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Oct 29, 2023 · In April 2003, mountaineer Aron Ralston spent 127 hours pinned by a boulder in Utah's Bluejohn Canyon — until he amputated his own arm and escaped.
- Overview
- Describe the area Ralston was exploring.
- In such an area, what are the most common accidents?
- Ralston was trapped for five days in the canyon and managed to self-rescue. How does that compare to other incidents?
- During those five days, what was the most important thing he did to survive?
- What could Ralston have done to avoid this?
- Once Ralston made it to the hospital, his story was broadcast from England to Brazil. What do you think those reports left out?
- Can you explain that point?
- What basic tips would you suggest to help people avoid a situation like this?
- What can you do if you encounter a backcountry emergency?
Unless Ralston did something drastic, he would not make it out alive.
It was Thursday, May 1st, five days after Aron Ralston had first entered Utah's Bluejohn Canyon on what should have been an eight-hour, 13-mile (21-kilometer) day hike. But on his way, while scrambling through a narrow section of the sandstone slot, Ralston dislodged an 800-pound (363-kilogram) chockstone that rolled on its pinch points and pinned his hand and forearm. His supplies—two burritos and three liters of water—were now gone, and there was virtually no chance of rescue. Unless Ralston did something drastic, he would not make it out alive.
Ralston, a 27-year-old mountaineer from Aspen, Colorado, is an experienced outdoorsman and a former member of the Albuquerque Mountain Rescue Council. Bluejohn Canyon was well within his technical and physical ability, but a freak accident had him trapped. What's worse, Ralston had broken his own first rule: He had failed to leave word with anyone of where he was going that day.
By the morning of May 1st, after five days trapped beneath the massive boulder, Ralston resolved set himself free by amputating his own right hand using his only resource—a multitool. He broke his radius and ulna then cut through the remaining skin and tendons, freeing himself and saving his life.
The media descended on the story in droves. Ralston was deemed a hero, a warrior, even (in one college newspaper headline) a "badass." But some in the local climbing community felt that there was another side to the story.
Rex Tanner is a ten-year search and rescue (SAR) veteran and commander of Grand County Search and Rescue, a volunteer organization that is responsible for 3,600 square miles (9,324 square kilometers) near Bluejohn Canyon. His group participated in 80 rescues last year and was on call to aid in Ralston's rescue. Tanner, like many in the SAR community, has high praise for Ralston and his steely resolve, but questions some of the decisions that placed him in such a life-threatening situation in the first place. Here Tanner speaks on what Ralston did right, what he did wrong, and what the media left out of the story.
He was in an area called the Maze. It's remote, probably up there in the top ten in terms of areas outside of population centers and difficulty to get to. To even go in and be able to explore areas in the Maze, you usually have to carry extra gasoline. I've hiked the Horseshoe Canyon area where he was picked up, and it doesn't get a lot of activity...
Thirty to almost 40 percent of our incidents deal with mountain biking situations. For the most part, they're medical and injury circumstances and need assistance out of the backcountry. But it's not unusual to have people do exactly what Ralston did: Get themselves in a situation where they haven't told anybody where they're going, climb down into...
Well, I think that he fared a lot better than most people would have. To realize that you're going to have to make a large sacrifice to survive, and acting on it—I have to hand it to him. I mean, there are a lot of people that would not have been as strong-minded to be able to pull that off.
I think the number one thing is that he kept his head. Ralston is experienced in the backcountry, and that experience builds confidence. In an emergency situation, confidence builds a stable mental frame of mind. And that's really important. There's probably a lot of people walking around thinking they can deal with those types of situations, but I...
He could have left a note. He could have had a buddy. To me, one of the biggest problems out there is people don't tell someone that they're going to a particular location. It's really not that difficult to do, and to me, it doesn't take away from the wilderness experience.
What bothered me was the way the media made him out to be quite a hero. But they never talked about how the guy got himself into trouble because he really made some poor decisions. What's kind of irritating is that rescuers have to go out and deal with those types of situations—a lot—and most of the time they're preventable. When one person, in thi...
Even when you have trained experts that are conducting rescue activities, the environment that you're working in—whether it be the top of Mount Everest or the North Pole or out here in the middle of the desert, out in the middle of canyon country—is a dangerous environment. No training or equipment can completely remove the danger from the wilderne...
You need enough information about what you're getting ready to do, so you're prepared, so you really have an understanding. Having enough water is number one. Being able to start a fire is number two. The proper clothing is important. A cell phone can be a big help. As long as you're not down in the bottom of a canyon, you've got excellent coverage...
It's a matter of keeping your head and using your resources. That's what's so significant about Aron. He had water, a knife, and the skills that allowed him to pull off what he did—in addition to having the guts to cut his arm off. Survival still goes back to some pretty basic skills and some basic thoughts in terms of how to react. Even in this da...
- Cliff Ransom
After three days of trying to lift and break the boulder, the dehydrated and delirious Ralston prepared to amputate his trapped arm at a point on the mid-forearm in order to escape.
Jul 25, 2023 · The incredible survival movie ‘ 127 Hours ‘ is based on mountaineer Aron Lee Ralston who got his hand stuck under an 800 lb boulder while descending into the Bluejohn Canyon in Utah. The film documents the horrific hours he spent stuck in the canyon until he decided to break his arm and amputate it in order to break free.
Nov 12, 2023 · When the dust settled, Aron Ralston's arm was in agony. He realized that the rock had bounced like a pinball and smashed into his right arm. When it came to a halt a few feet from the floor, Aron's forearm was utterly trapped. The first 30 minutes of his entrapment were pure frustration and panic.
Apr 28, 2024 · Based on the real-life experiences of mountaineer Aron Ralston, 127 Hours follows Ralston's harrowing escape from Canyonlands National Park after getting his arm trapped by a boulder...
Dec 8, 2009 · Six years ago, with his arm trapped under a boulder, Aron Ralston made the agonizing decision to cut it off to save his own life.
