Touching the Void
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Touching the Void description
Concise and yet packed with detail, Touching the Void, Joe Simpson's harrowing account of near-death in the Peruvian Andes, is a compact tour de force that wrestles with issues of bravery, friendship, physical endurance, the code of the mountains, and the will to live. Simpson dedicates the book to his climbing partner, Simon Yates, and to "those friends who have gone to the mountains and have not returned." What is it that compels certain individuals to willingly seek out the most inhospitable climate on earth? To risk their lives in an attempt to leave footprints where few or none have gone before? Simpson's vivid narrative of a dangerous climbing expedition will convince even the most die-hard couch potato that such pursuits fall within the realm of the sane. As the author struggles ever higher, readers learn of the mountain's awesome power, the beautiful--and sometimes deadly--sheets of blue glacial ice, and the accomplishment of a successful ascent. And then catastrophe: the second half of Touching the Void sees Simpson at his darkest moment. With a smashed, useless leg, he and his partner must struggle down a near-vertical face--and that's only the beginning of their troubles. |
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Touching the Void Customer Reviews
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♥♥♥♥♥ |
It's a wonder
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| Touching the Void begins with the story of Simpson and Yates's ambition to bag a Peruvian peak and, honestly, they come off a little cavalier about the whole adventure. The climb starts out well enough, and the pair gains a lot of confidence as they ascend. About halfway through the expedition, though, a terrible misstep by Simpson renders his leg useless and Simpson and Yates have to figure out how to cope with the descent. Eventually, Yates perceives Simpson to be lost and proceeds to base camp alone. With sheer will and survival instinct, Simpson also makes it out alive (obviously - we are reading his book) and his story is amazing. Knowing the basic plot outline does not take away from the book - it is not about what happened per se, but how where one man would have died, another survives. It is about what goes on in the mind of a man who is left in a dire situation, and in the mind of his partner, who did all he could to save him. Simpson's narrative is simply incredible, and while reading it, I felt like I was right there with him. A lot is added from Yate's short contribution, too. This book is an excellent addition to a "mountaineering library" or for anyone interested in the human condition at extremes. |
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