A US snow climber cheated death by clinging to a ledge of a mountain while being hit by an avalanche. The jaw-dropping moment caught on camera has left netizens stunned. Colorado-based Leland Nisky was ice climbing to the top of The Ribbon in Ouray, Colorado when he suddenly found himself fighting to survive. Alone and unroped, the professional alpinist was hit by an avalanche 400 feet off the ground when he was seen hanging on for dear life, armed with only two ice axes. The heart-stopping video, captured by Nisky’s helmet camera, shows him struggling to maintain his balance while trying to find the perfect place to plant his tools, as heavy snow from the snowslide hit him. Luckily, with years of experience under his belt, he managed to survive the perilous conditions without getting hurt. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Leland “Danger Sloth” Nisky (@nemonisky) “This was probably one of the most terrifying experiences I’ve had while solo climbing. Took absolutely every ounce of strength I could muster to keep holding onto my tools,” the adventurist wrote on Instagram. “I was on edge about posting this to social media, but it seemed too insane that I had caught it on camera to not. Grateful for years of experience and training in stressful situations to keep me calm and allow me to make it through this freak situation and get back home safe,” he added. As the Reel video went viral, amassing over 7 million views, Nisky told Climbing, it was something he “did not see it coming”, although he was aware of The Ribbon’s reputation to release large, catastrophic avalanches on occasion. “It was loose snow sloughing off the surface and building until it became an avalanche. Probably caused by a gust of wind,” the climber said. Niskey, who was climbing ice on The Ribbon for the first time, said he had to remain calm and use some of the breathing techniques to survive during the terrifying moment, Daily Mail reported. And even though he had a rough start with the avalanche, which lasted for two minutes, he managed to quickly find his way in the route. According to Yahoo News, he climbed down once he managed to shove off the snow and got back to his car in about 20 minutes. “I fought with everything I had. I feel incredibly lucky. Lucky that there wasn't any more force hitting me, lucky that the anchor was nearby,” he said recalling the incident. While the soloist loves such adventures, saying, “it grounds me”, he urged others to “gather every piece of information possible before soloing a new-to-you route.” How’s your anxiety!? — Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) February 22, 2022 This is one of the most intense things I’ve ever seen in my life. — Jon M. Garcia (@JonM_Garcia) February 22, 2022 My heart is racing just watching this 😬 🤯 — Skizzat (@ScottPhythian) February 22, 2022 Absolutely insane…. This is what I try to teach my kids every day, do not panic… — Chris Estes (@Chris_Estes1) February 22, 2022 This made my heart skip a beat 😨 — Sarah B (@SarahBB317) February 22, 2022 Combining my fear of heights along with my fear of suffocating. Terrifying. — DoesNotIncludeDune (@No_Dune) February 22, 2022 Incredibly fortunate it was (mostly) snow and not rocks, ice chunks, branches and/or small mammals. — Kevin C (@kevinciajd) February 22, 2022 Absolutely terrifying — MetaTerse (@G_Spifford) February 22, 2022 Absolutely terrifying — MetaTerse (@G_Spifford) February 22, 2022 Literally hold on for dear life. — The Reader-Shelf Help Books 💖📚 (@JPL_Reader) February 23, 2022 You don't ordinarily think of that small a surface being an avalanche, but then you're holding on with a pickaxe and pointy shoes, it must be horrifying! — Joe Griner (@joegrine89) February 22, 2022
