In 1985, experienced mountaineers Joe Simpson and Simon Yates successfully ascended the previously unclimbed west face of Siula Grande in Peru. On their descent, Simpson suffered a badly broken leg. Yates splinted the leg as best he could. He then began lowering Simpson down a 3,000-foot snow and ice slope, repeating the maneuvers with a 300-foot rope.
Unfortunately, Yates inadvertently lowered Simpson over the edge of a large cliff, leaving him helplessly dangling in midair. He couldn’t see or hear Simpson due to the deafening, howling winds of a developing storm, but he tried for an hour and a half to pull him back up the cliff.
Eventually, Yates determined that the only way he could avoid the inevitable death of being pulled off the cliff with his companion was to cut the rope. He did, and later, after an unsuccessful attempt to find his partner, Yates returned to base camp, fearing that Simpson was dead.
Remarkably, Simpson survived the fall. He had landed on a ledge far into a large crevasse, but he couldn’t climb out with a broken leg. Trapped, he had a choice. He could either die on the ledge or lower himself into the crevasse with the rope he had left, hoping there was a way out at the bottom.
A one-way descent into a dark crevasse with no guarantee of escape is the last condition any climber would choose. Yet Simpson was able to avoid panic, leave the security of the ledge, and pursue the next best option to save his life.
Simpson managed to lower himself into the dark abyss and found an exit leading to the surface of a glacier. Despite his broken leg, frostbite, and severe dehydration, he hopped and crawled across the glacier, which was checkered with other crevasses, to safety. Exhausted and delirious, he reached base camp only hours before Yates was preparing to break camp and leave for civilization.
Just before making his descent, Simpson had to confront the uncertainty of the blackness below him and surrender completely to the unknown. He could have easily succumbed to paralysis on the ledge, yearning helplessly for the light just above him. But he persevered in the face of risk and ultimately survived daunting conditions.
This extraordinary event demonstrates the degree of resilience accessible to us all. If we remain cool under extreme pressure, we can preserve our balance of mind and sustain good judgment.
Everyone has the capacity to minimize—even override—the fight/flight stress response. We can stay solution-focused, even in the most frightening and distressing conditions.
We can train our minds to stay present-centered, avoid the frozenness of “should and shouldn’t” overthinking, and hold our minds steady for sound judgment. Through self-regulation enhancement techniques, it’s possible to manage emotions in any given moment with skillful practice in mindfulness. If Joe Simpson can maintain equanimity of mind and keep a cool head in such extreme conditions, then we can, too. In fact, Joe Simpson was one of my beacons of inspiration during my rehab period after the car crash described in my eBook: Collision of Traffic and Triumph.
The following exercise has helped me to focus my mind on the here and now:
- Breathe in your natural rhythm, sitting comfortably.
- On the inhale through the nose, say the words “aware now” silently in your mind.
- On the exhale through the nose, say the words “one point mind” silently in your mind.
- Repeat this mantra with the breath 10 times, and then briefly touch the thumb and forefinger together on the right hand.
The phrase “aware now” awakens us into total situational consciousness in the moment.
The phrase “one point mind” reminds us to focus on what we’re doing presently with earnestness, heart and soul, and every fiber of our being. We’re also committing to finish what we’ve started in calm acceptance of “what is” while flowing into the next right action.
Touching the thumb and forefinger for a few seconds, paired with the breath, anchors mindfulness. If you repeat this gesture or breathe frequently enough, a centered state of mind will return and facilitate peak resilience.
I encourage you to read the book or watch the film Touching the Void to get more comprehensive details of this incredible story.