Climbers

The best all-round climber in the world [3]

Strong and very bold climber and alpinist. Devout Christian.

Sorensen started rock climbing in Southern California and joined the The Stonemasters. He made hard ascents of the current cutting edge rock climbs in California before taking up Alpinism. In 1977 he climbed multiple hard alpine routes in France and Switzerland and smuggled bibles into then communist Eastern Europe. His tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1979 raised local rock standards despite mainly climbing onsight. He died attempting to solo the north face of Mount Alberta in 1980.

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/C1sFXT7NjK0/

[2] Niall Grimes and Rick Accomazzo chat about Tobin, 2024 https://open.spotify.com/episode/3SXhH433ltw5RhBrTedv2l?

[3] Accomazzo, Rick (2024). Tobin, the Stonemasters, and Me (1970 -1980); Remembering Tobin Sorenson, the Best Climber in the World. USA, Stonemaster Books.

[4] https://gripped.com/profiles/author-rick-accomazzo-tobin-the-stonemasters-and-me/

Toby won gold in the 2024 Paris Olympics to become the first Brit to medal in a climbing event at the olympics.

In 2025 Toby picked up a shoulder injury which had a significant impact on his performance throughout the season. [5]

References

[1] Interview with Steve McClure and Niall Grimes for the BMC https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHiz8LbUqvU

[2] Interview with Ollie Torr for Lattice Training, December 2021 https://latticetraining.com/2021/12/02/interview-with-lattice-client-toby-roberts/

[3] How I won Climbing Gold in Paris, September 2024 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_sB0a4U-MQ

[4] Interview with The Times Dec 2024 https://www.thetimes.com/sport/olympics/article/toby-roberts-interview-sport-climbing-paris-2024-tfsxkrs5t

[5] How I lost my ability to climb... January 2026 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3RliN4C458

Born Robert Alain Philippe. Alain is famous for his solo climbing, and since the mid 90s his solo climbs of skyscrapers.

References

[1] Alain Robert, l’homme qui joue avec la mort Grimper.com, 10th March 2023 https://www.grimper.com/news-alain-robert-homme-joue-mort

References

[1] https://www.climbing.com/people/amity-warme-profile/

[2] Interview December 2024 https://covergroundusa.com/conversationwithamity

Rock climber and fell-runner from Baildon, West Yorkshire. Although from a working-class family, who included several notable Yorkshire cricketers, he studied at Leeds University and had established himself as a metallurgist before his death:

Bill Birkett:

Arthur was one of the most important and influential figures in the history of British rock climbing, spanning the social gap between the old guard and the emergence of a hungry new breed of working class climbers. [1][3]

Dolphin was perhaps best-known for his new routes on Almscliff.

Joe Brown:

When you went to try one of his climbs you knew it was going to be hard. [1][3]

He died in a fall descending the Dent du Géant aged 28.

References

[1] Yorkshire Gritstone Volume 1, Almscliff to Slipstones

[2] https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/arts-and-culture/looking-back-at-the-life-of-a-gentleman-climber-1975188

[3] Greenwood, Tom ed. (2010). Memories of Dolphin: The Life of a Climber Remembered. UK: Green Woods.

References

[1] https://www.ukclimbing.com/news/2015/07/dan_dark_horse_mcmanus-69822

Dean Potter was a rock climber, alpinist, BASE jumper, and highliner. He was most notable for free solos, speed ascents, and link-ups in Yosemite and Patagonia. He died in a wingsuit BASE jumping accident in Yosemite.

References

[1] Portrait by Dean Fidelman https://www.instagram.com/p/CpN7MQAJom7/

[2] Free Soloing with a Parachute, from Reel Rock https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DWu4HygkBU

[3] Portrait by Jim Hurst https://www.instagram.com/p/DXcaJD9EYr0/

[4] Ivo Ninov discusses Dean's life (2017) https://stara.emontana.cz/dean-potter-ivo-ninov-interview/

Didier Berthod is a Swiss climber who is known for his crack climbing. Famously, he came very close to making the first ascent of Cobra Crack in Squamish in 2006 before injury stopped him and Sonnie Trotter made the first ascent..

Around the same time he stopped trying Cobra Crack his partner became pregnant. Didier was unable to to imagine a life as a father and he fell back on his Catholic faith, first becoming a Monk with the Eucharistein Fraternity and later being ordained as a priest.

In 2020 he then left the church to pursue 'a more balanced life', including starting climbing again.

He has since reconciled with his child and her mother (Previously his partner), and has started making hard fist ascents again such as The Crack of Destiny in Squamish and then, in 2024, coming full circle and climbing Cobra Crack in 2024.

References

[1] Interview with Tom Randall https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aSZ19z41Hg

[2] https://english.elpais.com/sports/2022-11-15/didier-berthod-from-rock-climbing-star-to-monk-and-back-again.html

[3] Interview with Niall Grimes, 2023 https://open.spotify.com/episode/32F0fKdpvYNkGup6pRtKMk?

[4] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjXzfkm6mgk

[5] https://www.grimpactu.com/post/de-la-corde-%C3%A0-la-foi-le-retour-victorieux-de-didier-berthod