≡ Read Gratis Touching the Void The True Story of One Man Miraculous Survival Joe Simpson 8601420130531 Books

Touching the Void The True Story of One Man Miraculous Survival Joe Simpson 8601420130531 Books

Download As PDF : Touching the Void The True Story of One Man Miraculous Survival Joe Simpson 8601420130531 Books

Touching the Void The True Story of One Man Miraculous Survival Joe Simpson 8601420130531 Books

I love this story and have read it multiple times. Certainly one of the best survival stories out there. I originally saw and purchased the movie which could only have been better if it was in Imax as the photography is absolutely breath taking. The book certainly has some more detail however I think having seen the movie helps a bit with visualizing the extreme conditions these guys were in. There is a scene in the movie that starts as an incredible panoramic view of the mountain range and the camera slowly pans in to the point where you see these two specs climbing the shear face of the mountain. For me that scene really puts the whole story into perspective. There were no margins for error here and then how these two dealt with it and their emotions when the worst occurs. I highly recommend this one


Tags : Touching the Void: The True Story of One Man's Miraculous Survival [Joe Simpson] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. 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,Joe Simpson,Touching the Void: The True Story of One Man's Miraculous Survival,Perennial,0060730552,General,Mountaineering,Special Interest - Adventure,Mountaineering - Peru - Huayhuash, Cordillera,Mountaineering - Search and rescue operations - Peru - Huayhuash, Cordillera,Mountaineering;Peru;Huayhuash, Cordillera.,Mountaineering;Search and rescue operations;Peru;Huayhuash, Cordillera;Case studies.,Mountaineers - Great Britain,Mountaineers;Great Britain;Biography.,Simpson, Joe,Yates, Simon,Literature & Fiction Literature,BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY Sports,Biography,Biography Autobiography,Case studies,General Adult,Great Britain,Huayhuash, Cordillera,Mountaineers,Non-Fiction,Peru,SPORTS & RECREATION General,SPORTS & RECREATION Mountaineering,Search and rescue operations,Sports,Sports & Recreation,Sports & RecreationMountaineering,Sports - General,TRAVEL Special Interest Adventure,TravelSpecial Interest - Adventure,Yates, Simon,BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY Sports,SPORTS & RECREATION General,SPORTS & RECREATION Mountaineering,Sports & RecreationMountaineering,Sports - General,TRAVEL Special Interest Adventure,TravelSpecial Interest - Adventure,Biography Autobiography,Biography,Case studies,Great Britain,Huayhuash, Cordillera,Mountaineers,Peru,Search and rescue operations,Sports & Recreation,Sports

Touching the Void The True Story of One Man Miraculous Survival Joe Simpson 8601420130531 Books Reviews

This was a page turner.
While I’ve read a few mountaineering tragedy books, this was a much more acute recounting of a personal survival story in a place that is difficult enough to survive in, even when you don’t have a broken leg. There is no team or expedition. It’s just two guys in the mountains, alone. Then tragedy strikes.
You certainly feel their helplessness.
Admittedly, I sped through this book. I knew there was going to be an accident and I knew Joe’s climbing partner was going to cut the rope - these are things that are in the description. And I knew that Joe was going to survive (the book was written by him), so the addicting part of this book for me was experiencing his struggles along the way and ultimately the moment he finds safety.
So, because of the nature of the action in this book, it keeps you ‘on the edge of your seat’ and it goes fast. You are also genuinely terrified for Joe as he recounts his obstacles, and he also intertwines the perspective of his climbing partner, Simon throughout key points in the story. This really adds dynamic to the story, and huge conflict - as after Simon cuts the rope, his story moves from rescue to survival as well.
The only thing I found a little friction with during this read was the writing style and diction, as I had to stop several times to look up climbing terms (which may just be a comment about my own vocabulary, I guess). But this aside, there were just a few times when Joe was describing his mountainous surroundings and I feel like his visuals just weren’t coming through.
Joe Simpson
One man’s journey back from the edge of death…

In 1985, Joe Simpson and Simon Yates made an assault on the previously unclimbed West Face of Siula Grande, in Peru. Reaching the summit was a proud moment. Now, it was time to climb down. And that’s when disaster struck…

There were no fixed ropes, but Simpson and Yates were connected by 150 feet of line. When Simpson fell suddenly he shattered his right leg at the knee. In excruciating pain, Simpson was unable to do much climbing. Yates tied two ropes together, making 300 feet. He began to slowly lower Simpson bit by bit down the mountain.

Unfortunately, Simpson again fell. Unable to pull him back up, Yates made the only decision he could. Badly worn out himself, he had to ensure that he could climb down to base camp. He cut the rope, sending Simpson into a crevasse. Very certain that Simpson was now dead, Yates carefully made his way into camp.

This is the story of a miracle. By any odds, Simpson should have died. Unable to use his right leg, Simpson made a perilous journey back to camp, dragging himself inch by inch. The power of the human spirit is often amazing. In his own words, Simpson tells the story of his ordeal. His story is inter spliced with Yates thoughts, the loss of his friend and the guilty thoughts of his decision to cut the rope in spite of the fact that he knew he could have done nothing else.

Bravery and adventure in the world of mountain climbing! I give the book five stars!

Quoth the Raven…
First, I want to acknowledge that Joe Simpson is a talented writer. I have never been a climber and choose never to be one. That said, though the book was filled with action and tear-jerking moments, it seems to be written in the deceptive guise of commending Simon when in actuality it is very self-serving. It is the narcissistic tale of a man who barely disguises his disappointment in his climbing mate, Simon. In reality, had Joe truly been thankful for Simon’s saving his life, (“You saved my life you know”), and had he truly understood, (“I don’t blame you…You did all that could have been done.”), that Simon did the what was necessary, (“You had no choice.”), Joe would have never written such a self-aggrandizing book, knowing how the climbing community would blame Simon for cutting the rope. It is beyond my understanding why the climbing community would prefer that Simon be pulled from the shelf and die himself, seeing that it was impossible for Simon to continue to hold Joe’s weight, rather than cut the rope and survive. Joe knew the risks of climbing and should at least take responsibility for his situation. Simon wasn’t wrong in his actions, Joe was.
Before reading the book I had heard the story many times in the popular press, how Simon cut his buddy loose on a mountain and left him for dead. News reports seem to lay a guilt trip on Simon. After reading the book however I realize that Simon is a true hero, his heroic actions saved both men. He risked his life many times in a desperate effort to get Joe down to only a relatively short distance from the bottom. If he had not done that, Joe would have died, rope cutting or not. Not only that, if he had not cut the rope, both men would have undoubtedly died. If Simon had stayed on the rope and fallen roped to Joe, Simon would have fallen deep into the crevasse and pulled Joe off his ledge into the crevasse with him, killing them both. But by relying on his mountain climbing instincts and cutting the rope when he did, he saved both of them. In retrospect cutting the rope save two live which would have otherwise been lost. That's not to say that Joe is not a hero, but he only saved his own life, Simon saved two. If I were on an extreme climb, I'd want Simon for a partner.
I love this story and have read it multiple times. Certainly one of the best survival stories out there. I originally saw and purchased the movie which could only have been better if it was in Imax as the photography is absolutely breath taking. The book certainly has some more detail however I think having seen the movie helps a bit with visualizing the extreme conditions these guys were in. There is a scene in the movie that starts as an incredible panoramic view of the mountain range and the camera slowly pans in to the point where you see these two specs climbing the shear face of the mountain. For me that scene really puts the whole story into perspective. There were no margins for error here and then how these two dealt with it and their emotions when the worst occurs. I highly recommend this one