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.