Incredible video shows hiker caught in Kyrgyzstan avalanche

Incredible video shows an avalanche of rocks and snow cascading down a mountain in Kyrgyzstan directly toward the hiker filming the spectacle.

A group of 10 tourists - nine Brits and one American - who were caught in the avalanche in the Tian Shan mountains managed to avoid serious injury, but ended up with a great story and astonishing footage.

"It was only later we realised just how lucky we'd been," wrote Harry Shimmin. "If we had walked 5 minutes further on our trek, we would all be dead."

Shimmin's video of the avalanche has racked up 900,000 views on Instagram.

He says he had separated from the tour group to take pictures on the top of a hill.

He heard the sound of ice cracking and started filming as the snow and debris began sliding down the mountains directly toward him.

He notes that because he was on the edge of a cliff he had nowhere to run, but he did find a sheltered spot. The video shows the snow flowing over him as he ducks down behind some rocks.

"Yes I left it to the last second to move, and yes I know it would have been safer moving to the shelter straight away," he wrote. "I'm very aware that I took a big risk. I felt in control, but regardless, when the snow started coming over and it got dark / harder to breath, I was bricking it and thought I might die."

Shimmin, a 27-year-old Brit, is an experienced adventurer. He holds the Guinness world record for most backward somersaults in a sky dive.