The Flame of Adventure

Simon Yates is probably best known, much to his chagrin, as "the guy who cut the rope" on Joe Simpson during their descent of a new route on the West Face of the Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes. In Flame of Adventure, Yates touches on this famous story and shares his perspective on climbing styles; he also shares tales of personal embarrassment, childhood experiences, and the different cultures he has encountered in his travels. He looks at himself through the eyes of "civilization," talking about using his climbing skills while working on a construction site and the terror his apparent risks triggers in other workers. He, in turn, is amazed by their perspective.

This is the story of a man who lives on an adventurous, dangerous edge, frightening to many. Yet, Yates observes, countless people who once opted for safe 9-to-5 existences are now turning to extreme sports in order to put some excitement into their lives. From the Karakorum to the Eiger, Yates' accounts of his adventures both thrill and entertain. On a climb of Lobsang II he and a friend realized they had stopped short of the true summit. Rather than continue, they decided to sit in the sun and enjoy the view, and then to simply descend. Through such anecdotes Yates reflects on what matters to him and what adventure is, as well as why he and so many others find it crucial to a life well lived.

Simon Yates is a British climber and has climbed with Greg Child, Doug Scott, Andy Cave, and other prominent climbers. He has worked as a mountain guide and now lectures and runs commercial expeditions. His first book, Against the Wall, was shortlisted for the Boardman-Tasker Award.