The importance of leaving word before going out
Before you go go out for a climb, hike, or a camping trip you should leave word behind. This is something not to be taken lightly. The importance of this is highlighted in the story of Aron Ralston.
This was his plan:
A bike ride up a canyon, then a hike down through the sculpted sandstone
bluffs on a bright spring Saturday. The round trip would take perhaps
eight hours. Ralston thought so little of it, he didn't bother to give
his roommates a detailed itinerary, as was his practice on mountain
climbs.
As he climbed down a narrow gully, he become trapped. His right arm was pinned beneath an 800-pound boulder. His water
bottle was empty. It did not seem likely that a rescue crew could ever
spot him in the narrow slit of Blue John Canyon, in the wilds of
southeast Utah. So, after five days, Aron Ralston took out his pocketknife and
amputated his arm below the elbow. Then he rigged anchors into the
cliff, fixed a rope and rappelled 60 feet to the canyon floor. Bleeding
heavily, Ralston began to hike. He had walked for about five miles when a helicopter search team spotted
him on thursday afternoon on a trail through Canyon-lands National Park,
drained and dehydrated, but still pushing forward. He was rescued and survived the ordeal.
True grit indeed.
This story highlights the importance of leaving word behind. If he had told his roommates about his trip and approximate return time, then when he failed to return, his disappearance would have been reported, and would not have had to cut his arm off. You should also make sure that the person that you are leaving your schedule with is RESPONSIBLE and RELIABLE!
You should also leave a copy of your schedule in your car so that if you go missing, and the police find your car they can get a rough idea of where you are.
Swallow Bushcraft.
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