A mountain climber has opened up about the "sheer unbridled terror" he felt when hit by an avalanche some 400 feet above the ground. Leland Nisky was was ice climbing the top of The Ribbon in Ouray, Colorado, when the avalanche hit. He was alone, unroped and aware of route's reputation for releasing large avalanches, according to Climbing magazine - but with the morning of February 8 showing a low hazard forecast, he decided to go ahead with the climb. What followed was one of the most terrifying experiences of his life.
An Instagram video shows Mr Nisky using an ice axe to hold onto the edge of the mountain. When the avalanche hits, he is forced to use his other ice axe to secure himself in place as snow continues to fall on him. All of this occurred when he was 400 feet off the ground.
"In the video it's hard to tell, but I was slightly under a bulge of ice, meaning that I did not see it coming," the mountain climber told Climbing magazine. "I was actually switching my hands to place my tool when it hit. It was terrifying."
The video, shared earlier this month, shows Mr Nisky being bombarded with snow while clinging on for dear life.
"Such incredible footage and extraordinary demonstration of skillfulness and strength!" wrote one person in the comments section on Instagram. "Super scary stuff," another remarked.
Speaking about how he survived the avalanche, which lasted two minutes, Mr Nisky said " I knew if I stayed terrified I probably would die, so I concentrated on controlling my breathing, hugging in tight to the wall to prevent snow buildup on my body, and tucked my head down to breathe a little air bubble.
"I believe the only reason I lived is because I focused on my breathing to control my fear response instead of allowing fear to control me," he added.
