In this epic documentary, slated to hit theaters January 23, climbers Joe Simpson and Simon Yates tell the story of their perilous 1985 first ascent of the remote west face Siula Grande, in the Peruvian Andes. Following a successful three-day journey to the summit, disaster struck on the mountain when Simpson fell a short distance and broke several bones in his leg. With no hope of rescue, the men decided to descend together with Yates lowering Simpson 300 feet at a time in a slow, painful process that could have potentially been deadly for both. One further misstep led to Yates unknowingly lowering his injured partner over the lip of a crevasse. Unable to make contact with his partner or haul him up, Yates fought for more than an hour to keep from plummeting over the edge. Thinking his partner must be dead, Yates decided that the only way to keep from meeting the same fate himself was to cut the rope.
Touching the Void
Based on Simpson’s international bestselling book, “Touching the Void,” which has fast become an adventure classic, the film combines documentary techniques with stunning cinematography, and is directed by Kevin Macdonald, the Academy Award-winning director of “One Day in September.”
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