On April 26, 2003, 27-year-old mountain climber and outdoorsman Aron Ralston, veteran of 49 of Colorado's 14,000-foot-plus mountains, headed into a remote southeastern section of Utah for a solo day of adventure – without telling anyone his route or destination.
At 2:41 on that Saturday afternoon, his life changed forever. He dislodged an 800-pound boulder that tumbled down a gorge, pinning his hand – and him – for nearly six days. He landed in a 3-foot-wide slot canyon near the Maze District of Canyonlands National Park. After running out of water and filming intensely personal farewell videos to friends and family, the dedicated outdoorsman made the drastic decision to amputate his forearm – a move that saved his life.
This was not the Aspen mountaineer’s first brush with burial by stones. Mr. Ralston and a companion had been caught in an avalanche while backcountry skiing in the Colorado Rockies. The avalanche buried him to the neck and completely covered his companion, but he dug them both free within 15 minutes.
Ralston is now a motivational speaker, sharing the lessons he learned about the value of life while facing near-certain death.
