In May, Greg Hill, who’s best known for feats like skiing 2 million vertical feet in a single year or 100,000 meters in a month, ticked off one of his life goals, skiing in Pakistan’s Nanga Parbat region. Then, two weeks into his trip, he got caught in an avalanche and broke his left leg. Two months after the accident, he’s sharing his story for the first time on his blog.
“The cascading snow got ahead of me and there was no way across,” he wrote while recovering in Revelstoke, B.C. “Like dipping your paddle in a very fast current, I was instantly grabbed and thrown down river.”
“Aviaccident” by Greg Hill on YouTube.com
In Hill’s account, he’s quick to identify his mistakes, suggesting “Kodak courage,” enthusiasm and unfamiliarity with the snowpack as factors contributing to his involvement in the slide. “Although the mountains appeared dormant, this was not a snowpack I was familiar with, not a snow type that I new and understood,” he wrote. “Instead of easing in and learning the environment, I made assumptions.”
For Hill’s full account of the avalanche and his thoughtful reflections on his decision making, visit greghill.ca.
as If manaslu wasn’t a big enough close call. Maybe time to Think about your family and love ones. Reel it in greg.
He’s an east coast transplant, needs to be relevant by trying to get buried, it’s the way of this weird self promoting modern mountain world.