Simon Yates (mountaineer)

Simon Yates, born in 1963, is an English mountaineer. In 1985 he and Joe Simpson made the first ascent of the west face of Siula Grande in the Huayhuash mountain range in the Peruvian Andes. Simpson fell and badly broke his leg on the descent, and Yates lowered him gradually down the mountain with ropes until, in extreme weather, Simpson fell over a cliff edge and Yates had to cut the rope to avoid being pulled over as well. Simpson survived and told the story in the book Touching the Void, which was later adapted into a film.