, 1975 by Patrick Gabarrou (who else?) and Jean-Marie Picard-Deyme, this 700-meter line up the thin chimney-gully system immediately right of the Central Pillar Direct (TD-, 5.8, 700m, Brown-Patey, 1963) is seriously exposed to stonefall and features considerable quantities of either bare or icy rock.


I recently found an old slide of the West Face of the Aiguille Du Plan that I took from the Midi telepherique back in 1977.


I’ve never been sure about the exact line of the Smith/Sorenson. So maybe Gordon or someone with knowledge can draw it in here, so modern climbers can locate it and perhaps give it a go. I is uncertain whether it has ever had a second ascent.

Here is Gordon's colorful description of the crux, which I quoted in the article:

Horrific. A vertical rock corner, sporting an evil off width crack, encased in ice and verglass and topped by a large roof dripping icicles. Tobin led it, for it was his turn and he never was one to shy away from a challenge, with all the histrionic and noisy brilliance that I later came to expect from him.
steve shea

climber
May 8, 2015 - 02:45pm PT


I think this is it, not sure. I looked at it with Gordon in '77 and was going to do it with him. The line above is the one he had wanted to do. Things got in the way, weather, and the meter ran out on my plane ticket. I have a really good photo in my archives but I never seem to find the time to sort, scan and post. I have a lot of slides, too many.

My photos are a different aspect, more from the west and underneath. From the Plan de l'Aiguilles so not certain on any of this.
johntp

Trad climber
socal
May 10, 2015 - 04:07pm PT
I had no idea of Tobin's alpine accomplishments. The sh!t he pulled off in the Alps and Canadia is astounding.
Largo

Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
Oct 5, 2015 - 05:04pm PT
I'd love to read that article on Tobin if I could find out where it was??
JL
Wee Jock

climber
Mar 2, 2016 - 12:55am PT
Hey Accomazzo
Just saw this thread. The route Tobin and I did started at the same spot as the Gab/picard-deyme route, stepped right onto a rock slab. Up the slab and directly up the goulotte above - the one just to the right of the Gab goulotte. At the top we climbed straight up the headwall - There was an obvious crack line straight above the goulotte line. Where it ended we moved 2 metres right to another (offwidth) crack. This led to a large overhang we turned on the left to finish directly below the summit pimple of the plan.
Essentially a superdirect route (like the route we did on the Jorasses) just right of the Gab route. About the same difficulty and quality as the Gab.

How ya doin, snowboarder?
Gordon (wee jock)
Rick A

climber
Boulder, Colorado
Mar 4, 2016 - 04:35pm PT
Gordon,

Hope you were battened down during the latest storms out your way.

Here is a post to an ascent of the Gabarrou/Jean-Marie Picard-Deyme route on the west face in 2011 by Jonathan Griffith and Will Sim.

http://willsim.blogspot.com/2011/02/west-face-direct-aguille-du-plan.html

It has a good diagram of where the route goes and some other photos as well.

If I understand it, it looks like your route is the super-direct way, since it goes right up the pyramid rock structure near the summit, not around to he left like the Gab. Nice line!

Been out on the board a bit this winter, good fun. Here's me last week.



johntp

Trad climber
socal
Mar 4, 2016 - 04:49pm PT
Maybe someone from Alpinist could post the article.
AP

Trad climber
Calgary
Mar 4, 2016 - 04:55pm PT
Could you imagine someone leading left ski track with a mini rack today?
rmuir

Social climber
From the Time Before the Rocks Cooled.
Mar 4, 2016 - 05:15pm PT
^^^ Could you imagine someone leading Left Ski Track in a pair of EBs? 😉
eeyonkee

Trad climber
Golden, CO
Mar 4, 2016 - 05:21pm PT
I missed some of these last posts the first time round. Wow, some great photos and posts. This is the good stuff.
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