This is the dramatic moment an extreme skier uses his parachute to fly over an avalanche to avoid being knocked off a cliff. Ugo Gerola captured the action on his helmet camera as he was hurtling down a slope on the Aiguille du Midi in the French Alps. At first, the 23-year-old glides  over the powder white snow, occasionally using his parachute to take off and land metres away. Then, out of nowhere, an avalanche comes into shot and nearly sweeps him over the edge of the mountain. Extreme skier Ugo Gerola is seen on his helmet camera hurtling down a slope in the French Alps moments before an avalanche sweeps across his path, nearly knocking him over the face of the 4,000m mountain . Danger: Out of nowhere, the avalanche comes into shot from his left as he races down the slope . Averting disaster: Mr Gerola uses his parachute to lift several feet in the air to dodge the avalanche's path . The extreme skier sails over the path of the avalanche as it sweeps out of view . But Mr Gerola uses his parachute to dodge its path and watches as the powder, ice and rocks drop hundreds of feet below him while he floats in the clear blue skies. He said: 'I was so lucky escaping the avalanche. I only just saw it at the last moment. 'Fortunately from my experience of skiing I knew where to go. 'Once I was safely away from the cliff face, it was amazing to watch the snow falling below my feet. 'In that moment I felt incredibly small.' As Mr Gerola looks behind him, the avalanche can been seen tumbling over the edge of the cliff . He watches as the powder, ice and rocks drop hundreds of feet below while he floats in the clear blue skies . He said: 'Once I was safely away from the cliff face, it was amazing to watch the snow falling below my feet' Mr Gerola has been freeriding for six years and works as a ski instructor throughout the winter months. Freeriding, or speed flying as it is also known, involves skiing off off-piste, often with a winged parachute, much like paragliding. Sometimes referred to as 'off-piste', there is a much higher possibility of there being avalanches as the snow is less stable. Mr Gerola said: 'When I showed my friends the video, they were amazed. 'Some of them say I'm crazy because of the dangers of freeriding but it just makes me feel alive. 'I have been practicing for many years now so the risk of my rides is always carefully calculated.'
Ugo Gerola, 23, captured near-miss on helmet camera in the French Alps . Used parachute to dodge avalanche as it sweeps into shot and over cliff . He said: 'My friends say I'm crazy, but free-riding just makes me feel alive'