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On Sunday April 27, 2003, 27-year old Aron Ralston set off for a day's hiking
in the Utah canyons. Dressed in a t-shirt and shorts, Ralston, a seasoned climber,
figured he'd hike for a few hours and then head off to work. 40 miles from the
nearest paved road, he found himself on top of an 800-pound boulder. As he slid
down and off of the boulder it shifted, trapping his right hand against the canyon
wall. No one knew where he was; he had little water; he wasn't dressed correctly;
and the boulder wasn't going anywhere. He remained trapped for five days in the
canyon: hypothermic at night, de-hydrated and hallucinating by day. Finally,
he faced the most terrible decision of his life: braking the bones in his wrist
by snapping them against the boulder, he hacked through the skin, and finally
succeeded in amputating his right hand and wrist. The ordeal, however, was only
beginning. He still faced a 60-foot rappell to freedom, and a walk of several
hours back to his car - along the way, he miraculously met a family of hikers,
and with his arms tourniqued, and blood-loss almost critical, they heard above
them the whir of helicopter blades; just in time, Aron was rescued and rushed
to hospital. Since that day, Aron has had a remarkable recovery. He is back out
on the mountains, with an artificial limb; he speaks to select groups on his
ordeal and rescue; and amazingly, he is upbeat, positive, and an inspiration to
all who meet him. This is the account of those five days, of the years that led
up to them, and where he goes from here. It is narrative non-fiction at its most
compelling.

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