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TED-Ed •23 Jun 2026 40 here now

What causes avalanches, and can you survive them? - Simon Trautman

Explore the three conditions needed to trigger an avalanche, and what makes these natural disasters so hard to survive.

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Avalanches are the rapid descent of snow, ice, rock, or a combination of th

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RIP to nims dai(Nirmal Purja) and team😢
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Nims was already a decorated man-he had nothing more to prove. Yet, driven by a last-minute calculation on his way to Pakistan, he set his sights on yet another record: "Then I become the FIRST person in history to climb all 14

eight-thousanders twice. Without oxygen."

It is a sobering reminder of how easily ambition can eclipse objective danger. Mountains do not yield to fame, ambition, or satellite technology- they respond only to gravity, weather, and time. Ultimately, no amount of expertise, physical conditioning, or legendary record-breaking achievement can shield us from the sheer, unyielding power of nature.
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My heartfelt prayers go out to the 10 climbers struck by the avalanche on Broad Peak. May those who lost their lives rest in eternal peace and may their families find strength and comfort during this incredibly difficult time. May God watch over everyone who ventures into these beautiful but unforgiving mountains.
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Really sad to hear about the Broad Peak avalanche... Rest in peace to everyone who lost their lives. Hope the others are found safe 🙏
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The animation is so intelligently done.
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People who live in a country without mountains and snow: interesting
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0:41 oh, those five magic words!
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splendid job. 😊
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I think they missed an opportunity to explain simple survival tactics to help in case you're stuck
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Really wanted and expected more. This didn't cover any actual guidelines or tips for surviving.
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got TedEd Play ads on TedEd video lol
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Love the animation in this one!
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@Foundrcode From YouTube ↗ 30 Jun 2026 17
There’s this calm in most Ted ed videos voice over.😊
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@andretti10 From YouTube ↗ 30 Jun 2026 29
I don't even ski and this triggered so much anxiety lol
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I admit I hoped they would mentioned items like Avalanche Transceivers and small portable snow shovels, cause those were some of items I knew my dad always took with him for snowmobiling
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I think this video did not explain a lot of basic and well known safety guidelines that are important to surviving a avalanche. Which way to go, how to create air bubbles, and to wear certain survival tech that helps rescuers find you quickly. I went to school in the backcountry where we were skiing it a lot and this was taught in school, as well as how to take a slab. Think this is a great platform to be able to touch on these topics in a accessible way... Wish just a little more was said.
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"The best way to avoid an avalanche is not to be caught in one." - Sun tzu
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Imagine the feeling of being buried alive without being able to move even 1 cm. In that situation, is the survival instinct of trying to scratch or trying to stay calm to slow down your breathing the thing that saves your life, when oxygen is limited?
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I used to work at a ski resort and I will say do not go back country skiing unless you know what you are doing. Most ski resorts are not going to risk their ski patrols to rescue you in a back country situation.
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“How to survive an avalanche?”
“Avoid one.”
Best Survival Advice EVER