Man films himself skiing into avalanche

A US skier has not only lived to tell of his amazing escape from an avalanche, he's also got the footage of the heart-stopping moment the ground breaks away from underneath him.

Despite reports of dangerous conditions on the slopes, Lance Light went ahead with his plans to go backcountry skiing on Berthoud Pass in Colorado on Saturday.

But seconds into his descent, he watched as the snow split beneath him suddenly and opened up into an avalanche, KCNC reports.

A camera mounted on Mr Light's helmet shows the cracks appearing in the snow only moments before waves of the white powder rush down the hill.

"I saw it fracture and I just tried to straight line it over the cliff and instantly deploy my air bag," Light said.

"It was just over so quick, it was crazy."

He managed to avoid being injured but avalanche technician Aaron Davidson said despite it being medium-sized it had the capacity to bury someone completely.

"Maybe I was in a little bit more of a risky zone, obviously, but it just shows that a lot of things can slide with not a lot impact on them and they can go big right now," Light said.

Source: KCNC.