Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Between a Rock and a Hard Place is a 2004 adventure and survival memoir by American mountain climber Aron Ralston. The narrative focuses on Ralston’s near-death experience when his arm became stuck under a boulder in a canyon in Utah, where he remained trapped for five days until he amputated his arm. Dealing with profound existential themes, the book garnered critical acclaim and became a New York Times bestseller. A 2010 film adaptation titled 127 Hours, directed by Danny Boyle and starring James Franco, garnered six Academy Award nominations.

This guide refers to the 2005 Atria Books edition.

Content Warning: Drawing on the source material, the guide refers to thoughts of death by suicide.

Summary

In 1987, 12-year-old Aron Ralston moves with his parents from Indiana to Colorado. He soon overcomes his initial fears and takes to skiing and climbing. During the 1990s, while studying engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, Ralston pushes himself to new limits physically, climbing his first 14,000-foot peak and serving as a rafting guide. After graduation, he rewards himself by planning a monthlong road trip to several national parks, but he ends the trip early after a challenging encounter with a bear.