Right arm - I mean, right on! (Sorry, Freudian slip <img src="images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> )

There's a big difference between analysing an incident and thinking "What would I have done differently?" and second-guessing the guy who actually did it. The former could save my life someday; the latter is pointless and even counter-productive. As miniMe said, if all you conclude from this is that the guy was an idiot (and from what's coming out, I think he was anything but; he was an experienced, competent outdoorsman who took a calculated risk and had very bad luck), then you have ""wasted the opportunity to actually learn" from his experience. All you have is a false confidence that this will never happen to *you*. And relying on false confidence is a lot stupider than anything Aron Ralston did. So there! <img src="images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

A. Ralston demonstrated an incredible will to live, no doubt. But he also made some poor decisions despite all of his outdoors and SAR experience. In his interview, that I watched, live, he acknowledged some of those mistakes. Along with others on the forum, I have pointed out what I see as other mistakes. See the "Survival Story" thread. This does not mean that I consider myself to be any more or less intelligent than Mr. Ralston. I point those mistakes out to highlight the fact that experience is for squat if you fail to apply it to your plans and preparations, as seems to be the case in this incident. Although he was only on for a day hike at the time of this event he was at the end of what he termed a "short, extended vacation." Whether that means a long weekend or a month away he didn't specify. In any event, he had spent at least the 2 previous days mountain biking, hiking, and camping. FWIW, the docs at the interview said that in all liklihood he would have lost his arm even had a rescue team been with him at the time of the accident, the soft tissue and bone damage was so severe.
Ed

Yeah, OK.

I'll show this post to my wife later and tell you what she says about my cutting the leash... if it can be printed in a public forum.

And before anyone tells me how whipped I am (something I do joke about myself), I would not allow her to just disappear alone for an undetermined amount of time either. Knowing where she is going and when she's expected back is a given.

I have disappeared myself for up to 48 hours when I was younger and single. Anything more than that seems pretty excessive to me.

There is a difference between not making plans and having plans fail. I look at such incidents not to critcise the guy but to learn from his mistake. The guy lost his arm. You only get two chances in life to do that.

I am becoming more and more convinced by this board and stories like this one that people who can contact SAR or have SAR looking for them at the earliest possible moment tend to fare better than those who are not missed and not looked for.

Leaving a plan with a trusted person and taking the means to communicate/signal could fail, true. Not leaving a plan and taking the means to communicate/signal already has.

My mention of the whistle, mirror, and cell phone was what I took in the situation I was in recently, a hike up a rocky/grassy slope. The cell phone was left off until I called my wife from the top to let her know we actually climbed up the mountain rather than just found a route to the base. We changed our plan and I let her know where we were and where I had parked.

Serious injury can happen to anyone in the wilderness and the danger only compounds when you are alone. I can't imagine being in such a situation and thinking there was not a soul in the world that knows where I went because I didn't tell anyone. The fact that I could wind up with my hand under a boulder is the very reason I leave a plan and carry the means to signal. Mac

>>one of the things I learned in a SAR class a
>>few years ago was to figure out a back azimuth before you
>>went off the trail/road/base/whatever.

How is this relevant? <img src="images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Aron Ralston wasn't lost, he was stuck.

Today, I am married with two young <9 kids. I can't get out alone for 5 minutes let alone 5 days. OTOH, when I was single, I worked as a consultant and often had months between gigs, I dated but often didn't commit to anyone. I lived alone. I hiked alone alot. I wouldn't leave notes that said "stupid" things like "Call out the SAR if I'm not home by Monday" because I wanted the freedom to change my mind and stay awhile - or perhaps hike through to the other side and stay in a B&B before renting a car for the return. I didn't consider myself "out of touch" with the human race. I liked a party as much as the rest and was often in the midst of things but I also liked my freedom and solitude.

Having the means to reach out with a signal is a good thing but can't always be relied upon - even with satelite phones. Having the smarts that our ancestors had to survive in God's garden isn't much more than common sense and a load of luck. The same contrivances that allow us to confidently talk about what we will be doing in our 60's may make us overly cocky in our 20's. Our ancestors didn't get to 60 very often because the garden (though beautiful) was (and still is ) a dangerous place where STUFF happens to folks.

We talk alot about gear here because gear gives us an edge when STUFF happens. A walk in the garden when nothing happens is much more enjoyable in comfortable sandals, light cotton shorts, tank top and straw hat with nothing in any of the pockets to weigh you down. Unfortunately, STUFF happens with fair regularity.

I certainly think that our intrepid adventerur in this case made some decisions which might have been made better. I would start by testing the tight spaces before risking myself into them. If he had left a detailed flight plan with a SAR trigger time SAR might still have been looking a 1/4 mile off and not found him for the same amount of time. The outdoors is an amazingly large place. The found him quickly because he had already walked most of the way out.

I don't fault him at all for wanting some solitude on his adventure. Solitude carries additional risk but is not a defacto bad decision.

An Airforce Survival Instructor gave me a gem of understanding that is relevant here. He said something like…..
Survival is all about making mistakes. When you notice you have made your first mistake it is time to become very careful. When you notice the second, stop and think about things as though your life depends on it. When you encounter the third, realize you are treading a thin line between life and death.

We all make mistakes in our travels. I have ventured into the desert without enough water and had a very very bad day. I rode a motorcycle and woke up in the hospital. Never did find out what happened. I have climbed in places that I was lucky to survive.

I have learned each time how narrow the margin is between a nice day and a truly bad one. I need to be reminded (frequently) of that reality. It does not matter what Aron Ralston did or did not do. What matters is that I may again find myself on that thin edge of reality and remembering Aron Ralston and others that have survived seemingly hopeless situations, empowers me to do things I might not otherwise find the strength to accomplish.

And it also helps me keep looking for mistake #1, #2 and #3.

Sorry...that was in reply to Minime's post...it seems my response has gotten separated from his by quite a few other posts.

-Chris

Thank you to Aron for having the courage to let the world know the lessons learned. We all know these, but, sometimes, a reminder is in order. I understand this golden rule, also, but how many of us follow this rule EACH and EVERY time we leave into the 'country'?

Thank you to Aron for letting the world know what is possible. Someday, I hope not too soon, I will find myself fretting an unfortunate circumstance. I know that I cannot prepare for every possibility. So, I hope that I am able to summon the same courage.

Xavier - Phoenix, AZ

I just keep thinking about what a GOOD idea a knife or multitool with a saw is.

Bear