touching the void

Just finished watching the movie "Touching the Void" and can't help having more respect for Mother Nature. This movie is so intense, so deep in meaning that you will find "Cliffhanger" a humour and "Vertical Limit" a joke.

It is based on a true story about 2 British climbers Joe and Simon who are still the only people to have summitted Siula Grande of Andes. (I have been reading the book of the same title written by Joe Simpson himself at the NUS Central Library. If you see a freak reading a 17 yr old boring looking book at CL, that's me. Call number is GV199.92)

The exciting part starts during the descent, when Joe fell down a cliff and broke his leg. (Ouch, I could almost feel the bone crushing in my knee! At 28 degrees I can feel my spine turning cold..) and later when Simon cut the rope to stop himself from being drag down the slope, thinking that Joe was already dead. Miriculously Joe crawled himself out from the mountain back to base camp. This escape is still one of the best tales in the mountaineering circle.

There was a lot of struggle in the climbers. Should Simon have cut the rope? Was he thinking only of his own life? He must have been flooded with guilt and a cocktail of other emotions, but I guess only they themselves know it best and not for us to judge.

There are so many reflections after watching it. To my dear climbers, I will be passing a copy to you then you guys circulate among yourselves. I look forward to your reviews!