Content Warning: This section mentions thoughts of death by suicide.

An epigraph from The Odyssey, an epic poem by ancient Greek poet Homer, describes a narrow naval passageway between two sea monsters: Scylla and Charybdis. The speaker recommends passing closer to Scylla, saying, “Better by far to lose six men and keep your ship than lose your entire crew” (ii).

The prologue briefly overviews the life of John Griffith, known as Blue John, an outlaw who lived in the western US during the late 1800s. Blue John was part of a trio of outlaws who sometimes served as accomplices to Butch Cassidy’s gang, the Wild Bunch. After a memorable shootout in a canyon in southern Utah, the trio separated; Blue John was last seen in 1899. Robbers Roost Canyon and Bluejohn Canyon take their names from these events.

On Saturday, April 26, 2003, 27-year-old outdoor enthusiast Aron Ralston, the narrator, parks his car at the trailhead for Horseshoe Canyon, near Moab, Utah. He rides his mountain bike south, planning to complete a 30-mile biking and canyoneering loop. The day’s events are part of a five-day trip that Ralston took after another trip with friends was cancelled.