This remarkable and moving memoir details Joe Simpson’s 1985 climb of the 6,344-metre Siula Grande in the Andes. He was accompanied by his friend Simon Yates, whose far briefer account is also represented here with italics interspersed between sections of Simpson’s narrative.
The pair became the first to ever reach the summit, but were unprepared for the extremes it offered. Simpson broke his leg on the descent and – despite Yates heroically winching him down the slopes in incredibly dangerous conditions – plummeted off a cliff and was left dangling. Fearing Simpson dead or doomed and certain that he was about to plummet himself, Yates considered he had no choice but to cut the rope...
The book tells the astonishing and unlikely story of how both men survived. Simpson lost a third of his body weight during the ordeal and was close to death at the point he finally made it back to base camp after dragging himself and his smashed leg back across crevasses, glacier ice and boulders.
Touching the Void is fascinating on so many levels. Simpson vividly articulates the absurd degree of human suffering he endured to stay alive. He also probes deeper questions about life, death and consciousness, all of which he was brought into close proximity with. His relationship with Yates is also key. He immediately and lastingly “forgave” him for giving up on his survival – even dedicating the book to him “for a debt I can never repay” – but Yates was nevertheless demonised as “the man who cut the rope”.
In the 2003 film adaptation of Touching the Void, Simpson and Yates both speak direct to camera about their experiences. It’s sad that the passing of time and the fame/notoriety of the events seem to have permanently damaged their strained relationship. But the film remains the perfect complement to the book, with different insights gained by the perspective of those passing years. Whichever way the story is told, it’s emotional and unforgettable.
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