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Top 3… Climbs

Touching the Void (1998)

Joe Simpson

Joe Simpson’s 1988 book describes his and Simon Yates’ ascent of the Siula Grande. The most famous part of the book describes the moment when Simpson slipped off an ice cliff and broke his right leg. Yates was forced to cut the rope, sending Simpson plummeting into the darkness. Having survived the fall, Simpson was then forced to climb down further into the crevasse in order to escape. In 2003, a successful documentary was made of the same name.

Everest (2013)

Public Service Broadcasting

An eclectic mix of instruments, electronic influences and audio samples from old public service broadcasts make up all of PSB’s music. This song is littered with samples of people talking about climbing in clipped British accents, including a guest appearance from George Mallory asking, “Why should a man climb Everest? Because it is there.” Coldly grandiose, the instrumentation on this track combines brilliantly to form a vision of the magnificent Peak 15, the highest mountain in the world.

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The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Christopher Nolan’s conclusion to his epic Batman trilogy has been called out for its plot-holes. But one cannot deny that The Dark Knight Rises is, if nothing else, an incredible spectacle. Memorably, Bruce Wayne finds himself imprisoned in a Very Deep Pit, and must climb out, something only ever achieved once by his nemesis, Bane. His attempts to climb the wall of the pit are deeply affecting. Each time he misses the crucial final leap, we feel his pain as the harness nearly breaks his back.

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