I can’t quite recall the first time I heard the name Aron Ralston. I beleive I was first introduced to Aron’s story by Maddox, though it appears his description of what happened in May of 2003 differs slightly from Aron’s account. According to the man himself, while canyoneering (whatever the hell that is) in Utah, a boulder fell on his right forearm, crushing and pinning it against the canyon wall. For over 5 days Aron was trapped; completely unable to free his arm or move the boulder… and he eventually made the (insanely ballsy) decision to cut off his own hand. He knew it was the only way he would be able to get out of the canyon, so he took out his dull multi-tool and got to work.

GOD. DAMN.

Now, reading a description of an event is one thing. I’d heard this story for years… but hearing the man himself describe in detail every moment of his “home” surgery is something completely different. After watching this video of Aron describing how he was able to break the bones in his arm and cut off his pinned, decaying hand, all I can think is, “oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my dear fucking god.” I can only hope I would be able to follow in his example if in the same situation… but honestly, I really hope I never have to find out. Check out the following video and tell me you don’t feel the same way:

Aron’s account of his horrifying experience is available in his book, “Between a Rock and a Hard Place“. You can check out a preview of it at Outside Online or order it on Amazon.com.