 | |
| Author | Aron Ralston |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Non-fiction |
| Publisher | Atria Books |
Publication date | 2004 |
Published in English | September 7, 2004 |
| Pages | 354 |
| ISBN | 978-0-7434-9281-2 |
Between a Rock and a Hard Place is a 2004 autobiographical book by American mountain climber Aron Ralston. [1] It details an incident that occurred in 2003 when Ralston was canyoneering in Bluejohn Canyon in the Utah desert, where he became trapped for five days.
The book predominantly recounts Ralston's experience being trapped in the canyon and how he was forced to amputate his own right arm with a dull multi-tool in order to free himself after the arm became trapped by a boulder. [2]
It also describes Ralston's childhood, how he took up outdoor activities after moving to Colorado from Indiana, how he came to be an obsessive outdoorsman and how he left his engineering career at Intel in Arizona to take up outdoor activities as much as possible.
The book goes back and forth, in alternating chapters, between Ralston's past experiences and his entrapment in the slot canyon, and the efforts of his mother to find him. Included in some editions are pictures of his days in the canyon, [1] various photos from the past excursions he speaks of in the book, a glossary of mountaineering jargon, and maps of Bluejohn Canyon and the proximity of the canyon in central-eastern Utah.
Inc. magazine named Ralston's account one of seven "great entrepreneurship books that have nothing to do with business." [3]
The book was adapted into the 2010 film 127 Hours , starring James Franco as Ralston and directed by Danny Boyle. [4] Since the film's release, the autobiography has also been sold with the title 127 Hours: Between a Rock and a Hard Place. [5] The film was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor.
Canyoning is a type of mountaineering that involves travelling in canyons using a variety of techniques that may include other outdoor activities such as walking, scrambling, climbing, jumping, abseiling (rappelling), and swimming.
Aron Lee Ralston is an American mountaineer, mechanical engineer, and motivational speaker, known for surviving a canyoneering accident by cutting off part of his right arm.
Sport climbing is a type of free climbing in rock climbing where the lead climber clips into pre-drilled permanent bolts for their protection while ascending the route. Sport climbing differs from the riskier traditional climbing where the lead climber has to insert temporary protection equipment while they are ascending.
A piton in climbing is a metal spike that is driven into a crack or seam in the climbing surface using a climbing hammer, and which acts as an anchor for protecting the climber against the consequences of falling or to assist progress in aid climbing. Pitons are equipped with an eye hole or a ring to which a carabiner is attached; the carabiner can then be directly or indirectly connected to a climbing rope.
Self-surgery is the act of performing a surgical procedure on oneself. It can be an act taken in extreme circumstances out of necessity, an attempt to avoid embarrassment, legal action, or financial costs, or a rare manifestation of a psychological disorder.
Urophagia is the consumption of urine. Urine was used in several ancient cultures for various health, healing, and cosmetic purposes; urine drinking is still practiced today. In extreme cases, people may drink urine if no other fluids are available, although numerous credible sources advise against using it. Urine may also be consumed as a sexual activity.
Buck Jones was an American actor, known for his work in many popular Western movies. In his early film appearances, he was credited as Charles Jones.
Big Cottonwood Canyon is a canyon in the Wasatch Range 12 miles (19 km) southeast of Salt Lake City in the U.S. state of Utah. The 15-mile (24 km)-long canyon provides hiking, biking, picnicking, rock-climbing, camping, and fishing in the summer. Its two ski resorts, Brighton and Solitude, are popular among skiers and snowboarders. The canyon is accessed by The Big Cottonwood Canyon Scenic Byway (SR-190), which runs its length to Guardsman Pass at the top of the canyon, allowing travel to Park City in the summer months.
John Long is an American rock climber and author. His stories have been translated into many languages.
The Fallen Man is the twelfth crime fiction novel in the Joe Leaphorn / Jim Chee Navajo Tribal Police series by Tony Hillerman, first published in 1996.
Horseshoe Canyon, formerly known as Barrier Canyon, is in a remote area west of the Green River and north of the Canyonlands National Park Maze District in Utah, United States. It is known for its collection of Barrier Canyon Style (BCS) rock art, including both pictographs and petroglyphs, which was first recognized as a unique style here. A portion of Horseshoe Canyon containing The Great Gallery is part of a detached unit of Canyonlands National Park. The Horseshoe Canyon Unit was added to the park in 1971 in an attempt to preserve and protect the rock art found along much of its length.
Dean Spaulding Potter was an American free climber, alpinist, BASE jumper, and highliner. He completed many hard first ascents, free solo ascents, speed ascents, and enchainments in Yosemite National Park and Patagonia. In 2015, he died in a wingsuit flying accident in Yosemite National Park.
The Homestead Caldera, known locally as "The Crater" is a natural geothermal hot spring surrounded by a rock dome. It is located in Midway, Utah.
Between a rock and a hard place, or simply a rock and a hard place, is an expression meaning having to choose between two difficult options. It may also refer to:
127 Hours is a 2010 biographical survival drama film co-written, produced and directed by Danny Boyle. The film stars James Franco, Kate Mara, Amber Tamblyn and Clémence Poésy. In the film, canyoneer Aron Ralston must find a way to escape after he gets trapped by a boulder in an isolated slot canyon in Bluejohn Canyon, southeastern Utah, in April 2003. It is a British and American venture produced by Pathé, Everest Entertainment, Film4 Productions, HandMade Films and Cloud Eight Films.
127 Hours: Music from the Motion Picture is the soundtrack to Danny Boyle's 2010 film of the same name. It was composed by Academy Award Winner A. R. Rahman, Boyle's previous collaborator on Slumdog Millionaire. The score, centred on guitar, was recorded mainly in London and was completed in three weeks. The soundtrack was released digitally on 2 November and physically on 22 November, by Interscope Records and Fox Music. The score is briefly orchestral and the song's main theme, "If I Rise" features Rahman playing the Harpejji.
Bluejohn Canyon is a slot canyon in eastern Wayne County, Utah, United States. It is on BLM land just south of the boundary of the Horseshoe Canyon Unit of Canyonlands National Park.
"Treehouse of Horror XXII" is the third episode of the twenty-third season and the twenty-second Halloween episode of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 30, 2011. The episode is part of the Treehouse of Horror series, which is an episode divided into three separate stories and an opening that is a parody of scary or Halloween themed stories. This episode's stories were primarily spoofs of the French film The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, the television series Dexter, and the American film Avatar. The opening was a parody of the autobiographical film 127 Hours, in which the subject Aron Ralston loses an arm.
"Roy's Wedding" is the second episode of the ninth season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's 178th episode overall. The episode originally aired on NBC on September 27, 2012. The episode guest stars David Denman as Roy Anderson, Michael Patrick McGill as his brother, Kenny, Robert R. Shafer as Bob Vance, and Ameenah Kaplan as Val.