Touching The Void

In 1985 I was seven years old. One of the fondest memories of that year is my first taste of 'mountaineering', where I went equipped with my own little rucksack (actually I believe at the time it was called a 'havasack'. I've no idea why).

With only a few thimblefuls of Ribena and a bar of Kendel Mint Cake, I led my father and older brother to the top of Thorpe Cloud, Dovedale, in the Peak District.

Standing proud on the rocky summit, leaning into wind and wondering whether the weight of a larger packed lunch might have helped keep my feet more firmly planted, I was absolutely elated. 'I'm on top of the world', I naively thought.

That same year, maybe even simultaneously, two ambitious young men set out to scale the unconquered west face of the Andean Peak, Siula Grande, in a remote corner of Peru.

Siula Grande is a real mountain. Not a big hill, such as Thorpe Cloud, or Mam Tor, or other such features we English rather pathetically call mountains. They are but pimples on our tame, green, welcoming countryside. Siula Grande would, were it capable of speech, refer to them as 'cute' or, for certainly it would be a less than savory character, 'f**kin' queers.

'Touching The Void' is a beautifully made 'docudrama'. Directed by Kevin MacDonald, it tells the story of the two young expedition and how the mountain rewarded them with an absolute pummeling.

The dramatic reenactments of Joe Simpson and Simon Yates' exploits are simply spectacular, with Joe played by Brendan Mackey and Simon by Nicholas Aaron. Though Joe and Simon themselves doubled the two actors for the actual climbing. Confused? I am.

The documentary style was, I presume, opted for in part because it was the only choice available - even throwing George Lucas' savings at the production would never have put a whole film crew where these people went. There had never been another successful attempt to climb the west face, by anyone, so its unlikely Ben Affleck would have got up anything but our noses. Nothing new there then. Instead of a cheap feature film we have a stunning feature-documentary. Class.

The film succeeds in telling this thrilling tale in a totally absorbing manner, aided and authenticated by the close, personal interview footage of Joe and Simon (and their barely useful friend who guarded the camp, Richard Hawking).

We, the audience, are taken to one of the most hostile places on earth and put through one of the most painful, arduous physical and mental trials a man has ever faced, comforted only by the knowledge that both characters are going to live.

Touching The Void is showing at the Broadway Cinema from Friday 30th January.