Joe Simpson’s Touching the Void is a book written about the hardships the two friends, Joe Simpson and Simon Yates, faced high in the mountains of the Peruvian Andes. Throughout the book, the author explains the dangers of alpine style climbing as well as the effects it had on the two climbers, physically and emotionally. This book is as realistic as it gets when reading about the risky situations that climbers can be put in while alpine style climbing. I feel that is exactly the message that the author, Joe Simpson, is trying to convey to his readers and the climbing community; the truth about what happened during their trip, as well as the importance of looking after ourselves, including the determination it takes to survive.
Alpine style
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You would be surprised by the amount of athletes there are that participate in these activities. One athlete in specific is Emily Harrington. Twenty-seven year old Emily Harrington has been climbing for over half her life (Word Press). During her climbing career she has been very successful. According to her Word Press biography, Emily Harrington is a “five-time sport Climbing National Champion, a two-time Sport Climbing North American Champion, has placed podium in World Cups, and finished second at the Sport Climbing World Championships in 2005.” To prepare for her climbs, Emily takes advantage of the boulders in her hometown, Boulder, Colorado (La Sportiva). She also uses gymnastics and when she’s not in her hometown, she practices wherever she gets the chance (RXR Sports). She’s even built a treadmill in her garage to train when she was limited on training resources (La Sportiva).
Although Emily Harrington seems to be more of a sport climber, she loves outdoor climbing. She has climbed some of the tallest mountains in the world including Mount Everest. This is why I think Emily can relate to the main characters of Touching the Void, Joe Simpson and Simon Yates. In a reflection of her Mount Everest climb, Emily talks about the rough experience she had. In this reflection, she states
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Joe told us their story, as truthfully as he could, so the readers would understand both sides of the story. He then explained to us, in the “Ten Years On…” chapter of the book, his purpose for writing Touching the Void. This book provides closure for both Joe and Simon, and that may be another reason why Joe wrote this book.
With the right amount of determination, Joe Simpson and Simon Yates made it out alive. Even after wanting to give up and truly believing they were going to die, they never actually gave up. In the end, Joe sees this horrible experience as an introduction to a great new chapter in his life: becoming a writer (Touching the Void, 215).
Touching the Void, written by Joe Simpson, is a story that questions friendship and survival, as well as shows the dangers of alpine-style climbing. Throughout the story, Joe tells the readers exactly how he remembers his and his friend’s terrifying journey that took place high in the mountains of Peru. He does a great job describing their thoughts and emotions. Not only was he able to recreate and capture his own thoughts perfectly, but he put himself in Simon’s shoes and understood exactly what he was going through at the time, as well. The author, Joe Simpson, also did a great job at describing the dangers of alpine style climbing and being out in the freezing mountains, with no food, water, and shelter other than the snow caves they built all while being in pain from his broken
It was Saturday morning at Alexan’s vacation home in Tehachapi, CA. We ate our breakfast, and decided to go for a hike in the dangerous mountains of Tehachapi. It was approximately fifty degrees Fahrenheit and the clouds had covered the mountains, causing the area to be very foggy and difficult to see. Knowing that it was not a good idea Alexan still managed to convince me to go hiking, and he said to me, “Don’t worry it will be fine”. This reminded me of Oliveira saying to Ronald, “I think you feel very sure of yourself, firmly planted in yourself and in your surroundings” (Oliveira 161). Both Ronald and my friend Alexan felt very sure that they were right, and did not have any worries. I do not think Alexan even took a single thought about the dangers we could face hiking in the steep mountains with the harsh conditions we were facing. Ronald did not care to change his mind and agree with Oliveira, because he felt very confident with what he believed.
The climbers' experience in mountain climbing and at high altitudes varies; some of them are quite qualified, others very inexperienced and highly reliant on the guides. The actual summit push is when everything begins to fall apart.
Bill Bryson uses his experience on the Appalachian Trail to show how different your expectations can be compared to the reality of the situation. Bryson believed that he was fully prepared for the hike and that it would be exciting but, in all actuality it was very difficult. He also believed that the hike would be stimulating for the mind but, at times it didn’t require a lot of thinking or attention. His experience and the background research he provided created an image for his audience so they could understand the point he was trying to make. These elements served as evidence in the book and was very effective because it was abundant and meaningful.
The author wrote this story in response to a magazine company, and eventually published it into a book. He used many styles and techniques to describe the life and death of McCandless. The mood throughout the novel constantly varies with the excitement of McCandless’s adventures and the emotions caused by his disappearance. Krakauer’s ability to engage multiple senses of a reader truly makes his novel special.
Cross country runners spend weeks to months training for that one moment, the moment they will lean across the finish line. Crossing the finish line only lasts for only a split second, but the impact is significant. People often ask why, why spend so much time training for that one moment? Well for me it’s simple. The feeling I have when I cross that finish line is like no other I’ve ever had; it is a unique combination of pride, pain, relief, and an indescribable sense of accomplishment. After reading Into Thin Air, I realized how similar climbing a mountain actually is to running a race. Climbers, just like runners, spend months training for those few glorious minutes on top.
After I completed this part of the story and discovered that “the man” and “the boy” had escaped I got up checked on my children to reassure myself that they were asleep safe and warm in their bed, I quickly ran back through the house like a child with a sense of fear that something was going to jump out and grab me at any moment, I jumped in the bed, got as close to my husband as possible and eventually drifted off to sleep. When I finished reading The Road by Cormac McCarthy, I was astonished at how deep I was able to connect with the characters and the fact that this book touched me as deeply as it did. It also made me think, what if.? In reality, if this were to happen, would I have the courage and strength of “the man” and “the boy” or would I be like the mother as McCarthy states it, “.a faithless slut.” (57), who has taken death as a new lover.
Differing Functions in Popular Culture It only makes sense that there are countless novels and films focused on the afterlife when we consider the human race 's collective interest in what happens after death. Several popular movies have presented different versions of the afterlife, each with their own purpose. Beetlejuice (1988) tells the story of two individuals who pass away in their home, and must navigate their new existence in the afterlife by reading a book entitled Handbook for the Recently Deceased. In this movie, the two deceased individuals seem to be in an intermediate realm between Earth and the Netherworld (similar to Hell); they are in regular contact with a girl living in their previous home, but they also visit the Netherworld
While describing his climb, Krakauer exhibits his ambivalent feelings towards his voyage through the descriptions of a fearsome yet marvelous landscape, fragility versus confidence, and uncertainty about personal relationships.
inSPIRE Rock - A little to the North of that in Spring, inSPIRE Rock is a state-of-the-art indoor rock climbing facility that offers
The two main characters in the story are Joe Simpson and Simon Yates. The story is told from the perspective of both men. The two men are young British climbers attempting to climb the west face of Suila Grande which is a
As I inched my way toward the cliff, my legs were shaking uncontrollably. I could feel the coldness of the rock beneath my feet when my toes curled around the edge in one last futile attempt at survival. My heart was racing like a trapped bird, desperate to escape. Gazing down the sheer drop, I nearly fainted; my entire life flashed before my eyes. I could hear stones breaking free and fiercely tumbling down the hillside, plummeting into the dark abyss of the forbidding black water. The trees began to rapidly close in around me in a suffocating clench, and the piercing screams from my friends did little to ease the pain. The cool breeze felt like needles upon my bare skin, leaving a trail of goose bumps. The threatening mountains surrounding me seemed to grow more sinister with each passing moment, I felt myself fighting for air. The hot summer sun began to blacken while misty clouds loomed overhead. Trembling with anxiety, I shut my eyes, murmuring one last pathetic prayer. I gathered my last breath, hoping it would last a lifetime, took a step back and plun...
Throughout history men have attempted death defying acts. From rolling in barrells down Niagara Falls, to cliff diving, to skydiving, people often seek thrills by putting their life in jeopardy. Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air and Into the Wild are best selling stories and successful movies. They highlight men who attempt to defy nature and common sense for the thrill of adventure. Into Thin Air, is Krakauer’s personal account of his expedition climbing Mount Everest, while Into the Wild, is the story of McCandless’s travels through Alaska. Both Christopher McCandless and Jon Krakauer were risk takers whose dangerous experiences lead to disaster; however, their reasons for going on their expeditions and their preparation for them differed greatly.
He arrived at his first destination after about an hour of hiking. After a short while he figured he had looked over his new found haven enough, he was ready. He started down the grade with a small arsenal, consisting of a shovel, about ten granola bars, two bottles of power-ade, his snowshoes, and what was left in his hydration bladder in his pack. After descending about two hundred feet he came into the clearing he was hoping to find, it was as smooth as silk, twenty inches of fresh powder under his board. Up ahead he say a small but formidable drop off on the mountain, he knew if he was going to escape this with his dignity he was going to have to work some magic, to his success. The drop was approximately eighteen feet, but he was ready for it, he landed perfectly, it was like a dream the poof of snow exploding out from his impact, and the gentle flakes hitting his face. As he continued down the slope he did not realize that his gentle landing had severely weakened the physical structure of the mountain’s blanket, and that any moment he could bring the mass down upon himself at impossible speeds.
A blast of adrenaline charges throughout my body as I experience the initial drop. My body's weight shifts mechanically, cutting the snow in a practiced rhythm. The trail curves abruptly and I advance toward a shaded region of the mountain. Suddenly, my legs chatter violently, scraping against the concealed ice patches that pepper the trail. After overcompensating from a nearly disastrous slip, balance fails and my knees buckle helplessly. In a storm of powder snow and ski equipment, body parts collide with nature. My left hand plows forcefully into ice, cracking painfully at the wrist. For an eternity of 30 seconds, my body somersaults downward, moguls of ice toy with my head and further agonize my broken wrist. Ultimately veering into underbrush and pine trees, my cheeks burn, my broken wrist surging with pain. Standing up confused, I attempt climbing the mountain but lose another 20 feet to the force of gravity.
“Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life.” According to Buddha, everyone needs some form of spirituality to define his or her life and existence. Webster Dictionary defines spiritualism as “a system of beliefs or religious practices based on supposed communication with the spirits of the dead, often times through mediums.” Though this is one general definition of spiritualism, this concept is one that does not hold a conclusive meaning. Each and every single person has the ability and right to create and practice their own idea of spiritualism. From ancient times to present day, the term and practice of spirituality has transformed, particularly from region to region. Despite the discrepancies in practices and overall understanding of this idea, spirituality has had an effect and impact upon all of humanity since the creation of time. This religion that is believed to have been established in the early eighteen hundreds, after two little girls claimed to have the ability to talk to spirits, sparked interest in this spiritual movement, allowing it to spread rather rapidly over many geographical locations. Aside from being recognized as a religion, spiritualism is also believed to be a form of philosophy and a science in which spiritualists believe that there is life after death and try to demonstrate this through the ability of attempting to communicate with those that have passed on. Spiritualism was socially different from other religions in existence at the time because it presented followers with a more tolerant belief system that assimilated the principles and facts from a selection the world's religions. Spiritualism also made it acceptable for women to play a disti...