What do you think?
Rate this book
The Wild Within
The Wild Within is the third book from Simon Yates, one of Britain's most accomplished and daring mountaineers. With his insatiable appetite for adventure and exploratory mountaineering, Yates leads unique expeditions to unclimbed peaks in the Cordillera Darwin in Tierra del Fuego, the Wrangell-St Elias ranges on the Alaskan-Yukon border, and Eastern Greenland. Laced with dry humour, he relates his own experience of the rapid commercialisation of moutain wilderness, while grappling with his new-found commitments as a family man. At the same time he must endure his role in the film adaptation of Joe Simpson's Touching The Void, having to relive the events of that trip for a Hollywood director.
Yates's subsequent escape to some of the world's most remote mountains isn't bquite the experience it once was, as he witnesses first hand the advance of modern communications nito the wilderness, signalled by the ubiquitous mobile phone masts appearing in once deserted mountain valleys. He is left to dwell on the remaining significance of mountain wilderness and must rediscover what the notion of 'wild' means for him now.
Yates's subsequent escape to some of the world's most remote mountains isn't bquite the experience it once was, as he witnesses first hand the advance of modern communications nito the wilderness, signalled by the ubiquitous mobile phone masts appearing in once deserted mountain valleys. He is left to dwell on the remaining significance of mountain wilderness and must rediscover what the notion of 'wild' means for him now.
- GenresNonfictionMountaineering
239 pages, Hardcover
First published March 5, 2012
About the author
Simon Yates
11 books8 followersSimon Yates is an internationally acclaimed mountaineer, adventurer and author best known for his involvement in the epic described in Joe Simpson's book 'Touching the Void'.
In a prolific career spanning nearly thirty years Simon has climbed worldwide with many of Britain's leading mountaineers including Andy Cave, Mick Fowler,Andy Parkin, Paul Pritchard and Doug Scott, establishing many first ascents in the process. He is the author of three books: Against the Wall (Vintage 1997), The Flame of Adventure (Vintage 2001) and most recently The Wild Within (Vertibrate Publishing 2012)
In addition to mountaineering and writing, Simon is a popular lecturer and runs a commercial expedition company - Mountain Dream. He lives in Cumbria with his wife, daughter and son.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 2, 2022
Quite an interesting insight into the life of a professional mountaineer / guide. It’s not just about the climbing, it’s also about the preparation, journeying there, a bit about book promotion, touring, and how this all fits with family life. Not edge of your seat stuff but it feels honest and realistic.
May 23, 2019
Really enjoyed the book which I bought at one of Simon’s talks. Couple of times I got confused on chronology, but didn’t detract from a fascinating story of his adventures in the mountains and elsewhere
February 20, 2023
A strong 4 stars from me.
April 19, 2012
I like this book because it strays from the traditional realm of climbing books. There is no tragedy or drama. The focus is not only very difficult innovative new routes and the challenges surrounding the climbs, but it also tackles the challenges of family life and the reality of the world we live in. Yates is a great observer and his writing is fluid and insightful, neither macho nor verbose but exacting. Not only is Yates an exceptional climber, he is an exceptional writer too.
July 4, 2022
There seems to be no clear objective to the book. It is maybe a sort of 'what shall I write now' project. It is just an account of various climbing expeditions and speaking tours. Pleasant enough but not enough about why he indulges in these climbing adventures. He describes his climbs in an almost matter of fact way, without the flair of his other writing.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews