Touching The Void (From Swindon Advertiser)

Touching The Void

5:44pm Thursday 26th March 2009

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It feels so good to have finally finished a book!

The book that reignited my bookwormish passions was Touching The Void by Joe Simpson.

It is an account of Joe and friend Simon Yates' attempt to conquer the previously unclimbed West Face of the Siula Grande mountain in Peru.

You follow the pair as they hit obstacle after obstacle but manage to overcome them all and appear to have achieved their goals against the odds.

That is until disaster strikes and Joe breaks his leg.

He freely says in the book that if something like that happens at 20,000ft in such a remote location your fate is pretty much sealed. And it's not a good one.

What follows is how the pair attempt to descend together and the dialogue interchanges between Simon and Joe so you find out both of their thoughts.

Once again disaster strikes and we hit the moment that everyone knows about - when Simon cuts the rope on his partner.

My boyfriend is a keen climber and I was torn between being gripped by this inspiring tale of courage and perseverance and hiding underneath my duvet, cringing about the next time he goes on a trip.

Whether you are interested in climbing or not, this book is a must-read and had me gripped from start to finish.

I was that impressed I felt the need to rent the documentary of the same title.

It was interesting to see Joe and Simon as they told the story and it brought home the horror they must have felt at the time even more.

But personally, while the film is done very well, the book has that something extra and if you've not seen Touching The Void, definitely head down to the library and pick up a copy first.

Now... what to read next?