How did Joe Simpson and Simon Yates?

Asked by: Marty Kim

With zero visibility and Simpson unable to walk, Yates decided to ease his partner down with the support of two 50-meter ropes they were carrying. He tied them to one another to have 100 meters in length, and then tied one end of the rope to himself and the other to Simpson’s harness.

How did Joe Simpson and Simon Yates meet?

SIMON YATES: We got to know each other in 1984 in Chamonix in the French Alps. Joe and I got on well, drank a lot of cheap red wine and did some climbing. I think the idea of making a trip to Peru the following year was first mooted during that summer in the Alps. We were both keen to go on to bigger mountains.

How long did Joe Simpson and Simon Yates survive?

When the injured Simpson was inadvertently lowered over a cliff, Yates hung on for more than an hour before making a devastating decision: he cut the rope, sending his companion plunging to certain death. But Simpson survived, and four days later he crawled into base camp.

What did Joe Simpson and Simon Yates survive?

Mountainside Miracle: Climbers Survive Ordeal : Partner Cuts His Rope, but He’s Still Thankful. Joe Simpson, one leg badly broken, was dangling helplessly above his doom in the Peruvian Andes, connected to life and his climbing partner, Simon Yates, by a 5/16-inch nylon line.

Why did Yates cut the rope to Simpson?

Yates’ rescue efforts contributed significantly to saving Simpson’s life despite his decision, near the end of rescue, that he needed to cut their climbing rope to prevent a fatal fall.

Are Joe Simpson and Simon Yates friends?

They were not friends, just climbing partners by chance; the relationship was only made to quench their thirst for adventure. Yates could have left Simpson up there; he could have promised to return with help and flee to save his life. But he didn’t do that. Simpson would have died and Yates would have survived.

Is Joe Simpson still friends with Simon?

Simpson has always defended Yates over his decision to cut the rope, and is adamant he would have done exactly the same thing. Yet the two Englishmen no longer speak, having drifted apart since the making of the movie. “I don’t have anything in common with him anymore,” admits Yates.

How did Joe Simpson fall?

In 1985, Simpson and fellow climber Simon Yates decided to tackle the previously unclimbed West Face. After a series of calamities, Simpson fell from an ice cliff, breaking his leg.

How far did Joe fall in Touching the Void?

4500ft

They began descending via the peak’s North Ridge which the pair found unexpectedly challenging with Yates falling through a cornice down the face they had just climbed but he was held by the rope which prevented him falling 4500ft to his death.

Is Joe Simpson alive?

Joe Simpson (born 1960) is a British mountaineer, author, and motivational speaker. While climbing in Peru in 1985, he suffered severe injuries and was thought lost after falling into a crevasse, but he survived and managed to crawl back to his base camp.
Joe Simpson (mountaineer)

Is Touching the Void real footage?

It reconstructs the true story of the fateful climb which British mountaineers Joe Simpson and Simon Yates undertook in the Andes in 1985. The film combines documentary and dramatic reconstructions of the ascent of Siula Grande which nearly killed the two climbers.

Who has climbed the west face of Siula Grande?

In 1985 Siula Grande was climbed by Joe Simpson and Simon Yates. Their ascent was made famous by Simpson’s book Touching the Void, which describes the ascent and subsequent harrowing descent of the mountain. The book was made into a film of the same title in 2003 and a play in 2018.

Did Joe Simpson climb the Eiger?

Nine years later, when climbing on the Eiger in 2000, he was caught in a storm and heard two climbers plummet to their deaths close by. This would be enough to put many off for life, but Simpson had made six attempts to climb the mountain by the end of the following year.

Are there mountains that have not been climbed?

The mountain most widely claimed to be the highest unclimbed mountain in the world in terms of elevation is Gangkhar Puensum (7,570 m, 24,840 ft). It is in Bhutan, on or near the border with China. In Bhutan, the climbing of mountains higher than 6,000 m (20,000 ft) has been prohibited since 1994.

How long does it take to climb Siula Grande?

How long does it take to climb Siula Grande? It was climbed in alpine style over five days, without placing any bolts. Touching the void by Kevin Macdonald recounts the dramatic and immortal story of Joe Simpson and Simon Yates and their first ascent of the West Face of Siula Grande (Andes, Peru).

What is alpine style mountaineering?

Alpine style is mountaineering in a self-sufficient manner, thereby carrying all of one’s food, shelter and equipment as one climbs, as opposed to expedition style (or siege style) mountaineering which involves setting up a fixed line of stocked camps on the mountain which can be accessed at one’s leisure.

Has anyone climbed Everest Alpine?

Everest, from base to summit, how many people have made an alpine-style, or semi-alpine-style, ascent of Everest? Very, very, very few. The two absolute purest ascents of Mt. Everest were made by Reinhold Messner in 1980, and Erhard Loretan and Jean Troillet in 1986.

Why is it called bouldering?

In the early 20th century, the Fontainebleau area of France established itself as a prominent climbing area, where some of the first dedicated bleausards (or “boulderers”) emerged. One of those athletes, Pierre Allain, invented the specialized shoe used for rock climbing.

What is the difference between alpine and mountaineering?

Alpine climbing is in the mountains, whether there is snow or not. So alpine rock climbing is in the mountains, but you may never set foot on snow or ice. Mountaineering involves some snow or ice, but not necessarily technical climbing. And is in the mountains.

Who is the greatest mountaineer of all time?

In 1982, he reached the top of three more Himalayan peaks — Kangchenjunga, Gasherbrum II, and the Broad Peak — becoming the first person to summit three mountains of more than 8,000 meters in a single season. At this point, Reinhold Messner had established an uncontested reputation as the world’s greatest mountaineer.

How do alpinists get down?

Most of the time climbers get down from a wall by simply lowering or rappelling off of the top using a fixed anchor. A fixed anchor is normally a couple of bolts drilled into the wall with lowering rings or chains connecting them.