Honorary
Doctorates |
Joe Simpson receives an Honorary Doctorate of Arts from Leeds Met
View images of Joe Simpson receiving his Honorary Award
Internationally renowned mountaineer Joe Simpson, who lives in Sheffield, received an Honorary Doctorate of Arts from Leeds Metropolitan University on Wednesday 13 July at 2.30pm.
During the graduation ceremony Joe Simpson said: “I find this considerably more frightening than climbing. I never thought, 20 years ago, when I left university and headed off for the Alps, that I’d ever receive an honorary degree.”
He added that whilst he thought he would never use the things he learnt at university again after graduating, he’s since found they have helped him every day.
Joe Simpson is a highly acclaimed writer and public speaker who
established himself as a leading figure in Alpine-style mountaineering
over a number of years. His expeditions took him around the world:
to Peru, Ecuador, Africa, India, Bolivia, Pakistan, Nepal and the
European Alps. He has claim to first ascents of the West Face of
Siula Grande (6,536m), North Spur Ramtrapalia (6,162m) and the
West Face of Pachermo (6,200m).
He is best known for his inspirational escape from near-certain death, when, having shattered his leg, he was stranded in a crevasse high in the Andes. His determination to extricate himself from an apparently impossible predicament exemplifies the human spirit at its most courageous. Joe’s account of these events in Touching the Void spoke to the many who have read it of the limits of human endurance. The book became a best-seller, translated into fourteen languages, and won the Boardman Tasker Prize 1988, the NCR Non-fiction Award 1989, the Deutsches Literaturpreis 1990 and the Premio Itas del Libro di Montagna 1993. His story went on to reach a wider audience with the making of a film of the same name, which won a BAFTA award: Outstanding British Film of the Year 2004.
The acclaim which he received as a result of his survival, the
book and the film has led his career in new directions. His growing
list of publications in both fiction and non-fiction has produced
a string of nominations for major prizes. His presentations for
the corporate sector on teamwork, leadership, personal development,
and management style earned him the Speaker of the Year Award in
2003.
