Author: Ben McLachlan

1. When Joe shatters his knee, it is one of the most climactic moments in the text. Joe uses extremely descriptive language to try and bring the reader into the story, to make them feel all the things he was going through at the time. “My knee exploded, bone grated and the fireball rushed from groin to knee” This hyperbole exaggerates and the metaphor gives the reader an image forces the reader to think about the unbelievable pain Joe is experiencing and puts them in the moment. In this section where Joe is examining his knee, he often talks about the pain as being fire, “A fierce burning ball”, “Stabs of fire”, “Pouring on fire”, “And the fire rushed from groin to knee” uses repetition to provide effect, He also uses personification to talk about the pain as he often refers to it as fire. This is also a contrast to the cold snowy environment he is in and I think this tells us the fact that the pain is so great he does not notice the cold and also that the pain is so great it takes over all his thoughts.

2. Simons perspective is a key part of the text because it gives the thoughts and views of the person witnessing the injury, and is, therefore, going to be more rational in his thinking and in giving his opinions and it is an interesting thing to be given a perspective that, up until then, has not been presented to the reader. It shows Joe and Simon’s relationship changing because Simon realizes that he and Joe would be lucky to get back down the mountain alive, and if they did so Simon would be the one doing it all and I think this changes their relationship from being equals ( All though Joe indirectly saying he looks up to Simon because he is everything Joe is not ) to being one that is similar to a adult and a child because Simon is having to do most of the work.

The phrase on the edge can be used in many ways with many different meanings. It can mean being on the edge of a cliff or rock face or it can mean being close to making a final decision. On edge can also mean someone is very tense, and also being close to something happening, generally bad or disastrous. I think that it can refer to any of these as it is used in the title.

Foreshadowing is a language feature that is used by Joe to hint that something bad might happen. An example is that Joe often talks about how high up on the cliff they are and also how dangerous it would be to fall and would most certainly end in his and Simon’s death. This makes the reader feel that Joe and Simon might experience a fall similar to one Joe describes that Simon has experienced. Simon was climbing and he watched two Japanese climbers fall to their death, I feel that this hints towards the fact that Simon and Joe might also fall down and suffer the same fate

I think that this has been included in the text because it shows that Joe and Simon are very ambitious people and are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve their goal. This also reveals that Joe and Simon are very dedicated to climbing that they are almost being controlled by the mountain that they are trying to climb. It also shows Joe doubting why he was attempting to scale Siula Grande, was he doing it for pleasure or was he doing it for glory and egotism. It shows that the dangerous men mentioned are doubting why they are doing what they are doing.

Question 1. The specialized jargon used is not explained in the text because the author thinks that the reader would get the rough idea of what the words mean so they get the idea without having to explain it. The reader is expected to bring their own experiences to the text. He can also assume that the reader has some knowledge of climbing if they are reading the book.

Question 2.
1 Karrimats are sleeping pads or mats and are important in the text because it is what Jo and Simon are sleeping on.
2 Rock Piton is a nail type object designed to be hammered into the rock so to create a point to clip your self to the rock which is what Simon and Jo will be using it for.
3 A ravine formed by water may be a feature on a mountain that Jo and Simon could be climbing up.
4 Seracs are a pinnacle or ridge on the surface of a glacier which could be an obstacle that they would have to overcome.
5 Ice screws are screws that can be drilled into an ice wall so they are connected to a wall so Jo and Simon can put their weight on them allowing them to belay.
6 A cascade is a waterfall that keeps a steady flow of water over the width of the waterfall. And this relates to the story because they are trying to find them because it would be better ice to climb.

In chapter 2 of Joe Simpson’s book ” Touching The Void ” Joe and Simon are climbing, They have a special relationship that is shown time and time again. When Joe is aching Simon volunteers to go first because he knows Joe is at a disadvantage. Since Joe and Simon have been climbing together for so long they know each other’s strengths and weaknesses so they know when the other person might need a little bit more support.

The environment they are climbing in is a difficult climb, and at the beginning of the chapter they are enjoying it because of the challenge but then when the ice began to break away under there ice picks they realized the danger and began to worry about the other person getting hit, which is another sign of their great friendship.

When Joe has a ” Flashback ” he remembers the time that he was climbing with Ian Whittaker and they were climbing really well, but when they found a suitable place to sleep when Joe fell and was saved only by his safety rope, The ledge they were resting on had fallen taking all their equipment with it so Joe and Ian were left hanging above the face in just their socks unable to climb out. The rope holding them was very fragile and they had to place their lives in its care for 12 long hours until their screams for help were heard and a rescue helicopter came to their rescue. Ian returned to the Alps but he had lost his interest in climbing, whereas Joe now was mostly over it and now only had a fear of bivouacs.

1. “ The dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act with their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible ” This means that people that dream during the night will wake up and realise their dreams are just dreams and will not act on them but someone that dreams in the day will act on their dreams and this makes them dangerous because they take risks to achieve their dreams
2. At the beginning of the book, Joe Simpson says he likes being in the mountains, this gives me the impression that he likes to be alone and independent, He also enjoys knowing there are no other climbers and knowing there will be no rescue helicopters
3. The line “ He was an easy friend: dependable, sincere, ready to see life as a joke … a touch of madness that makes just a few people so special. ” This tells us that Simon and Joe may have been friends for a long time and they have a special bond, also that Simon is a reliable friend that would most likely do anything for his friends, and he would be friends with anyone. The quote “ There were few other people I could have kept up with for so long. ” Also backs up the fact that they have been friends for a long time. The quote “ Simon was keeping a steady pace that matched mine. ” Tells us they must have been climbing together for so long that they knew each other’s natural pace.
4. “ Simon and I had found Richard resting in a sleazy hotel in Lima, halfway through his six-month exploration of South America. ” This tells us that they must not have known him very long but must have thought he would be a good person to have around. “ He had lived off grubs and berries with pygmies wile dug-out canoeing through the rain forests of Zaire. ” This says that Richard must be someone that lives very cheaply and often relies on the goodwill of others to get around. And also is fine with doing things that are a bit different.
5. “ We were in the middle of the Cordillera Huayhuash, in the Peruvian Andes, separated from the nearest village by twenty-eight miles of rough walking. ” Says that if something happens there will be no help and this foreshadows that fact that something probably happens later on in the story.
6. Joe talks to himself when he is in the mountains, this would help him because it gives him a reminder of what he is trying to achieve and to keep on going.

The blackened fingertips referred to in the text most likely means to frostbite, and gives the image of frostbitten fingers trying to perform fiddly tasks. It is most likely the narrator is Simon, Joe’s climbing partner because he is taking to Richard and also mentions Joe.
He describes Lima as chaotic and busy in comparison to the calm tranquility of the mountains, and he gives this as an example as to why he wants to stay in Sarapo. ” The mountains held me in thrall. Something prevented me from leaving ” is said by the writer and this gives the indication that something happened on the mountain he did not want to leave or he felt guilty for.
When the reader says that ” He was quiet when he prepared breakfast. ” you get the feeling that there is something between them that they didn’t want to talk about, which may be related to why he might not want to leave because he is guilty
The word Voracious is used to describe how hungry the writer is but in using a word that is less known it creates more effect and it also sends the message that perhaps the writer has not had a good meal for a while.
The sentence ” The icy white sweep of Sarapo ” indicates that they are still on the mountain, probably at a camp. they probably also have some way to go after they set off and this may be why the author was so reluctant to leave