Biography

Touching the Void: 8 key ideas

by Joe Simpson

The core ideas of Touching the Void, each in under a minute, written in our own words. Want the full depth? Get the book.

1. IDEA 1 OF 8

   Two climbers faced disaster

   Simpson describes climbing the west face of Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes with his friend Simon Yates in 1985.

   They reached the summit, but on the way down Simpson fell and badly broke his leg.

2. IDEA 2 OF 8

   A broken leg meant danger

   With a broken leg high on a mountain, Simpson knew he might not survive.

   Yates decided to try to lower him down by rope. Simpson describes it as a choice made in a very bad situation, with no easy way out.

3. IDEA 3 OF 8

   They descended by rope

   Yates lowered Simpson down the mountain in stages, using a long rope.

   It was slow and exhausting. Simpson describes how each small step down took great care, and one slip could have meant disaster.

4. IDEA 4 OF 8

   The rope was cut

   When Simpson slipped over a cliff and dangled helplessly, Yates could not pull him up.

   Fearing both would die, Yates cut the rope. Simpson describes this as a terrible choice made in a moment when both could have died.

5. IDEA 5 OF 8

   Simpson fell into a crevasse

   Simpson fell into a deep crevasse but survived.

   Believing Yates thought him dead, he had to find his own way out. Simpson describes the fall as a moment when his chance of staying alive seemed very small.

6. IDEA 6 OF 8

   He crawled back to camp

   Over several days, Simpson crawled and hopped across glaciers and rocks back to base camp.

   He was near death when he arrived. Simpson shows that his body was in terrible pain, yet he kept moving towards safety.

7. IDEA 7 OF 8

   Yates faced criticism

   Yates was criticised for cutting the rope, but Simpson defended him.

   He believed Yates had saved his life. Simpson understood that Yates made an awful choice under pressure, and he did not blame him for it.

8. IDEA 8 OF 8

   Survival depends on will

   Simpson's story shows the power of determination.

   He kept going by setting small goals. Simpson describes how breaking the huge task into small steps helped him keep moving when he was close to giving up.