Joe Simpson (mountaineer)

Joe Simpson (born 1960) is an English mountaineer, author and motivational speaker. He is best known for his book Touching the Void and the 2003 film adaptation of his book.

Joe Simpson was born on 9 August 1960 in Kuala Lumpur, Federation of Malaysia, where his father was stationed with the British Army. From the age of 8, Simpson travelled between schools in Britain and various countries where his father was stationed. Simpson began rock climbing after being introduced to the sport by a teacher at Ampleforth College. He was 14 when he read The White Spider by Heinrich Harrer about the first ascent of the North Face of the Eiger by Harrer with Anderl Heckmair, Fritz Kasparek, and Ludwig Vörg in 1938. Despite the inherent dangers of mountaineering described in the book, this reading sparked a passion for the mountains in the young man.

In 1985, Simpson and his climbing partner Simon Yates made a first-ascent of the previously unclimbed West Face of Siula Grande (6,344m) in the Cordillera Huayhuash in the Peruvian Andes. On the descent, Simpson broke his right leg and during the subsequent self-rescue in a storm, the two became separated. The climb was nearly fatal for both climbers and, upon returning to Britain, a misleading article in a national newspaper led to Yates being criticised for cutting a rope keeping himself and Simpson together. Simpson published an article in the climbing press shortly afterwards, and later wrote Touching the Void. There was also a documentary made called "Touching the Void" based on the book.

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