ladbible homepage
ladbible homepage
  • iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK
    • US
    • World
    • Ireland
    • Australia
    • Science
    • Crime
    • Weather
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV
    • Film
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • Netflix
    • Disney
  • Sport
  • Technology
  • Travel
  • Lifestyle
  • Money
  • Originals
    • FFS PRODUCTIONS
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Archive
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content Here
  • SPORTbible
  • Tyla
  • GAMINGbible
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • FOODbible
  • UNILAD Tech
Explorers travelled to scene where trapped mountaineer faced choice of cutting own arm off or death

Home> Community> Weird

Published 12:03 26 Jan 2025 GMT

Explorers travelled to scene where trapped mountaineer faced choice of cutting own arm off or death

Explorers journeyed to the scene where mountaineer Aron Ralston had to cut off his own arm

Joe Harker

Joe Harker

google discoverFollow us on Google Discover

Explorers travelled to the spot where mountaineer Aron Ralston was faced with the grim choice to cut off his own arm after it became pinned under a rock or die.

You might have seen the film 127 Hours, directed by Danny Boyle, which tells the story of how Ralston was himself exploring the canyons of Utah when a rock crushed his right arm and he could not free himself.

The man himself has said the film is 'so factually accurate it is as close to a documentary as you can get and still be a drama', so if you've seen it then you'll know that after spending the titular length of time pinned in a canyon he had to cut his own arm off.

Advert

Just as the film shows, Ralston had to break his own arm and then cut it off with a blunted pocket knife which must surely have been excruciatingly painful.

He is then able to make it out of the canyon and make contact with people who are able to get him rescued.

They wanted to find the spot where Aron Ralston had become trapped (YouTube/TSFTC)
They wanted to find the spot where Aron Ralston had become trapped (YouTube/TSFTC)

The real Ralston continued his mountaineering and became the first person to climb every mountain in Colorado that is higher than 14,000ft in winter.

Having not told anyone where he was going in Utah and having no way to call for help, amputating his own arm really was a life or death decision for Ralston along with a harsh lesson in why people going exploring should make sure someone knows where they went.

A group of explorers retraced Ralston's journey and found the canyon in which he'd been trapped, as well as the rock that would have killed him had he not cut off his arm.

YouTube explorers TSFTC are normally based out of Vermont but they travelled to Utah to find the rock, where they found that it had moved from the original position it was once in.

Having set out to stand where Aron Ralston stood they'd accomplished their goal while also demonstrating what a maze the canyons could be.

Part of the reason why the rock has moved is because a team went out to recover Ralston's arm that was left trapped by it.

It took significant effort from a team of people and power tools to move the rock, demonstrating that Ralston would not have been able to shift it by himself.

Once they were able to move the rock a bit they were able to free Ralston's arm, which was then cremated and the ashes sent to him.

Ralston himself returned to the scene to spread the ashes of his amputated arm, while the rock is still wedged in place between the two walls of the canyon.

Featured Image Credit: YouTube/TSFTC

Topics: US News, YouTube

Joe Harker
Joe Harker

Joe graduated from the University of Salford with a degree in Journalism and worked for Reach before joining the LADbible Group. When not writing he enjoys the nerdier things in life like painting wargaming miniatures and chatting with other nerds on the internet. He's also spent a few years coaching fencing. Contact him via [email protected]

X

@MrJoeHarker

Recommended reads

Gordon Ramsay has ‘one regret’ after going nude on TVFoxSevere punishment for refusing to register for US military draft as automatic registration to start(Getty Stock Images)Ten signs your partner is sleeping with someone else as Nikki Glaser admits letting boyfriend do itGetty Stock ImageMelania Trump hits out at 'lies' over Jeffrey Epstein links in rare public statementWhite House

Advert

Choose your content:

6 hours ago
3 days ago
4 days ago
  • Getty Stock Image
    6 hours ago

    Ten signs your partner is sleeping with someone else as Nikki Glaser admits letting boyfriend do it

    The stand-up star gets 'revved up' hearing about her other half's rendezvous with other women, but it's not everyones cup of tea

    Community
  • SWNS
    3 days ago

    Woman who spent years believing she was a paedophile due to health condition issues positive update

    Molly Lambert was diagnosed last year after seeing a TikTok on P-OCD

    Community
  • Getty Stock Image
    3 days ago

    15 happy couples shared how often they really had sex together

    More than a dozen couples shared their bedroom stats - and their answers might surprise you

    Community
  • X/Bryan Johnson
    4 days ago

    Millionaire biohacker shares ironic update about ‘toxic’ item in his home

    Bryan Johnson revealed he is an 'idiot'

    Community
  • Haunting image taken by trapped mountaineer before facing choice of cutting own arm off or death
  • Eerie photo found at scene where couple were shot to death showed their final moments alive
  • Woman devastated as husband takes own life day after 'perfect' honeymoon and sends her flowers after death
  • Trapped mountaineer who was forced to choose between cutting arm off or dying describes horrifying situation