Now, I've kind of lost track of what Joe Simpson was up to since the film of "Touching The Void" was released - which was a brave attempt to film a virtually unfilmable book. One of those books that you read from cover to cover in one sitting, ending with a knot in your stomach.
Imagine my surprise (as they say) when, browsing Amazon, I came across this DVD - Joe's take on the story of Tony Kurz and his ill-fated attempt with Hinterstoisser, Angerer and Rainer to be the first up the Eiger Nordwand. Loosely adapted from his book of the same name, the film neatly juxtaposed Simpson's views on mountains and why they attract us with a re-enactment of the 1936 climb, showing the desperate retreat of the party after Angerer's injury and Kurz's tragic death within 50ft of the rescue party - 50ft that may as well have been 50 miles.
Simpson gets out on the face and shows us how difficult - even today - what was achieved is, and just how fatal the decision to pull the rope across the traverse was. No matter how many books you read about the route, seeing his desperate scrabble for grip - even with crampons - against a sheer, glassy 80 degree slope was worth 1000 words.
My only mild criticism was the need to hark back to "Touching The Void" at regular intervals; although it made an interesting comparison, it was overdone. That, however, is about all that could be said against a thoughtful film that brought new insight to an oft-repeated story.
The highest praise I can find is that A - my 15-year old and completely disinterested in anything mountainous - daughter sat through the whole thing transfixed. It told a classic story of endeavour, courage and tragedy that inspired and horrified in equal measure.
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