Joe Simpson (mountaineer)
Encyclopedia
Joe Simpson is an English
mountaineer
, author and motivational speaker
. He is best known for his book Touching the Void
and the 2003 film adaptation
of his book.
, Federation of Malaysia, where his father was stationed with the British Army
. From the age of 8, Simpson travelled between schools in Britain, primarily Ampleforth College, and various countries where his father was stationed.
He was just 14 when he read The White Spider: The Classic Account of the Ascent of the Eiger, an epic account of efforts to conquer the North Face of the Eiger
by Heinrich Harrer
, who climbed the then unconquered North Face with Anderl Heckmair, Fritz Kasparek
, and Ludwig Vörg
on 24 July 1938. Despite the inherent dangers of mountaineering described in the book, this reading sparked a passion for the mountains in the young man.
made a first-ascent of the previously unclimbed West Face of the 6,344 metre (20,813 foot) Siula Grande
, in the Peru
vian Andes
. On the descent, Simpson broke his leg and during the subsequent self-rescue in a storm, the two became separated. The climb was nearly fatal for both climbers, and their ordeal is described in Simpson's book Touching the Void.
Upon returning to Britain, Yates received criticism for cutting the rope on which Simpson hung. Simpson vigorously defended his teammate, saying he had absolutely no other alternative given the situation.
Simpson received numerous surgical operations as a result of the leg injuries sustained on Siula Grande. The doctors told him he would never climb again and he would have trouble walking for the rest of his life. After 2 years of rehabilitation, he was back on the mountains.
He made six unsuccessful attempts on the North Face of Eiger from 2000 to 2003 with his regular climbing partner Ray Delaney, all aborted by bad weather.
A bad fall broke his left ankle while climbing with Mal Duff in 1991 on Pachermo in Nepal
, and is described in Simpson's third book This Game of Ghosts.
His later non-fiction books describe other expeditions and his changing feeling towards extreme mountaineering brought on by the many deaths that surround the pursuit. One of his books, The Beckoning Silence, was made into a documentary shown on Channel 4
in October 2007. The book won the 2003 National Outdoor Book Award
(Outdoor Literature category).
Simpson has begun another career as a motivational speaker, addressing corporate events throughout the world.
His best-selling book about the Siula Grande ordeal, Touching The Void
, has been translated into 23 languages and has sold 500,000 copies worldwide.
Simpson's most recent book is the novel The Sound of Gravity.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
mountaineer
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
, author and motivational speaker
Motivational speaker
A motivational speaker or inspirational speaker is a speaker who makes speeches intended to motivate or inspire an audience. In a business context, they are employed to communicate company strategy with clarity and help employees to see the future in a positive light and inspire workers to pull...
. He is best known for his book Touching the Void
Touching the Void
Touching the Void is a 1988 book by Joe Simpson, recounting his and Simon Yates's disastrous and nearly fatal climb of the 6,344-metre Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes in 1985....
and the 2003 film adaptation
Touching the Void (film)
Touching the Void is a 2003 documentary film based on the book of the same name by Joe Simpson about Simpson's and Simon Yates' disastrous and near fatal attempt to climb the 6,344 metre Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes in 1985.-Outline:...
of his book.
Early life
Simpson was born on 13 August 1960 in Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, Federation of Malaysia, where his father was stationed with the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
. From the age of 8, Simpson travelled between schools in Britain, primarily Ampleforth College, and various countries where his father was stationed.
He was just 14 when he read The White Spider: The Classic Account of the Ascent of the Eiger, an epic account of efforts to conquer the North Face of the Eiger
Eiger
The Eiger is a mountain in the Bernese Alps in Switzerland. It is the easternmost peak of a ridge crest that extends across the Mönch to the Jungfrau at 4,158 m...
by Heinrich Harrer
Heinrich Harrer
Heinrich Harrer was an Austrian mountaineer, sportsman, geographer, and author.He is best known for his books Seven Years in Tibet and The White Spider .-Athletics:...
, who climbed the then unconquered North Face with Anderl Heckmair, Fritz Kasparek
Fritz Kasparek
Fritz Kasparek was an Austrian mountain climber.Kasparek gained his first alpine experiences at the Peilstein in the Wienerwald mountains and in the Ennstaler Alps...
, and Ludwig Vörg
Ludwig Vörg
Ludwig 'Wiggerl' Vörg was a notable German mountaineer. With Heinrich Harrer, Fritz Kasparek, and Anderl Heckmair, he successfully climbed the north face of the Eiger in 1938, which was regarded as unclimbable at the time. He also made the first ascent of the West Face of Ushba in the Caucasus...
on 24 July 1938. Despite the inherent dangers of mountaineering described in the book, this reading sparked a passion for the mountains in the young man.
Climbing career
In 1985, Simpson and climbing partner Simon YatesSimon Yates (mountaineer)
Simon Yates is an English mountaineer best known through the book Touching the Void by Joe Simpson, and the film of the same name. Touching the Void recounts the 1985 ascent by Yates and Simpson of the West Face of Siula Grande in the Cordillera Huayhuash in the Peruvian Andes, Simpson's accident...
made a first-ascent of the previously unclimbed West Face of the 6,344 metre (20,813 foot) Siula Grande
Siula Grande
Siula Grande is a mountain in the Cordillera Huayhuash, in the Peruvian Andes. It is 6344 m high and has a subpeak, Siula Chico, 6260 m high.-Touching the Void ascent:In 1985 Siula Grande was climbed by Joe Simpson and Simon Yates...
, in the Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
vian Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
. On the descent, Simpson broke his leg and during the subsequent self-rescue in a storm, the two became separated. The climb was nearly fatal for both climbers, and their ordeal is described in Simpson's book Touching the Void.
Upon returning to Britain, Yates received criticism for cutting the rope on which Simpson hung. Simpson vigorously defended his teammate, saying he had absolutely no other alternative given the situation.
Simpson received numerous surgical operations as a result of the leg injuries sustained on Siula Grande. The doctors told him he would never climb again and he would have trouble walking for the rest of his life. After 2 years of rehabilitation, he was back on the mountains.
He made six unsuccessful attempts on the North Face of Eiger from 2000 to 2003 with his regular climbing partner Ray Delaney, all aborted by bad weather.
A bad fall broke his left ankle while climbing with Mal Duff in 1991 on Pachermo in Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
, and is described in Simpson's third book This Game of Ghosts.
His later non-fiction books describe other expeditions and his changing feeling towards extreme mountaineering brought on by the many deaths that surround the pursuit. One of his books, The Beckoning Silence, was made into a documentary shown on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
in October 2007. The book won the 2003 National Outdoor Book Award
National Outdoor Book Award
The National Outdoor Book Award was formed in 1997 as a US-based non-profit program which each year honors the best in outdoor writing and publishing. It is housed at Idaho State University and chaired by Ron Watters. Awards are presented in ten categories. The award is announced in early November...
(Outdoor Literature category).
Simpson has begun another career as a motivational speaker, addressing corporate events throughout the world.
His best-selling book about the Siula Grande ordeal, Touching The Void
Touching the Void
Touching the Void is a 1988 book by Joe Simpson, recounting his and Simon Yates's disastrous and nearly fatal climb of the 6,344-metre Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes in 1985....
, has been translated into 23 languages and has sold 500,000 copies worldwide.
Simpson's most recent book is the novel The Sound of Gravity.