Joe Simpson

Mountain Climber

Birthday August 13, 1960

Birth Sign Leo

Birthplace Malaysia

Age 63 years old

#75277 Most Popular

About

Famous for his 1988 memoir Touching the Void, Simpson recounts his treacherous climb of the West Face of the Peruvian Andes' Siula Grande peak in the bestselling book.

Before Fame

He began rock climbing while attending Ampleforth College in North Yorkshire, England.

Trivia

In addition to his 1988 autobiographical work, Simpson published a novel titled The Sound of Gravity (2011) and several other books.

Family Life

Born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to a British Army officer father, he spent the bulk of his childhood in England.

Associated With

He was inspired to become a rock climber after reading Austrian climber Heinrich Harrer's memoir The White Spider.