Touching the Void by Joe Simpson

Touching the Void by Joe Simpson Since the beginning of our group we have tried to embrace a range of literature covering a variety of styles, from different times and places. Touching the Void is a true story of the late twentieth century set in the Peruvian Andes; an account of two young men seeking to be the first to attempt the unclimbed West Face of Siula Grande, a remote mountain few may have heard of, with insufficient backup if anything went wrong. “It is not just a book about mountaineering. Ultimately it is about the spirit of man and the lifeforce that drives us all” (Magnus Magnusson presenting the 1989 NCR Award). Besides winning awards, the events described in the book caused heated discussion in mountaineering circles. It was made into a film and is also a set text for GCSE. So what did our group make of this book? While there was general appreciation of the author’s writing skills it was not considered to be a book for bedtime reading ,as it graphically described the dangers of climbing mountains. One person summarised her views as, “The photographs were awesome and the language masterful”. Others used words such as absorbing and gripping and one person described how on one occasion, involvement in the story caused her to read for much longer than she intended. Our discussion of the events that unfolded during the climb led to a diverse and animated discussion. We discussed the friendship of the main characters Joe and Simon. One person remarked on their compatibility as characters, and maybe as climbing partners; thoughtful questioning Joe and analytical Simon, both very honest and resilient people. One of our group pointed out that Joe could not have written such a full and absorbing narrative if Simon had not be prepared to share so fully his thoughts, feelings and motivations even though these were ultimately to prove so contentious. We also spent some time discussing what motivated people to attempt such dangerous climbs, sometimes using examples from people we knew. Why is it that people continue to climb after they have had life-threatening experiences or seen other people killed, as indeed Simon had witnessed fatal falls in the French Alps prior to the Peruvian expedition? Was climbing a sort of addiction? Why did people continue with hazardous climbs when they had family responsibilities? This in turn led on to talking about the other characters in the book and the communities that surround famous mountaineering venues. There was also interest in the ‘local Midlands connection’ as Simon had been brought up and educated in Leicestershire and climbed while at Sheffield University. Our main focus was, however, the accident, the incredible events that followed and ‘the morality’ of one crucial action. In the foreword to the book Chris Bonnington describes the story as,“… one of the most incredible stories of survival I have ever read.”, which is probably a fair summary of what we thought as a group. It was not, however, the opinion of all and the internet provides evidence of very different attitudes expressed by some students who studied the book for GCSE. There was surprise when this was mentioned, and one member of our group was able to give some differing examples of how the story had been used to good effect with students of a similar age, although no experience of reading it as a set text. The reception within our group was sympathetic and non-judgemental and there was some agreement that while not being an easy read it had been an interesting choice. .

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