By Aron Ralston
This is the book upon which the movie “127 Hours” is based. As a point of reference, this incident took place 20 years ago - April/May of 2003. The book is well written and graphically details Aron’s time trapped in Blue John Canyon and the emotional journey that led him to amputate his arm in order to survive. The narrative jumps between his present predicament and the story of his life, specifically his extensive experience as a climber, mountaineer, and backcountry skier. I hiked the part of the Horseshoe Canyon where he finally emerged and that’s a very desolate area, especially in 2003. It’s sketchy and remote even today.
Why choose this book as relevant to overlanding? While Aron’s entrapment was simply bad luck, the circumstances that led to his being stranded there so long (and nearly dying) were mostly preventable. There are lessons applicable to overlanding:
1. Always tell someone where you’re going and when you’ll return. Set up a plan for regular contact.
2. Be prepared, have gear and supplies for an emergency. A casual day trip can turn deadly with one mistake.
3. Overconfidence and/or arrogance can be fatal; respect that nature can squash you like a bug with complete indifference.
Note that one of the photos in the book is a little gory.
This is the book upon which the movie “127 Hours” is based. As a point of reference, this incident took place 20 years ago - April/May of 2003. The book is well written and graphically details Aron’s time trapped in Blue John Canyon and the emotional journey that led him to amputate his arm in order to survive. The narrative jumps between his present predicament and the story of his life, specifically his extensive experience as a climber, mountaineer, and backcountry skier. I hiked the part of the Horseshoe Canyon where he finally emerged and that’s a very desolate area, especially in 2003. It’s sketchy and remote even today.
Why choose this book as relevant to overlanding? While Aron’s entrapment was simply bad luck, the circumstances that led to his being stranded there so long (and nearly dying) were mostly preventable. There are lessons applicable to overlanding:
1. Always tell someone where you’re going and when you’ll return. Set up a plan for regular contact.
2. Be prepared, have gear and supplies for an emergency. A casual day trip can turn deadly with one mistake.
3. Overconfidence and/or arrogance can be fatal; respect that nature can squash you like a bug with complete indifference.
Note that one of the photos in the book is a little gory.
