Simpson, Joe. Touching the Void: The True Story on One Man's Survival. New York: Harper & Row 1988. Print.
Description:
Need a breathless true survival tale during the cold winter nights? One that will never again allow you to complain about being chilly, having a sore leg, or being just too tired to do some task. Well, let me introduce you to Joe Simpson, the author and main character in the high-altitude climbing disaster memoir, Touching the Void: The True Story on One Man's Survival.
Simpson and partner Simon Yates, both experienced high-altitude climbers, set off to climb the previously unscaled Siula Grande, a 21,000 foot peak in the Peruvian Andes. From their base camp at 15,000 feet, it was anticipated to be a three-day excursion.
But during the descent, author Simpson fell and broke his leg. With only Simon to assist, a descent to their base camp was virtually impossible. But they agreed to try, with Simon bracing himself and then lowering Simpson down a huge sheer cliff on the end of a rope 300 measly feet at a time.
Imagine being lowered down a sheer cliff, banging and twisting your broken leg every few feet on the face. Agonizing, but progress was being made.
That is, until Simpson fell into a deep crevasse. He dangled freely from the rope over an opening thousands of feet deep, held only by the waning strength of Simon who could not possibly pull him back up during the nighttime raging storm.
There was only one thing to to -- Simon had to cut the rope to let Simpson fall, giving in to the inevitable. Simon reasoned that Simpson probably hadn't survived the crevasse fall, and he simply could not pointlessly hold onto the rope with a dead body on the other end. He had to try to survive himself.
And he does cut the rope... and Simpson, miraculously still alive and dangling, falls again further, deeper into the unknown crevasse.
Since this is a memoir of survival, it is not a spoiler to relate here that Simpson survives this second drop. The remaining half of the book is Simpson's incredible struggle to reach the home camp. Step by agonizing step he overcomes obstacles of the crevasse, cold, darkness, and his own twisted leg, thinking each one has used his final strength. He has no knowledge whether his climbing companion Simon survived his own descent, and if so, whether Simon hung around camp to wait for his partner whom he knew to be dead.
Gripping, emotional, draining, and exhilarating. For any climber or lover of adventure or survival stories, this is one of the best. The first-hand account of the man actually recounting each tiny movement on the mountain puts readers almost in his boots.
Murphy, Brian. 81 Days Below Zero: The Incredible Survival Story of a World War II Pilot in Alaska's Frozen Wilderness
First Sentences:
I was lying in my sleeping bag, staring at the light filtering through the red and green fabric of the dome tent.Simon was snoring loudly, occasionally twitching in his dream world.
Description:
Need a breathless true survival tale during the cold winter nights? One that will never again allow you to complain about being chilly, having a sore leg, or being just too tired to do some task. Well, let me introduce you to Joe Simpson, the author and main character in the high-altitude climbing disaster memoir, Touching the Void: The True Story on One Man's Survival.
Simpson and partner Simon Yates, both experienced high-altitude climbers, set off to climb the previously unscaled Siula Grande, a 21,000 foot peak in the Peruvian Andes. From their base camp at 15,000 feet, it was anticipated to be a three-day excursion.
But during the descent, author Simpson fell and broke his leg. With only Simon to assist, a descent to their base camp was virtually impossible. But they agreed to try, with Simon bracing himself and then lowering Simpson down a huge sheer cliff on the end of a rope 300 measly feet at a time.
Imagine being lowered down a sheer cliff, banging and twisting your broken leg every few feet on the face. Agonizing, but progress was being made.
That is, until Simpson fell into a deep crevasse. He dangled freely from the rope over an opening thousands of feet deep, held only by the waning strength of Simon who could not possibly pull him back up during the nighttime raging storm.
There was only one thing to to -- Simon had to cut the rope to let Simpson fall, giving in to the inevitable. Simon reasoned that Simpson probably hadn't survived the crevasse fall, and he simply could not pointlessly hold onto the rope with a dead body on the other end. He had to try to survive himself.
And he does cut the rope... and Simpson, miraculously still alive and dangling, falls again further, deeper into the unknown crevasse.
Since this is a memoir of survival, it is not a spoiler to relate here that Simpson survives this second drop. The remaining half of the book is Simpson's incredible struggle to reach the home camp. Step by agonizing step he overcomes obstacles of the crevasse, cold, darkness, and his own twisted leg, thinking each one has used his final strength. He has no knowledge whether his climbing companion Simon survived his own descent, and if so, whether Simon hung around camp to wait for his partner whom he knew to be dead.
Gripping, emotional, draining, and exhilarating. For any climber or lover of adventure or survival stories, this is one of the best. The first-hand account of the man actually recounting each tiny movement on the mountain puts readers almost in his boots.
Happy reading.
Fred
(See more recommended books)
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If this book interests you, be sure to check out:
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If this book interests you, be sure to check out:
Murphy, Brian. 81 Days Below Zero: The Incredible Survival Story of a World War II Pilot in Alaska's Frozen Wilderness
A World War II pilot parachutes out in the desolate cold of Alaska on his own. Tremendous survival story, even better because it is all true. (previously reviewed here)
