An explorer and mountaineer has spoken about his struggles with mental health after being trapped underneath an avalanche while descending a mountain in 2011.
Cory Richards was on a climbing expedition up Pakistan's Gasherbrum II with two friends and fellow climbers when the potentially deadly avalanche struck.
All of the men survived but Richards was left with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, became an alcoholic and cheated on his wife.
A photo he took shortly after the avalanche has given him the opportunity to talk about his near-death experience and the ordeal he's been in since.
He wrote in National Geographic: "I've always found it difficult to think of climbing as heroic, though I understand how some might view it this way.
"Stand at the foot of a Himalayan peak, and you quickly understand that getting to the top is going to require exceptional strength, stamina, concentration, and courage.
"It wasn't my idea to climb Gasherbrum II. I was invited by two veteran climbers, Simone Moro and Denis Urubko, to join their expedition. Simone and Denis were icons in the climbing world who'd pioneered new routes on some of the world's tallest, most dangerous mountains."
They managed to reach the summit of the mountain, the 13th highest peak in the world, but coming down can be almost as dangerous as going up.
He said: "We were hurrying-the three of us roped together-hoping to beat a line of storms moving toward us, when I heard the roar.
"Mountain guides teach that if you're caught in an avalanche, you should try to swim your way to the top. I remember futilely trying to move my arms and kick my legs, but very soon I was being spun like I was in a furious washing machine.
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"I'd catch a blurred glimpse of blue sky then dark, then blue, then dark, then black. My mouth and nose were packed with powder, and snow was stuffed into my down suit. The roar was replaced by a profound silence, and a heavy cold began seeping into my body."
He escaped from beneath the snow and all three made it of the mountain, miraculously, but his problems had only just begun.
After he got divorced, he lost his main professional sponsor and his life in general took a serious downturn. It was only after going to a therapist that he was diagnosed with PTSD and got the help he needed to rebuild himself.
"Still, I can't escape the photo. It seems to follow me around like a ghost of some former self, reminding me of how fragile I really am. How fragile we all are."
Topics: News, Pakistan, US News