One of the central themes in Touching the Void is the sheer will to survive against all odds. The book delves into the psychology of survival, giving insight into the mental and emotional processes that drove Simpson to persevere in seemingly impossible circumstances. While the author emphasizes the physical endurance necessary during his ordeal, he ultimately suggests that mental discipline and resilience were the keys to his survival.

Simpson’s memoir becomes a catalog of life-threatening incidents after the point that he broke his leg. The book outlines his battle with forces beyond his control—excruciating pain, exhaustion, dehydration, and the many dangers of his environment. Each obstacle he encountered made his death seem inevitable, and yet, in every instance, he overcame it. A crucial factor in Simpson’s survival was his ability to continually adapt, pushing beyond his physical limits. For example, in the territory where he had to walk, he constructed an ad hoc splint for his broken leg, and when he could not walk, he crawled. Similarly, when trapped in the crevasse, he made the seemingly counterintuitive decision to descend further down as the only chance of escape. In both cases, making progress required overcoming significant psychological barriers.