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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Where does Richard sleep on the way up to base camp?

2. At the end of the chapter "On the Edge", Joe notes what about the day?

3. Joe says that what is infectious?

4. How many hours do Joe and Ian hang on the rope before being rescued?

5. At what altitude does Joe realize that both he and Simon have set a personal altitude record?

Short Essay Questions

1. When Joe and Simon start their ascent of the first ice wall on Siula Grande, what is Joe's attitude toward what they are doing?

2. Why is Joe nervous about the first bivouac site?

3. Why does Simon cut the rope?

4. On page 65 in "On the Edge", Joe says, 'Funny how my anxiety [about Simon's frostbitten fingers] seemed to have more to do with whether he would be able to carry on climbing after we got down rather than concern for his injuries'. Why is this statement significant?

5. After Joe tells Simon that he has broken his leg, he describes the pitiful look that Simon gives him as, 'a distance given to a wounded animal which could not be helped' (p74). From Simon's point of view, why does he give him this look?

6. What worries Joe and Simon the most about the final part of the route to the summit?

7. At the beginning of "Tempting Fate", what does Joe say about his fingers, and how does he deal with them?

8. What occurs to Joe at the beginning of "On the Edge"?

9. What does Joe like about Simon's personality?

10. Compare or contrast the influence of the incident on The Bonatti Pillar on the climbing careers of Joe Simpson and Ian Whittaker.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In "Ten Years On", Joe includes an excerpt from Simon's book "Against the Wall", in which Simon describes the rope as representing a "powerful symbol of trust and friendship". Cite examples in the book that support or refute this notion. Is the climber's rope simply a safety measure or, as Simon suggests, symbolic of a powerful life-and-death bond of trust between men on the mountain?

Essay Topic 2

In the Epilogue, "Bad Memories", Joe talks about his experience of returning to Siula Grande for the filming of "Touching the Void". He says repeatedly that he feels "panic" and mentions post-traumatic stress syndrome. Research the effects of post-traumatic stress syndrome, its history, and the advances in its treatment. Why doesn't Joe get treatment for the disorder? Does he have the disorder? What has helped with getting over his traumatic experience?

Essay Topic 3

Throughout the second half of the book, Joe continually refers to two minds. In the chapter, 'Mind Games', Joe says he is 'split in two' (p145). He labels one of these minds 'the voice'. What does Joe hear from his bifurcated inner self, and how does he react to each 'half'?

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