Joe Simpson

Joe Simpson (born 1960) is an English mountaineer, author and motivational speaker. He is best known for his book Touching the Void and the 2003 film adaptation of his book. Simpson was born on 13 August 1960 in Kuala Lumpur, Federation of Malaysia, where his father was stationed with the British Army. From the age of 8, Simpson travelled between schools in Britain, primarily Ampleforth College, and various countries where his father was stationed. He was just 14 when he read The White Spider: The Classic Account of the Ascent of the Eiger, an epic account of efforts to conquer the North Face of the Eiger by Heinrich Harrer, who climbed the then unconquered North Face with Anderl Heckmair, Fritz Kasparek, and Ludwig Vörg on 24 July...