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Aron Ralston in Melbourne

Fe

12-Nov-2004
3:04:20 PM

Remember the guy that cut off his arm to escape a Utah canyon?
Thought some of you might like to know that he's in Melbourne promoting his book.

He'll be at
Readings Bookshop, 309 Lygon Street, Carlton on Wednesday 17th November at 6.30pm - it's free.
See the news section (home page) on the VCC website:

http://www.vicclimb.org.au

Cheers
Fe

neats

15-Nov-2004
9:56:13 PM

Also check out 'Upcoming Events' here on Chockstone!

Tel

18-Feb-2005
12:33:04 AM

for those that haven't read it a good interview qith Aron Ralston
http://www.gunks.com/index.php?pageid=215&pagenum=1&smGroup=1&smID=1

Bourge

18-Feb-2005
9:44:37 AM

Good, I want to give this guy a good slapping around (after he autographs my copy of the book).

nmonteith

18-Feb-2005
9:53:14 AM

There is a good short interview with this guy in the latest Outdoor magazine.

tmarsh

18-Feb-2005
2:02:16 PM

He sounded pretty 'armless to me.

ShinToe Warrior

18-Feb-2005
2:47:44 PM

On 18/02/2005 boonialla wrote:
>Good, I want to give this guy a good slapping around (after he autographs
>my copy of the book).

just out of interest, any specific reason(s) why you might want to slap him around?

Bourge

18-Feb-2005
3:17:16 PM

On 18/02/2005 ShinToe Warrior wrote:

>just out of interest, any specific reason(s) why you might want to slap
>him around?

Oh I've read the bloody book and I found it cringeworthy, this guy reminded me of David from "The Office" (BBC). In reading the book it is implicit that Aron was an accident waiting to happen, and his friends knew this (but Aron didn't/doesn't). I finished the book in no doubt as to why he ended up in that predicament. In the lead up to his (mis) adventure, many of his stories ended in near fatal near misses and/or busted friendships..."We never spoke again" or "I lost two good friends that day"

It's another Joe Simpson - stories based on f##-ups. You read "Touching the Void" and you think - what a great story. Then read "this game of ghosts" and you go "Ah OK, now I know why".

But that said, Aron handled the situation quite well after he had his arm jammed "between a rock and a hard place".

ShinToe Warrior

18-Feb-2005
3:26:48 PM

so are you saying that Ralston & Simpson are (ice)tools with a death wish, or perhaps a
dangerous species of alpine bumbly possessing questionable climbing and decision making skills?

Bourge

18-Feb-2005
3:36:06 PM

Well, I might put it like this

A) You're going to do a solo decent of Black John's Canyon or whatever and you bump into a couple of birds on the way in do you a) continue by yourself or b) join them when they persistently harass you to join them because it's better/safer to travel in a group - and they're hot.

or

B) You trundle a boulder onto your arm in said canyon but, with the help of your buddy, (because there are two of you) you lift the 150 kg boulder off your arm in a matter of a few minutes or if that doesn't work he/she goes for help immediately - or alternatively the boulder lands on your friend instead, becase he/she was in front - you try to lift the boulder off him/her or go for help

or

C) You've told parents/friends/housemates where you're going and ETA and when they should be concerned if you haven't returned. The boulder falls on your arm that arvo and rescuers find you the next day after a call from your friends and they trace the canyon looking for you

or

D) You don't tell anyone where you're going and when, you go solo and you ditch the birds at an earlier juncture in the canyon. When the boulder falls on your arm, you wait, you try to lift the boulder with a pulley, you try chipping at the boulder with a knife - nothing works. After a few days you're goota cut your losses (the arm is by noe very dead any way) and rescue your self.

ShinToe Warrior

18-Feb-2005
3:55:21 PM

On 18/02/2005 boonialla wrote:
>Well, I might put it like this
>
>A) You're going to do a solo decent of Black John's Canyon or whatever
>and you bump into a couple of birds on the way in do you a) continue by
>yourself or b) join them when they persistently harass you to join them
>because it's better/safer to travel in a group - and they're hot.
>
Uh huh.... What a faarkwit, even if he does have a book deal. The film "Dumb & Dumber" comes to mind.
I am in agreement with you. We could slap him around as a service to climbers, mountaineers and men
with a pulse generally.....

Chester

18-Feb-2005
5:21:45 PM

What was this guy thinking, ditching the girls, to go solo... now this guy needs some serious psychiatric help.

There are 12 messages in this topic.