Touching the Void by Joe Simpson

169 pages

"Joe Simpson and his climbing partner, Simon Yates, had just reached the top of a 21,000-foot peak in the Andes when disaster struck. Simpson plunged off the vertical face of an ice ledge, breaking his leg. In the hours that followed, darkness fell and a blizzard raged as Yates tried to lower his friend to safety. Finally, Yates was forced to cut the rope, moments before he would have been pulled to his own death.

The next three days were an impossibly grueling ordeal for both men. Yates, certain that Simpson was dead, returned to base camp consumed with grief and guilt over abandoning him. Miraculously, Simpson had survived the fall but, crippled, starving, and severely frostbitten, was trapped in a deep crevasse. Summoning vast reserves of physical and spiritual strength, Simpson hopped, hobbled, and crawled over the cliffs and canyons of the Andes, reaching the base camp hours before Yates had planned to break camp.

How both men overcame the torments of those harrowing days is an epic tale of fear, suffering, and survival; a poignant testimony to unshakable courage and friendship."

This is a short book but a great testament to the strength of the human spirit. About halfway through I thought, "Gee, I wish this book had a glossary so I could understand the climbing terms better." Well, there is a glossary...in the very back of the book! So, know that before you start and it will make your read that much more enjoyable.

After reading Into Thin Air I couldn't help but wonder if people who climb the world's highest peaks aren't just a teensy bit insane, risking life and limb to experience a brief moment of satisfaction before having to turn around and do it all over again. It's not something I would ever consider. (I'm afraid of heights and I'm claustrophobic, not a good combination for that sort of thing.) But I do admire the determination and fortitude they must have to do it. Joe Simpson is a great example of that. The things he goes through after breaking his leg are unimaginable and to keep going after so much adversity is impressive. The book is well-written and I liked how the points of view change from Joe's to Simon's after the accident so you get a feel for the anguish Simon was experiencing even though his decision ultimately saved Joe's life. I believe that God must have watched over these men, inspiring Joe to keep going and Simon to wait before leaving camp. The ending was a bit abrupt and I would have liked to learn a little bit more about what happened to both of them after their ordeal, in particular Simon, but I guess the epilogue was a good way to end, too.

(FYI: Simon Yates was leading climbing expeditions as early as last year. In an article online he said that he had lost touch with Simpson - calling him a person he could no longer relate to - for several years until filming scenes for the documentary about their ordeal but Simpson has always defended his decision to cut the rope.)