LUKE TRAYNOR

IN my youth, I was forced to participate in steep mountain climbs in the Lake District and Wales in the interests of fun.

This usually involved around four hours heavy toil up varying degrees of slopes and a 20-minute respite on the summit where lunch (crab paste sandwiches) was served.

Next up came endless hours traipsing along a neverending ridge before an uncomfortably awkward descent that always played havoc on the back.

But that now seems kindergarten stuff compared to what trekkers Joe Simpson and Simon Yates had to suffer scaling the unclimbed West Face of Siula Grande in 1985.

Shortly after the descent, a shocking accident suddenly turns their daring expedition into a desperate fight for survival.

The 100 minutes is shared between spectacular reconstructions of the climb and interviews with the two men it nearly killed.

It's documentary in feel, but hugely compelling, and is one of the best examples of sheer human endurance ever witnessed.

Based on Joe Simpson's international bestseller, it's tremendously moving to watch. There are tears in their eyes, particularly Joe's, when he remembers how close they were to death.

A monumental tale of heroism, survival and a bloody-minded and relentless example of how to never accept defeat.