There are people who excel in life in a particular discipline. In climbing, this often means making difficult ascents, often taking significant risks. Some of these "stars" glow, but usually for less time.

Tobin Sorenson (b.1955, California), conducted an incredible amount of ascents in the years he devoted to climbing. Following its inception in the early ’70s, at Tahquitz and Suicide Rocks (California), where in its first year of climbing made the famous "Valhalla" and later opened "The Edge", he climbed a series of summers in Yosemite . He was part of the famous group "The stonemasters" with John Long,

Rick Accomazzo, Richard Harrison, Rob Muir, Mike Graham, Gib Lewis, Jim
Wilson and others (scalar Valhalla was a prerequisite for entering the
group, one of the first 5.11 scaled). In Eldorado Canyon, made the
first free ascent of "Naked Edge", another myth of the era, to the
amazement of those watching him. In 1975 he made his first expedition
to Canada, climbing in the Bugaboos, with Rick Accomazzo, the
"Beckey-Chouinard" to the South Howser Tower for the first time free.
They also "Flamingo Snowpatch and went flying to the Mount Edith
Clavell. In the Canadian Rockies in 1978, also made the first winter of
the central couloir of Mount Kitchener, with Jack Roberts and the
"Callis-Davis on the North Face Robson, with A. Renault. At Longs Peak
(Colorado), 75, made the first free "Pervertical Sanctuary", with Bruce
Adams.

After 9 months of inactivity due to injury, Tobin traveled to Europe in
1977 with a Christian evangelical group (he had studied theology and
was a Christian fanatic) to bring Bibles to the Eastern countries,
risking a time when the power go to jail. When his companions returned
home, he traveled by hitchhiking to Chamonix, where he held an activity
more "powerful" in the history of mountaineering: Rick Accomazzo made
the 1st ascent of the Direct to the NE of the Dru Couloir, real
bogeyman in those years, in 2days and a half, with Gordon Smith of the
1st Sorenson-Smith couloir on the west face of the Aiguille du Plan,
with Todd Eastman’s 1st couloir of the face of the Col du Requin (late
September), again with Gordon Smith on October the 2nd ascent of the
route to the Walter Desmaison of large Jorasses, in 2 ½ days (and
free). Later he went to Switzerland carried out with Alex Mc Intyre, in
5 days and in alpine style first, the "Harlin" in the North Face of
Eiger (4th total). Finally, in December, did the North Face of
Matterhorn alone and in 9 hours. Some of these climbs even today remain
rare authentic myths and repeat, for example the Jorasses Desmaison to
continue filling pages in climbing magazines. Sorenson took them out
all in a single season, following a philosophy of always doing the most
difficult and as clean as possible.

In 1978 Tobin was in the Cordillera Blanca, Peru, and opened a new
route alone in the NE face of North Huandoy travels to Australia in
1979, opening new routes and first in free Reliz Mount Arapiles and
Queensland, and New Zealand, first climbed the Central Pillar of
Mt.Cook Sheila Face with John Allen, and two new routes with Nick
Craddock at Mt Hicks.
On October 5, 1980 Tobin was a solo climb the North Face of Mt Alberta,
when the upper wall of the wall fell, he missed his self-insurance. The
"angel" who had survived many falls during their learning was
unsuccessful on this occasion.
His friend John Long said of him: "The rally had never seen someone
like Tobin and probably never see him again," You can say it was the
world’s most versatile climber in the late 70s. Always climbed as if
time was too short for him and poured all the anxiety, worry and nerves
of one year in every way. " In his obituary in Mountain concluded: "If
a life is measured by its intensity or its contribution to others, the
25-year-Tobin is a rich and complete."