Aron Ralston
Aron Ralston
Aron Lee Ralstonis an American outdoorsman, engineer and motivational speaker. He survived a canyoneering accident in southeastern Utah in 2003, during which he amputated his own right forearm with a dull pocketknife in order to extricate himself from a dislodged boulder, which had him trapped in Blue John Canyon for five days and seven hours. After he freed himself, he had to make his way through the remainder of the canyon, then rappel down a 65-footsheer cliff face in order...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionRock Climber
Date of Birth27 October 1975
CountryUnited States of America
I was accustomed to being in far, far riskier environments. So I thought going into that canyon was a walk in the park - there were no avalanches, it was a beautiful day and I was essentially just walking.
It's saved lives from depression. It's saved lives from boredom. People tell me they quit their jobs after hearing my story.
Unless it was a fatal accident, which it doesn't sound like, psychologically it comes down to eating the elephant one bite at a time, (prioritizing) and taking care of the next thing you can do.
I limited myself to one shout a day. But I didn't like the sound of my voice. It sounded panicked, it sounded scared. And I knew from experience you can't hear more than 50 yards either way down a canyon.
And that's where I'm finally at today - my life is about being with my family. This is what's important.
If you want someone to show up and help you if something bad happens, you'd better tell someone where you're going. And of course I wanted someone to know - but I'd made a choice and it was a choice I was going to have to live with.
When I climb a fourteener, a 14,000-foot/4,260-meter peak, in the winter by myself, I leave an itinerary and information about where my vehicle will be parked and the name of the county sheriff to contact in case I don't get home.
I think it's out there and it's not something that I treat lightly, ... At the same time, I realized there's a lot that's going to have to change in my life before I become a father, as far as how I live, my priorities, where I might live. When the time comes, that's something I want to be just as passionate about as how passionate I am in how I live now.
We're proud of him because of the person he is and because he feels so strongly that he has a story that is inspirational, and he's willing to tell it over and over and share with other people and give people hope, ... I think that says a lot about his character.
What I'm doing right here tonight is raise money and give those kids a second chance.
What you're looking at there is my arm, going into the rock... and there it is - stuck. It's been without circulation for 24 hours. It's pretty well gone.
I stepped out of my grave and into my life again.
A crystalline moment shatters, and the world is a different place. Where there was confinement, now there is release. Recoiling from my sudden liberation, my left arm flings downcanyon, opening my shoulders to the south, and I fall back against the northern wall of the canyon, my mind is surfing on euphoria. As I stare at the wall where not twelve hours ago I etched “RIP OCT 75 ARON APR 03,” a voice shouts in my head: I AM FREE!
I feel like I'm climbing as well, if not better, than ever.