The Tie that Binds

For climbers and ski mountaineers the length of rope that ties them together can be a lifesaver or if things get seriously out of control it can bind them together in death.  This is a potent theme of Touching the Void, the film of one of the best climbing books of the last 20 years.

Since the dawn of alpinism the iconography of the cut or broken climbing rope has been a strong one, with the survivor often suffering as much as the victims.  When Whymper and Taugwalder returned after a tragic descent of the Matterhorn they were put on trial, accused of cutting the rope that separated them from their partners.  So with his friend, Joe Simpson, hanging in the void, unable to climb or descend, Simon Yates faces an agonizing decision as to whether to cut the rope and save his own life.

Touching the Void tells the story of a successful first attempt to climb the west face of the Siula Grande in Peru and the subsequent struggle for survival when things go seriously pear shaped on the descent.  Described as ‘the best climbing film ever made’ it is filmed in a documentary style and shows some stunning climbing sequences and images.  Particularly moving is the scene where Yates, on his return to base camp, bathes in the river as if washing away the sin of cutting the rope.

Touching the Void is at a cinema somewhere near you, go see it.

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