Arecentarticleon"TouchingtheVoid"focusedonthereactionsofmountaineerstofilmsabouttheiroftendeadlyavocation.Manycommentedthatvirtuallynomoviedealingwithmountainclimbingfeltrealtothem.IsuspectthatKevinMacDonald'sgrippingpartre-enactment,part-documentarymaybetherareexceptionthatwillcapturetheinterestofamateurandprofessionalmountaineers.(Ihaven'tclimbedsince1966whenIandtwofellowArmyofficerssettherecordforsummitingSeoul,Korea'sNamsanfromitsalmostinaccessibleeastface.)
Simon,averyexperiencedclimber,andJoe,ayoungerdevotee,soughttobethefirsttoreachthetopofPeru'sSiulaGrandethroughaforbiddingandunconqueredapproach.BeforeheadingtoaremotelocationtoestablishabasecamptheypickedupRichard,atravelerwithnoexperienceorinterestinclimbingbutahale-fellow-well-metwillingtobabysitthecampwhilethetwoadventurersclimbed.