Friday October 2nd 2026
Haddington Corn Exchange
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
Mountaineer Simon Yates, whose dramatic adventures were documented in the bestselling book Touching the Void, is set to bring his new talk to Haddington this month.
The renowned climber will appear at the Corn Exchange on Thursday, October 29, at 7.30pm with Pleasure and Pain.
The event is the only Scottish date on Yates’ autumn tour for the new talk, which explores his adventures and expeditions over the past decade.
Yates is one of the world’s most accomplished exploratory mountaineers and has completed more than 80 expeditions to remote mountains around the globe.
He is perhaps best known for his role in the ill-fated Andes expedition documented in Joe Simpson’s Touching the Void.
Now in his sixties, Yates continues to take on challenging expeditions, including a 2023 attempt to climb the unclimbed north face of Patkhor in Tajikistan alongside fellow British mountaineer Mick Fowler.
The expedition took a dramatic turn when both men contracted food poisoning from their freeze-dried food on their first evening on the mountain.
Despite this, they continued their attempt before a series of setbacks forced them to retreat below the summit during a storm.
During the descent, Yates suffered a bone-breaking 100-metre fall and was left waiting on a glacier for two days before rescuers arrived.
Unable to carry him to safety, Yates was forced to summon the strength for a painful three-day walk to reach safety.
The Patkhor expedition is among the adventures Yates will discuss during Pleasure and Pain, which covers climbs and expeditions across the far north and south, South America, Central Asia and the Himalayas.
The Brunton said the evening will feature stories of adventure, survival and the highs and lows of a life spent exploring some of the world’s most challenging mountains.
Tickets and further information are available from The Brunton website or by calling 0131 653 5245, Monday to Friday between 11am and 3pm.
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