I was over at my brother's house last week and while waiting for some laundry we both sat reading. He was reading my copy of Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove and I decided to grab a book he had on the shelf and I just happened to pick the book that this review is about. I did not realize what I was getting myself into when I picked it up but two chapters later I was already hooked. I took it home and couldn't stop reading.

Speechify is a free text-to-speech software so you can listen to your favorite books. Click this affiliate link image to download today!

Touching the Void by Joe Simpson is the true story about Joe Simpson and Simon Yates on their trip to the Peruvian Mountains in 1985 to climb the Siula Grande summit. After acclimatizing themselves to the high altitude at a base camp they made their way past lakes, moraines, a glacier and then up ice-cliffs, snow slopes, massive icicles and nearly impossible ridges where thousands of feet lay over the edge. Spoiler alert! They make it to the summit but all the trouble starts on the descent back down when Joe suddenly falls and breaks his leg. This would normally be a death sentence for a climber in that environment but what happens next is the most intense writing I have ever read.

Joe Simpson is an experienced climber and takes the reader into the world of extreme mountaineering with a level of detail that only comes from someone who has been there and done that. Along with the specificity of the industry-specific language, Joe creates an intimate connection with the reader by revealing his innermost thoughts and emotions and his love of the sport and the environment is apparent as he describes the ups and downs of the ordeal. Even without knowing all the terms the book is easy to read and hard to put down with its beautiful prose.

I have never read a book that elicited such emotions as this book. My heart raced as I read about their climb up treacherous mountainsides. I felt anxious when Joe and Simon dealt with the uncertainty of the sudden emergency of Joe breaking his leg. I became depressed and withdrawn as Joe struggled with internal and external tribulations and I wept when Joe finally makes it out. The fact that I knew that Joe would survive took nothing away from the emotional impact of the story and knowing it is a true story made it all the more impactful. Being written by the man who experienced it gives the book that much more punch. It is a must-read in my mind and I recommend it heartily to anyone interested in seeing what the human will is capable of.

I haven't seen the movie but I found this Youtube of it. Honestly, I need a break from this content before diving back in to watch the movie, which I assume is a good adaptation. I would recommend reading the book first.

Click the image below to get your copy today! (Affiliate Link)