Leland Nisky, an ice climber, had an experience he’ll never forget as he was solo climbing The Ribbon in the San Juan Mountains near Ouray, Colorado—he survived an avalanche. Nisky’s Insta360 camera captured the horrifying moments he was able to cling to his equipment anchored into the ice as snow poured over him.
Nisky says he debated sharing the video of his experience on social media, but in the end, the footage was just too crazy not to. His video went viral, and even though this happened three years ago, outlets are still sharing it with their followers.
Nisky called the situation a “terrifying experience” and said it “took absolutely every ounce of strength I could muster to keep holding onto my tools.” Thankfully, he did. He also says years of experience and training in stressful situations helped him keep calm.
About a month after his original post, Nisky posted a follow-up video showing what happened after the two minutes or so of heavy snow. In that video’s caption, he wrote: “I continue down the path of growing and learning from this experience. Taking away the good, and releasing myself from the trauma. I continue to work on my mental head game in the mountains, and revel in the joy that is life.”
Watch an ice climber hang on through an avalanche here: