Experience does not guarantee immunity to exercising bad judgment, temporary geographical confused or becoming totally lost. That being said, the words "experienced hiker" does not mean much when used by your average journalist.


This could very easily be me - I have very much in common with this guy. I have also made some pretty rash decisions to salvage situations of minor inconveniences (mild geographical confusion, being slightly overdue and so on). This guy jumped into the ravine to get to the river to find water and the way home - only to become land locked. I've done similar things and the only reason I wasn't stuck in similar ways was luck: I could extract myself. He couldn't.


Once stuck, his story seems like a prime example of what characterizes a true survivor in Gonzale's book: True Survival. In my judgment, he did everything right from that point. Read the article. See the video in the article. Read Gonzale's book.


I hope I never have case to find out if I share not only his love of the outdoor, but also his survivor attitude...