Touching the void

[RoyalCorgi]

I just noticed that Joe "Touching the Void" Simpson has a very Terfy Twitter account:

twitter.com/TouchingTheVoid

Hadn't picked up on this before or seen it mentioned anywhere else. Interesting, though - could be a useful ally.

:-D

Hadn't been aware of him; I notice he rt a tweet about the famous British female climber (sorry brain fog, forgotten her name) who was actually also victim of domestic abuse.

Well spotted, maybe it's not so surprising that someone who understands the raw power of nature doesn't buy into genderwoo? Touching the Void is an amazing book too in case anyone is looking for their next read.

Another recommend for reading the book. Very powerful.

Alison Hargreaves, who, prior to and after her death, was subject to the usual sexist crap in the newspapers. An amazing woman.

"Septic Bladder" the FIFA guy 🤣

I seem to recall the criticism was not about her ability as a mountaineer but rather her choice to climb a mountain (K2) that at the time had about a 30% death rate for all those who attempted it while she had two young kids at home. She got some flack a few years earlier by climbing the north face of the Eiger while pregnant. Couple double standards of course given that male climbers who were fathers scale dangerous mountains in their thousands every year!

It is also tragic that her son Tom Ballard died in a climbing accident on Nanga Parbat.

Am about to order that book about Alison Hargreaves. Real double standards relating to her climbing career.

And if you've not watched Touching the Void (it's on Netflix) a docudrama about Simpson and another climber depicting the harrowing incidents during a climb they made in the 80s, it's well worth watching.

Joe is a lovely guy. His book Game of Ghosts is my favourite book ever.

I read his books years ago, Touching the Void is epic of course, but his others are excellent too. He’s a great writer, I’m glad he’s terfy - although as pp says, it makes sense, he’s well aware of the realities of life.
Thanks for the tip about the Netflix documentary, I’ll have a look for that

I haven't read his books for years so this is a great reminder to go buy them again! He really is a fantastic writer.

Touching the Void is an excellent book. And that's from someone who does not - and never will - climb mountains.
I have a friend who does crazy outdoorsy stuff; he is not a book person because he is dyslexic. He loved it, too.