First, I want to acknowledge that Joe Simpson is a talented writer. I have never been a climber and choose never to be one. That said, though the book was filled with action and tear-jerking moments, it seems to be written in the deceptive guise of commending Simon when in actuality it is very self-serving. It is the narcissistic tale of a man who barely disguises his disappointment in his climbing mate, Simon. In reality, had Joe truly been thankful for Simon’s saving his life, (“You saved my life you know”), and had he truly understood, (“I don’t blame you…You did all that could have been done.”), that Simon did the what was necessary, (“You had no choice.”), Joe would have never written such a self-aggrandizing book, knowing how the climbing community would blame Simon for cutting the rope. It is beyond my understanding why the climbing community would prefer that Simon be pulled from the shelf and die himself, seeing that it was impossible for Simon to continue to hold Joe’s weight, rather than cut the rope and survive. Joe knew the risks of climbing and should at least take responsibility for his situation. Simon wasn’t wrong in his actions, Joe was.
