Nguyen Le Quang Vinh, a 34-year-old from Ho Chi Minh City, shared his ordeal after a solo winter trek in Norway, where he faced freezing conditions and an imminent avalanche.
A video capturing the incident has drawn widespread attention online, showing Vinh struggling to move as his body stiffened in extreme cold while visibility deteriorated.
Vinh said the incident occurred during a 10-day trip costing around VND 180 million (about USD 7,100). His destination was Reinebringen in the Lofoten Islands.
Vinh on a snowy mountain peak in Norway. (Photo: Nguyen Le Quang Vinh).
Despite preparing with proper gear, including crampon shoes, trekking poles and thermal clothing, navigating the mountain proved extremely difficult. He relied on a preloaded map on his smartwatch and used poles to feel his way forward.
After more than three hours, he reached the summit. But within 30 minutes, conditions резко worsened as strong winds, rain and fog set in, and temperatures plunged.
“It felt like nature was swallowing me,” he said.
The descent quickly turned into a life-threatening struggle. Snow had covered the trail, footprints disappeared intermittently and the narrow, steep terrain bordered a deep drop.
Vinh amidst the sudden change in weather (Photo: Nguyen Le Quang Vinh).
At first, Vinh moved slowly, sitting down and using his poles to probe the path. But as the weather deteriorated and his body began to succumb to the cold, he made a risky decision to slide down the mountain to save time.
Lying on his side, he used his trekking poles to control speed, at times sliding dozens of metres with little control.
After more than two hours battling wind and snow, and with around 30 minutes left to reach the base, his body gave out. Severe cramps spread across his legs, arms, abdomen and chest, leaving him unable to stand. Shivering uncontrollably, he collapsed onto the snow.
Realising the danger, he activated the emergency call feature on his smartwatch.
The view from the mountain peak (Photo: Nguyen Le Quang Vinh).
About 40 minutes later, rescue workers reached him. They wrapped him in thermal layers and attempted to bring him down, but treacherous terrain forced them to call for additional support.
Reinforcements arrived at the foot of the mountain but were unable to approach due to the high avalanche risk. Rescuers told Vinh he had to stand and keep moving, as stopping could prove fatal.
Barely able to move, he struggled to his feet with assistance, repeatedly falling as he made his way down.
Shortly after he was transported to safety and taken to an ambulance, an avalanche struck the area he had just left.
“I realised how lucky I was,” he said.
Vinh was later monitored at his accommodation and did not need to work further with local authorities. All rescue costs were covered.
The young man from Ho Chi Minh City has been a full-time travel content creator for over 4 years (Photo: Nguyen Le Quang Vinh).
Reflecting on the incident, he admitted he had been reckless and underestimated the risks. For him, the experience was a stark lesson in respecting nature.
“Nature is always honest, both beautiful and harsh. It was not nature that was wrong, it was my misjudgment,” he said.