Between a Rock and a Hard Place - Aron Ralston (One Thumb Up)

I just finished Between a Rock and a Hard Place this morning and I'm still a little stumped about what I want to say about it. Even though you may not have read the book, it's likely that you're familiar with the story. Back in the Spring of 2003, Aron Ralston decided to go hiking by himself in the slot canyons around Moab. A few hours into his hike on Saturday, he disturbed a large boulder above him that fell, pinning his hand against the cliff wall. After several attempts to move the boulder, he decided that the only thing left to do was cut off his own hand. He then single-handedly hiked out of the canyon.

Among other things, I enjoyed this book because it helped to correct some of the preconceived notions that I had about Aron. I figured that a hiker who went alone into the slot canyons and got himself stuck would have been inexperienced. Exactly the opposite is true. He was very experienced at traversing mountains. He holds the record for the largest number of 14,000+ ft. mountains climbed during the winter months (somewhere around 50). He climbed most of these mountains before his accident. Before dedicating his life solely to climbing, he was a mechanical engineer for Intel for five years. He received a bachelor's degree in both Piano Performance and Electrical Engineering. He was typically a very cautious hiker. It was merely a rare set of coincidences that led to him being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The book itself was a little slow. The language seemed overdone at times. Don't expect a lot of deep psychological turmoil. And caution...there's a lot profanity during the accident itself with scattered cursing each time he gets frustrated. That I didn't enjoy.

But, on the other hand, it is an inspirational story that shouldn't be overlooked. It's unlikely that you'll walk away without wanting to go for a (group) hike.