Context:
9 brits and 1 American on a guided tour of the Tian Shan mountains in Kyrgyzstan. We’d just reached the highest point in the trek and I separated from the group to take pictures on top of a hill/ cliff edge. While I was taking pictures I heard the sound of deep ice cracking behind me. This is where the video starts. As I was there for a few minutes already, I knew there was a spot right next to me to shelter. I was on a cliff edge, so the only place to run was towards the avalanche and away from the shelter next to me (hence why I don’t move). Yes I left it to the last second to move, and yes I know it would have been safer moving to the shelter straight away. I’m very aware that I took a huge risk. Regardless, when the snow started coming over and it got dark/ harder to breath, I was bricking it and thought I might die.
Once it was over, the adrenaline rush hit me hard. I knew the rest of the group was further away from the avalanche so should be okay. When I rejoined them I could see they were all safe, although one had cut her knee quite badly and rode one of the horses to the nearest medical facility. Another had fallen off a horse and sustained some light bruising.
The whole group was laughing and crying, happy to be alive (including the girl who cut her knee). It was only later we realised just how lucky we’d been. If we have walked 5 minutes further on our trek, we would all be dead. The path we were suppose to take was completely covered by the landslide/ avalanche. Massive ice boulders and rocks had been spread further than we could have run, even if we acted immediately. I have footage of all of this, including before and after pictures, just not sure where to put it! Still in Kyrgyzstan so signal isn’t great, will be posting related vids on Instagram @harryshimmin
Live, laugh, lanche is now the motto for the group.
