Simon Yates (famous as the man who cut the rope in Joe Simpson Touching the Void episode) writes a gripping yarn himself - the story of the ascent of one of the world's largest vertical rock-faces, the 4,000-foot Central Tower of Paine in Chile.
Battered by ferocious storms, Yates and his three companions should have turned back. Instead they struggle on, living in hammocks suspended over the yawning chasm below. Their greatest difficulties, however, come not from the elements but from within themselves. Almost crippled with fear just below the summit, the disillusioned team is forced into a nightmare retreat. After resting in a nearby town, they return to complete the climb, but Yates knows he still has to face one of life's greatest challenges.
A few photos.
By Simon Yates.
Card cover, 20cm x 13cm, 176 pages.
First published 1997. This edition 1998.
ISBN: 978-0-099-76641-4.