This POV Avalanche Rescue Will Give You Heart Palpitations

I've only ever been a casual snowboarder, but I've never gone up a mountain without thinking "Fuck, man, I hope I don't die in an avalanche today!" at least once. If you're anything like me, then this video is going to freak you out.

This video comes to us from James Mort, who was skiing with his buddies in the Les Crosets this January. Mort is not the one with the camera, but the guy who got buried underneath the snow. In a harrowing Tumblr post, he described what it feels like to nearly be killed by an avalanche:

As the snow piled higher and higher, It became darker and darker until I was surrounded by an eerie black silence, broken only by the sound of my slow breathing and racing heartbeat.

"Okay" I thought to myself;

"You're dead."

I had a shovel and probe in my backpack and I was wearing a transceiver, however, the others were only carrying a shovel and probe. I was convinced that they would not find me in time. Unable to move I focused on slowing my breathing, relaxing and conserving oxygen. I felt bizarrely emotionless and wondered for a moment what death would be like. Then I remembered that I was reaching upwards with my left arm, ski pole still attached. I tried to wiggle my hand and I felt a 'pop' as the top 5cm of the pole broke the surface of the snow. Suddenly emotion flooded through me as I realised that Andrew, Dan and Leonard would be able to locate me under the snow if they saw the tip of the pole. However I still forced myself to remain calm as I sat in wait.

I'm gonna go take a walk to calm down. Avalanches are scary!

[ Tumblr]