A brilliant, vivd, gripping, heart-stopping account of their terrifying adventure... Superbly written
Sunday Express
One of the absolute classics of mountaineering...a document of psychological, even philosophical witness of the rarest compulsion
- George Steiner, Sunday Times
On every level it is an outstanding literary achievement
Independent
A quite extraordinary and moving book...<i>Touching the Void</i> touches the Great Questions in an understated yet utterly compelling way
Guardian
A truly astonishing account of suffering and fortitude...the narrative acquires an irresistible force, carrying all before it
Sunday Times
The book behind the BAFTA award-winning film.
Winner of the NCR Award for non-fiction and the Boardman Tasker award.
Touching the Void is the heart-stopping account of Joe Simpson's terrifying adventure in the Peruvian Andes. He and his climbing partner, Simon, reached the the summit of the remote Siula Grande in June 1995. A few days later, Simon staggered into Base Camp, exhausted and frost-bitten, with news that that Joe was dead.
What happened to Joe, and how the pair dealt with the psychological traumas that resulted when Simon was forced into the appalling decision to cut the rope, makes not only an epic of survival but a compelling testament of friendship.
What happened to Joe, and how the pair dealt with the psychological traumas that resulted when Simon was forced into the appalling decision to cut the rope, makes not only an epic of survival but a compelling testament of friendship.