How to Survive an Avalanche

How to stay alive if you're trapped in an avalanche. I go skiing to understand the physics of these deadly forces of nature and test out some of the incredible engineering technology being used to keep people safe.
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This video was brought to you by an unhealthy amount of coffee and our awesome Patrons at / atomicfrontier .
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Hi, I'm James. I explore the world looking for interesting engineering stories which explore complex issues in interesting ways. I hold a First-Class Honors in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Western Australia and am currently studying a Masters of Space Systems Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
My website is www.atomicfron..., I occasionally tweet from / atomicfrontiers , and you can join the Atomic Frontier Discord server to talk about cool engineering stuff at / discord . You can help support my work and see some cool behind-the-scenes content at / atomicfrontier .

[@AtomicFrontier]

While ski patrol and some backcountry instructors had a look at the script for accuracy, this is your friendly reminder to not take life-critical safety advise (entirely) from a KZbin video. All remaining errors are my own.

[@qreeves]

Error correction: s/advise/advice/ 👍 Very cool video though, didn't know avalanches were that interesting.

[@travisnrousseau]

It’s a very simple explanation of avalanches, it truly is a science though! There is so much more too it! Thanks for creating and sharing this!

[@AkiSan0]

new thumbnail and title are MUCH better!

[@JoeKyser]

This reminded me of my ski patrol days. I think you did a good job

[@Rownoscc]

Bro I honestly dont know why your so underrated like i saw you on my recommended and thought you had 1mil subs, i wish you had 1mil subs #roadto200k

[@jeralwood6290]

Becomes buried under snow and risks his life, yeah I should record this. all jokes aside great video!!

[@AtomicFrontier]

There was definitly a moment there when I got properly scared. I'd forgotten how claustrophobic I can be when tired.

[@hkr667]

@@AtomicFrontier catastrophic or claustrophobic? o.0

[@Ptitnain2]

It must help with the anxiety.

[@mesiroy1234]

I got anxiety just thinking's

[@natalie5947]

The baking demonstration was really eye-opening on why avalanches are so deadly, because they go from no movement to a massive amount of snow just by carrying the stuff above them.

[@MonkeyJedi99]

Yeah, that shocked me with how sudden and miniature-violent it was, and how well it matched to footage of real slab avalanches.

[@SnakebitSTI]

Slab avalanches are especially nasty, because the collapse can propagate. A collapse started at the bottom of a slope can result in the avalanche breaking at the top. Even through trees.

[@Antibomber47]

I love how in the beginning he says "If I can't get out of here in the next 10 minutes" that he'll be in trouble, and then the video is only 9:30 lol. Love the video, keep up the good work!

[@hermanrobak1285]

After seeing that intro, followed by a long take of him skiing downhill while delivering a long, dense monologue, my expectations were sky high. I kind of sort of expected the take to go on, and on, with an avalanche catching up with him, and burying him, while he kept drily narrating. But I guess it would just require too many takes to nail that one... Edit: I would not be surprised if he had written (and rehearsed!) a script for the unlikely event of an avalanche occurring at just the "right" time to do the whole video in one take.

[@m1ddo421]

I’m amazed at how clean sounding the audio always is, even when he’s skiing! That’s some really impressive audio processing and makes the video even more professional

[@hullinstruments]

This is my favorite new channel discovered in the last year. I absolutely love your style and presenting.

[@Fadlinification]

I believe he can be the next Sir David Attenborough

[@hullinstruments]

@@Fadlinification seriously if he’s doing stuff like this at such a young age and has been for years, he’s got tons of potential, a great screened presence, and honestly the mind for it!

[@SmegEdmoOn]

A lesser youtuber would have had a shot of downhill skiing with a voiceover. James Dingley, the mad lad that he is, decides to keep narrating the whole way through. AND THEN DOES IT AGAIN, JUST FOR FUN

[@nitehawk86]

The audio quality during skiing was really fantastic.

[@Dendroapsis]

@@nitehawk86 Yeh, I have no idea how he did that! Even with a wind break my mic sounds like it's in a gale even in a light breeze. I wonder if he did actually do an initial recording then do a voiceover? I'd be curious to know

[@gregorwachter6804]

@@Dendroapsis î think so, the sound quality is way too good

[@whyreally685]

@@Dendroapsis kzbin.info/www/bejne/fJSUgWB3esZ4ppo

[@defeatSpace]

Giga pop-filter and postproduction noise reduction software

[@cxob2134]

Always amazed how this still somewhat small channel has better production value than big budged TV Documentary.

[@AtomicFrontier]

Thanks! The secret ingredient is coffee and all-nighters :D

[@sravan9931]

@@AtomicFrontier xD

[@surfaey5697]

Keeping a professional, calm, and informative tone of voice, while skiing down a mountain. Is something I've never seen before.

[@mickmccasker6401]

Now you're just showing off! As if the video you did walking around Freo in one take walking backwards and up stairs wasn't enough, now you're skiing mid-script and getting buried alive!? Great video as usual, love your work!

[@sirBrouwer]

In a way his camera guy/girl is showing off even more. In order to know if the shot is correct they had to be able to ski backwards and do so really well.

[@superslimanoniem4712]

@@sirBrouwer that ski shot was probably done with a 360 camera

[@sirBrouwer]

@@superslimanoniem4712 in a reaction below mr frontier him self got in to the technical part of the video.

[@redditshortstories122]

@@sirBrouwer skiing switch isnt hard

[@sirBrouwer]

@@redditshortstories122 but doing so while looking in a camera viewer to make sure that the focus keeps correct .resulting in blind skiing backwards for a relatively long shot. that is quite a challenge

[@A_killa]

you make some of the most high quality videos ive seen on the platform and are insanely underateted i give it a year until you blow up into the millions

[@lewismassie]

If I had a nickel for every time I've seen someone explain the layers of snow in an avalanche using food products, I'd have two nickels. Must just be a very good medium to explain it

[@fkiesel9442]

Very good explanation! Of course, there is much more to the topic, but that would be way too much to cover in such a video. As an electrical engineer, I find it quite fascinating, how far avalanche beacons have come and how much better each generation gets. You still have to practice a lot to really master them, but if I compare a 10 year old one with a current one, the difference in how fast and how reliable I can find the transmitter is often significant.

[@chessie2003]

This is seriously incredible work! I loved the way you explained the layers with simple household ingredients.

[@chrisc.73]

This was a really interesting, informational, and high quality video. You made me ugly laugh when I thought about 'Prometheus school of running away from things' and you said it a second after. I could really appreciate the effort put into it too. Great video!

[@MarcusWolfWanders]

I knew the basics when it came to avalanches, but this video really brought me up to speed. "sintering", as well as the fact that you're very much unable to move after being buried by an avalanche, are both new to me.

[@herebejamz]

I'm impressed by the physicality. Its actually really difficult to deliver informative lines while doing anything physical. The first part with him skiing has amazing delivery.

[@terrenceterringtonvii5176]

Never seen your channel before. 1:30 seconds in I’ve subbed just because of your delivery, cinematography, and editing skills. Keep up the great work.

[@itsCh4rl1e]

Properly flexing with the title animations now, the 3D text work is class

[@DanNoakes]

You have a gift. This is WAY better than any certified avalanche expert that everyone in the backcountry ski community tries to learn from but fails. You are better, you explain it for the everyday folk. I am so glad you made this. Excellent job.

[@awgmax]

Prometheus school of running away from things made me chuckle. Great reference.

[@laurispeterisvejs4007]

Heyy, finally good adio quality and ppretty impressive video quality as well. Keep the good content going, you are on your way to be the next Tom Scot.

[@degox99]

Astounding level of quality and production, i wish i could help with the patreon

[@MaxDuckwitz]

Great video, especially enjoyed the narration while you were skiing. I love your style of videos, explaining things very visually and hands-on, keep up the great work!

[@stephenmacartney]

Great video! Enjoyed the Cinemasins reference there.

[@isaacsilbert8976]

Weetbix, truly the greatest treasure! Great work James, love your work!

[@Dave_Sisson]

I guide ascents of big mountains in Australia, nothing hard core, we just use crampons and ice axes on semi-steep slopes, but not steep enough to use ropes. We brief people on avi danger and often dig a pit, but issuing people with beacons, inflatable packs and the other gear you demonstrate would make the trips prohibively expensive. For the same reason very few skiers who do back country steeps use all that equipment either. But avi deaths are fortunately rather rare in Australia, they only occur every few years.

[@AtomicFrontier]

Nice to hear from a fellow Aussie! Wow, that's really interesting - thanks for sharing. Fortunately I was able to rent all the stuff pretty cheaply, but I did look at what it would have cost to buy and was shocked. Best of luck with the upcoming season!

[@Dave_Sisson]

@@AtomicFrontier Not sure if we will restart the trips post Covid. But if we do and you're in Melbourne during winter, you can have a free overnight ascent of Mt Feathertop or a day trip up the West Ridge of Mt Buller, including use of crampons, ice axe and tent if you do the Feathertop trip.

[@rubeanie]

The production quality is out of this world :0 10/10

[@WaechterDerNacht]

Great video, well explained! Really like the model you made. One thing to mention is, that it's better to not go into dangerous areas with bad conditions. Do an avalanche course first to learn for what to look out to etc.

[@__lifeline__]

5:18 was not expecting a cinema sins reference

[@adgalaxy234_6]

lol

[@AphidKirby]

That was so incredible! Easily the best possible way I could've learned how avalanches work!

[@fredriddles1763]

The production quality of this video exceeded all of my expectations. Great job!

[@zaraloves8420]

Wait how did he film himself skiing while doing the narration at the start? The camerawork is so smooth

[@dcr645]

selfie stick + 360° camera or a drone is what im assuming

[@anonymousaccordionist3326]

@@dcr645 You can see the shadow of the 360 camera on a pole in his right hand.

[@YounesLayachi]

During the second skiing sequence we can also see active trailing of the cameraman

[@YounesLayachi]

Namely at 5:28

[@oscodains]

Good video. Kinda disappointed this was not used as an excuse to fire an avalanche howitzer.

[@juliabriden620]

I like the painting! Did you know the endurance wreck was found very recently?

[@jameshorn3707]

it really is a nice painting... I wonder who painted it 🤔🤔 or if that artist will paint me a bug next 🤔🤔🤔

[@juliabriden620]

Send the unnamed artist a nice high res bug pic

[@macstrong1284]

@@juliabriden620 what’s the reference

[@ElijahWoodMusic]

Really love your channel and love to see how it’s improving with each iteration! Subscribed and can’t wait to be notified again.

[@leop709]

Just amazing videos, so glad I found your channel when you did a guest video for Tom Scott

[@EeroafHeurlin]

Oh wow, the production quality just keeps going up

[@Badger3]

Another top tier video! It’s always a delight to see you in the sub feed, not least because of such a cool topic!

[@autodidacticartisan]

5:16 sin counter: DING!

[@Jacques_JvR]

You always go up and over when it comes to quality, thats why this channel is good

[@JackAllpikeMusic]

Another incredible video :)

[@Deckzwabber]

I have actually been buried in a training on avalanche safety. Although I was definitely cheating. After digging the snow profile trench, we cut a kind of cave into the side and I crawled inside of that. But it was a good exercise for the team in finding a beacon under two metres of snow and using the probes.

[@AtomicFrontier]

Wow! Coincidentally that's exactly how I shot the opening / closing scenes! It's scary in there isnt it

[@ozy667]

Starts the video with "if i dont get out of here i will fucking die" while smiling. What an OG

[@mnm1273]

This is the first time I've learnt so much about something I just took for granted in quite a while. I'd never wondered why avalanches happen, how snow structures vary (or even that they do) and how brutal being stuck in an avalanche would be (I'd assumed digging g out would be tough do to deoth and disorientation not realized it was like ice).

[@dominikseljan3043]

Awesome job with demonstrations using food and those cool simulations!

[@Artrysa]

Buried under snow unable to breath or even move my fingers. That is absolutely terrifying.

[@Blue-gp3vn]

Ah, the wonderful teachings of the Prometheus School of Running Away From Things. Appreciate the reference!

[@PkPvre]

The quality of your videos is insane.

[@NullHyp]

You’re production quality is top tier 🙌

[@evangrubis]

The production value of these videos are incredible

[@DUDA-__-]

Here in southern germany there is another thing to do while getting ripped along by an avalanche thaught. We say just swim. The idea is that while the avalanche is still moving you can still get yourself into a better position, or even to the surface. I can not say how good this actually works. I haven't done it yet. Neither do I plan to do so.

[@Dendroapsis]

Excellent production quality!

[@bradley9856]

This is James Dingley, today I will be trapping my self in a nuclear power plant about to go super critical...

[@waynegoodwin3217]

Not bad for a West Australia, since we have no snow really,keep the good work up buddy.

[@KodiakDunne]

You and Tom Scott should do a collaboration idk what but you two together would be great maybe on Tom's second channel you could both do something

[@agargamer6759]

I love how the camera work is always next level

[@DDDDDDDDDD12]

The quality of this video is amazing. Thank you for the great video😁

[@its_matt_long]

A box of Wheet-Bix - a true treasure 🤣

[@ProtoX37]

I'm trying to figure out how you did the downhill narration. Amazing video!

[@hi_im_eoin]

Those skiing camera shots are absolutely amazing

[@gergogaal568]

1 minute into the video and i learned so much i have to take a break

[@Halinn]

In the future, there will be comments noting that this was the last video ever uploaded by James.

[@pagle958]

This is one of your best videos I've seen yet. Good job

[@robbicu]

You added some freakin' awesome graphics and special effects. Also, I suspect there is a substantial blooper reel. ;)

[@sirBrouwer]

the title at the start was cool that when he was starting to turn it stayed where it was like it existed really in that space.

[@l8dawn]

oh my god the production levels of this video are incredible!! definitely subscribing :)

[@lowrads3653]

Skiing resorts spend around a hundred billion dollars to produce snow on slopes last year, mainly using fossil fuels, in order to counter the effects of global warming.

[@AtomicFrontier]

Aaaand thats the topic of the next skiing video!

[@johnyjo3973]

I gave up watching youtube for lent, but had to make an exception when I accidentally went to the homepage and saw you had a new video out :P

[@dublindom3720]

Possibly ten minutes to live, records video, that is dedication to character

[@andrewevenson2657]

Super high quality video, keep them like this you’re doing it right man!

[@startagain127]

youre awesome man - love your videos and you have a good personality! bless

[@Donke267]

1:00 you can see the shadow of the selfie stick

[@wgwells]

How has this video not blown up yet...great work bro!

[@beepmeep760]

Amazing video! I personally just find it weird how you always sound like when talking, you don’t breathe normally. Still, amazing video, i never knew exactly how avalanches are created.

[@zacherynuk842]

No Recco ? Good vid and abvisoult new to skiing! Stay tidy! But Recco saves lives.

[@porkopio9468]

I have never seen snow here in the tropical area but I learned a lot from this video

[@CraftsmanOfAwsomenes]

Insane camera work

[@rushi5638]

"are you a hillside prone to avalanche? 'cause you got some depth hoar"

[@JoeKyser]

When I was getting ready to go on a heli ski trip I had learn about all this stuff. We had to take a 6 hour class before we could even sign up to go. It covered more than avalanches, but that was the main jist of it.

[@seanhalldorson1746]

I used to have something similar happened when I used to roof. We would sit on a foam pads that would get granular from the shingles underneath. It would hit a critical mass and we might as well have been sitting on ball bearings.

[@Justingambaccini]

Prometheus school of running away from things. Classic.

[@phantom4E2]

good thing i always have a military folding shovel with me when i go skiing

[@chadr2604]

We had a geology text book it always compared landslides and avalanches to snowboarding. The first chapter said "Cold rock is quite strong as you know if you ever wiped out and hit your head on a stone." You could tell 2 different people wrote the book one worked for an oil company the other one was real big into snowboarding

[@applesushi]

The box of Weet-Bix was a nice touch.

[@gibbymcintyre3023]

What a great brain you have! Fun to watch.

[@lukewaite9144]

Doing a bit to camera while also skiing is actually really impressive

[@HootyTooty]

The production value of this is incredible.

[@craftrabbit7306]

How the hell have you managed such good audio quality while skiing?

[@Galactipod]

Part of it is the mic being on him, not the cameraman.

[@thomasmander7033]

That was such a good video, amazing demonstration in the kitchen too

[@RyanEmmett]

Great video!

[@codingmarco]

Wow, the filming in the beginning is just amazing!

[@Jaebler]

Your visuals are so on point👌

[@stephanieparker1250]

How did you film that ski scene? Drone? Camera strapped to a friend? It’s amazingly smooth! 🎉

[@lukejohnson6415]

"I'll die if I don't get out in ten minutes" me checking the runtime and seeing it's less than 10 minutes- phew

[@yuGtahT]

Underrated channel.

[@habiboi_]

awesome video as always!

[@josegadon203]

I just buried *THIRTY* skiers under *THIS AVALANCHE!* If they can get out in under one hour, they have a chance to win *A TRIP TO THE HOSPITAL!!!*

[@74wf]

Takin stay calm to the next level

[@keithswindell6212]

Your skier looks a lot like Mr. Bill - Look Mr. Bill, it's an avalanche! OHHHH NOOOOOO! :-)

[@acct5910]

Great stuff. How did you get the audio quality? Was that a voice over in the second half?