Touching the Void

I first read Touching the Void in 2002 for my local reading circle, it became one of my top five favourite books of all time. In 1985 Joe Simpson and fellow mountaineer Simon Yates climbed the remote western face of Siula Grande in the Peruvian Mountains.

On the way back down Joe slipped and smashed his knee and Simon on nearly the last leg of lowering him down the mountain, after much agonising and in danger of falling off himself, was forced to cut the rope holding Joe, when he became convinced that Joe had died. Joe fell into a crevasse and here we see the start of Joe's tenacity to stay alive and the strength of his mind to just keep on going.

When you look at the terrain that Joe dragged himself over you wonder what was it that kept him going - he suffered delusions and nearly went mad with a BoneyM song that just wouldn't go away! And then there was the voice that was very insistant on him getting a move on - keep going - just one more step/drag of the leg. On and on. It is an emotional read that keeps you on the edge of your seat, well written and I'm sure, set to become a modern classic of our times.

If you think you can't get any further, read Touching the Void, if Joe can do it so can you. I heartily recommend this thoroughly inspirational book and then read The White Spider by Heinrich Harrer, the reason that Joe started climbing..