Free Write Response to Touching the Void

image source

Touching the Void retells the mountaineering trek of Simon Yates and Joe Simpson that went terribly wrong when one of them breaks a leg while climbing in the Andes. 

I have watched several mountaineering films before, but I must say that the story of Joe Simpson's perseverance and survival is unique. I think that when watching people climb, when you might not have done it before, might leave some perhaps bored and confused. However, I do climb in my life, maybe not alpine climbing, but I do rock climb and boulder. So, I know the enormous physical strain a climber must persevere through in order to reach the top of a wall or summit. Climbing, whatever kind it maybe, is really the extraordinary experience of the journey rather then the destination. Just as all climbing, the craft demands physical perseverance and mental strength. As I watched the film, Simon and Joe beam with ambition and confidence as they undertake an incredible adventure, and ordeal, that will test the limits of their endurance and survival. I also find the fact surprising that only the two of them choose to climb this dangerous face of the Andes Mountains alone. Such an attempt is daring and a bit over-confident. Usually, a group of climbers might ascend with a communications base camp below in case any misfortune occurs. Surprisingly enough, both of them pushed hard towards the summit, successfully climbing the powdered snow peaks that are a looming death slide for any mountaineer. Mountaineering tragedies usually begin somewhere during the descent because climbers are moving with the force of gravity rather them against it, which be the catalyst for disaster if a climber slips. Of course, weather conditions in the mountains are are atrocious for they spontaneity. On the descent, a blizzard hits the climbers and Joe falls from an overhang and breaks his leg, the worst possible tragedy on a mountaineering trek that spells death sentence. Unfortunately, both Joe and Simon have no more gas, so that means they cannot heat ice for water or prepare food. Hunger and thirst intensify the experience of survival. Soon Simon decides to tie both ropes together and lower Joe in 300 foot intervals, while at a 150 foot interval Simon must re-feed the knot joining the two 150 foot ropes back into the belay device. Simon lowers Joe very quickly, and at one point Joe no longer descends along a slope but vertically hangs over a cliff. Now Simon does not know Joe's situation and impatiently waits for Joe to give the rope some slack that Simon may make the transition in ropes. Night falls and the blizzard ensues. Joe makes an attempt to climb the rope to the top of the cliff but his hands are too cold to grip the rope. At that moment Simon "assumes" Joe must be a couple feet off the ground, when in reality Joe hangs 80 feet from a crevice in a glacier that is at-least 150 feet deep. Tragically, Simon "cuts" the rope with his friend who has a broken leg. I was infuriated at that moment of the movie because Simon theoretically killed his friend, and the next day, he assumed he was dead. Joe not only fell the 80 feet but also the 150 feet down into the crevice. I would have done differently because Simon should have done the math. 80 feet is less than 150 feet of rope. If Simon would have slowly descended 80 feet down the slope, Joe would have positioned himself so as not to fall into the crevice. Then, both Joe and Simon  would have descended together. Later on, Simon was criticized by many in England's mountaineering community for cutting his partner's rope. I thought that Simon did not even care so much about whether Joe was still alive. He seemed oblivious to the reality of Joe's fall and simply carried on to ensure his survival - survival of the fittest, unfortunately. In the end, I highly respect Joe's courage and mental strength that enabled him to persevere towards survival although pain, loneliness, hunger, thirst, and cold continued to plague him.