in chapter 2 of Touching the Void Simon and his climbing partner have a very special relationship shown by the comment by Joe, “he was an easy friend”, the text also suggests that Simon is a role model for Joe and that Joe aspires to be like him. When Simon and Joe are climbing up the ice cliffs there is a huge amount of trust for each other’s abilities involved to make it up the mountains and overcome the challenges at hand.
at the start of the chapter, they are both enthusiastic about the climb and keen for the challenge but nearer the end Simon and Joe are starting to worry the might not be able to find a snow hole before dark the chapter ends with a flashback of a time joe was climbing in the alps and the ledge they had a bivi in collapsed and they where hanging in midair with nothing but their bedrolls waiting for a rescue.