Life After an Avalanche Accident
Sign up to the study here: https://form.jotform.com/253173044265352
Surviving or being involved in an avalanche can be a life-changing experience.
Whether you were buried, injured, witnessed others being caught, or narrowly escaped — such moments can leave deep marks. Many describe not only physical effects, but also lasting reflections about life, meaning, and mortality. By listening to survivors’ stories, we hope to understand how people rebuild and reflect after the unthinkable — and how these lessons can help prevent others from facing the same. If you’ve been part of an avalanche and feel the experience has changed you, we’d like to hear from you.
This study explores how people make sense of life after being part of an avalanche. We want to understand the personal and existential questions that can arise in the aftermath — questions about vulnerability, purpose, and what it means to be alive after facing danger or loss.
Why We’re Doing This
Research shows that confronting a life-threatening situation often changes how people think about themselves and the world. Yet, little is known about how this unfolds after an avalanche — an event that can happen suddenly, without warning, and in the middle of what was meant to be a joyful day in the mountains.
By listening to survivors’ stories, we hope to better understand how these experiences influence people’s outlook on life, relationships, and priorities.
Lessons from survivors may also be highly valuable in preventing others from experiencing the same — by deepening our understanding of how people process, reflect on, and act after such events.
Our Goal
We want to give voice to avalanche survivors — to understand:
How such experiences affect one’s sense of meaning and purpose?
How survivors think about life, death, and identity afterward?
How these reflections compare to those seen after other sudden or traumatic events?
Who We Are
This project is conducted at the Centre for Avalanche Research and Education (CARE), UiT The Arctic University of Norway.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can participate?
Anyone who has been involved in an avalanche accident — whether you were buried, injured, or witnessed others being caught — and who feels that the experience changed you in one way or another.
What does the interview involve?
The interview can be conducted online and will typically last about one hour.
If possible, we prefer to meet in person, but we understand that this is often not practical due to distance or schedules. The interview will be a reflective conversation about your experience and how it has affected your life and perspectives.
Will my story be anonymous?
Yes. Your identity and story will be treated with full confidentiality and stored according to strict Norwegian data protection laws and UiT regulations. Any information that could identify you will be removed or anonymized.
How to get in touch?
If you are interested in taking part or would like more information, please contact:
📧 Audun Hetland – audun.hetland@uit.no
📧 Jake Young – jayou6976@uit.no
You can sign up to the study here and we will be in touch shortly: https://form.jotform.com/253173044265352