A hiker has recorded himself slipping out of control while attempting a glissade, eventually sliding over 700ft down a mountain and narrowly avoiding serious injury.
As Unofficial Networks reports, the man (who hasn't been named) was attempting a partial descent of a mountain at Big Sky, Montana, to reach a band of rock a little further down. However, he hit a patch of snowpack that was too densely frozen, and was unable to stop himself slipping out of control.
"Once it became apparent that I could not stop myself, I did my best to avoid any vital body parts from hitting the rocks on the way down," he said.
You can watch the video captured by his action camera here. Although he clearly makes contact with several rocks, he was in good enough shape to hike back to his car afterwards. After visiting hospital, he was found to have a fractured ankle, a damaged tendon in his foot, and lacerations on his side.
This video is a good demonstration of how not to do glissading, As Climbing.com notes, the first and most important rule is to always wear a helmet. The hiker here was extremely lucky not to his his head, which could easily have been fatal.
The man wasn't carrying an ice axe either, which he could have used to arrest his fall, had no gloves or sleeves to protect from abrasions. He didn't seem to have checked that his route was clear either, as he slid directly onto a rocky outcrop.
Glissading can be great fun, but make sure you know how to do it safely before attempting it.
