Touching the Void

An epic tale of fear, suffering, and survival.

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Touching the Void

Open Ended

What do you know about the book?

Joe Simpson is a British mountaineer, motivational speaker, and author, best known for his book Touching the Void. Born on August 13, 1960, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, he developed a passion for climbing in his youth and pursued it extensively. Simpson’s experiences in mountaineering, especially his near-death survival on Siula Grande, have made him a respected figure in the climbing community and an advocate for resilience and adventure. In addition to Touching the Void, he has written other books such as The Beckoning Silence and This Game of Ghosts.

The author

Multiple Choice

Where was Joe Simpson born?

• London, England

• Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

• Sydney, Australia

• Vancouver, Canada

Multiple Choice

What is Touching the Void primarily about?

• Joe’s childhood and early life

• A fictional mountaineering adventure

• Joe’s survival story on Siula Grande

• A guide to mountaineering techniques

Multiple Choice

Look at the picture, where do you think the story takes place?

• Malaysia

• Peru

• Chile

• Venezuela

The Climb

The book is divided into 3 parts:

The Accident

The Return

The central figure and narrator of the story, Joe is a determined and resourceful climber. His survival instincts and mental strength are tested to the extreme after he breaks his leg and falls into a crevasse.

Joe Simpson

​The base camp manager, Richard is not a climber but plays a supporting role by maintaining the camp while Joe and Simon are on the mountain. His presence emphasizes the human element of uncertainty during extreme expeditions.

Richard Hawking

Joe’s climbing partner, Simon is portrayed as a skilled and pragmatic mountaineer. Simon's actions reflect the immense pressure of survival and the weight of guilt he carries afterward.

Simon Yates

The Characters

Multiple Choice

What is Joe Simpson’s role in the story?

• A guide for Simon and Richard

• The narrator and central figure of the survival story

• A fellow climber who rescues Simon

• The person who stays at base camp

Multiple Choice

How is Richard Hawking significant to the story?

• He saves Joe from the crevasse.

• He climbs alongside Joe and Simon.

• He manages the base camp and waits for their return.

• He leads the rescue mission to find Joe.

Multiple Choice

How is Simon portrayed in the story?

• As a reckless and inexperienced climber

• As a compassionate and ethical decision-maker

• As a pragmatic and skilled mountaineer facing immense pressure

• As a rival to Joe

Multiple Choice

Which character is not directly involved in climbing Siula Grande?

• Joe Simpson

• Simon Yates

• Richard Hawking

Word Cloud

What do you think are the main themes of the story

The main themes of the story are:

1. Survival and Human Resilience – The willpower to overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges.

2. Friendship and Trust – Tested through extreme circumstances.

3. Ethics in Decision-Making – Simon’s controversial choice to cut the rope.

Multiple Choice

What are the 3 parts of the story?

• The Climb, The Survival, The Death

• The Accident, the Mountaneering, The return

• The climb, the accident, the return

Multiple Choice

Touching the Void is based on a real life story.

• True

• False

Open Ended

Why do you think we are reading the book "Touching the Void"

Multiple Choice

What could be an excuse for not reading the book?

• I had no time

• I was too lazy to read several chapters in a week

• I forgot to read

• NONE

• My dog ate my book