Mountains are some of the most unpredictable terrain on Earth. Often stacked with huge amounts of snow, you can’t see the exact slope or form of the land, meaning that all of a sudden, what looks like flat, solid ground can turn into a cascading landslide. We’re not used to navigating such drastic types of terrain on a daily basis (you can usually tell the exact path and elevation of a city sidewalk), so when we do, events like avalanches can take us quite by surprise.

This skier found that out the hard way, triggering a giant avalanche on a mountain in Alaska. He manages to escape by staying just clear of the edge where the snow is sliding down, but had he been in the midst of that rather than just outside, things could’ve been much different. Fortunately, the avalanche seems to keep itself contained to a certain part of the mountain, and there’s no secondary movement up above him.

Still, so much for a peaceful day on the slopes.