[00:25.60]Human beings venture into the highest parts of our planet at their peril. [00:31.08] [00:31.64]Some might think that by climbing a great mountain [00:34.48] [00:34.56]they have somehow conquered it, [00:36.32] [00:36.72]but we can only be visitors here. [00:39.80] [00:42.16]This is a frozen alien world. [00:46.24] [00:57.40]This is the other extreme - [00:59.80] [00:59.88]one of the lowest hottest places on Earth. [01:03.84] [01:10.24]It's over a hundred metres below the level of the sea. [01:14.00] [01:14.12]But here a mountain is in gestation. [01:17.32] [01:17.44]Pools of sulphuric acid are indications [01:20.32] [01:20.40]that deep underground there are titanic stirrings. [01:25.04] [01:30.40]This is the Danakil Depression in Ethiopia, [01:33.76] [01:33.88]lying within a colossal rent of the earth's surface [01:36.76] [01:36.84]where giant land masses are pulling away from one another. [01:40.72] [01:43.20]Lava rises to the surface through this crack in the crust [01:47.08] [01:47.16]creating a chain of young volcanoes. [01:50.00] [02:01.52]This one, Erta Ale, [02:03.60] [02:03.68]is today the longest continually erupting volcano on the planet, [02:08.52] [02:08.60]a lake of lava that has been molten for over a hundred years. [02:13.24] [02:24.08]These same volcanic forces also created Ethiopia's highlands. [02:30.92] [02:36.72]70 million years ago [02:38.64] [02:38.72]this land was just as flat and as deep [02:41.56] [02:41.64]as the Danakil Depression. [02:43.56] [02:45.76]Molten lava rising from the earth's core [02:48.92] [02:49.00]forced up a huge dome of rock 500 miles wide, [02:53.32] [02:53.32]the roof of Africa. [02:55.36] [03:01.76]Over millennia, rain and ice carved the rock [03:05.08] [03:05.16]into a landscape of spires and canyons. [03:08.32] [03:14.88]These summits, nearly 3 miles up, [03:17.32] [03:17.40]are home to some very remarkable mountaineers - [03:21.52] [03:21.84]Gelada baboons. [03:24.12] [03:24.20]They are unique to the highlands of Ethiopia. [03:28.04] [03:41.52]The cliffs where they sleep are for expert climbers only, [03:45.44] [03:45.52]and Gelado certainly have the right equipment. [03:48.24] [03:48.32]the strongest fingers of any primate [03:50.48] [03:50.56]and an utterly fearless disposition. [03:53.28] [03:56.08]But you need more than a head for heights to survive up here. [04:00.12] [04:00.24]A day in a Gelado's life reveals how they've risen to the challenge. [04:05.72] [04:18.48]For all monkeys morning is grooming time, [04:21.88] [04:22.00]a chance to catch up with friends. [04:24.88] [04:25.44]But, unlike other monkeys, [04:27.36] [04:27.48]Gelados chatter constantly while they do it. [04:30.80] [04:32.44]It's a great way to network while your hands are busy. [04:36.28] [04:36.88]But these socials can't go on for too long. [04:40.36] [04:40.44]Gelados have a busy daily schedule [04:43.00] [04:43.08]and there's work to be done. [04:44.84] [04:49.12]Most monkeys couldn't live up here. [04:51.56] [04:51.64]There's no food and few insects to feed on. [04:54.28] [04:54.40]But Gelados are unique - [04:56.12] [04:56.24]they're the only monkeys in the world that live almost entirely on grass. [05:01.00] [05:11.88]They live in the largest assemblies formed by any monkeys. [05:15.64] [05:15.72]Some groups are 800 strong [05:17.88] [05:17.96]and they crop the high meadows like herds of wildebeest. [05:21.80] [05:33.92]The Gelados graze alongside Walia ibex, [05:37.20] [05:37.28]which are also unique to these highlands. [05:40.20] [05:44.20]These rare creatures are usually very shy [05:47.04] [05:47.16]but they drop their guard when the Gelados are around. [05:50.96] [05:54.88]You might expect that grazers would avoid each other's patch [05:58.16] [05:58.28]but this is a special alliance from which both partners benefit. [06:02.52] [06:03.28]It's not so risky to put your head down [06:05.92] [06:06.04]if others are on the lookout. [06:08.00] [06:10.08]Ethiopian wolves - [06:12.00] [06:12.08]they won't attempt an attack in broad daylight. [06:15.20] [06:19.12]But at dusk the plateau becomes a more dangerous place. [06:23.72] [06:26.80]With the grazing largely over [06:28.84] [06:29.00]there's a last chance to socialise before returning to the sleeping cliffs. [06:33.68] [06:52.00]An early warning system puts everyone on the alert. [06:55.80] [07:46.32]Their day ends as it began, safe on the steep cliffs. [07:50.96] [07:58.40]The Ethiopian volcanoes are dormant, [08:01.20] [08:01.28]but elsewhere others still rage. [08:05.08] [08:17.52]Volcanoes form the backbone of the longest mountain chain on our planet - [08:22.28] [08:22.36]the Andes of South America. [08:24.64] [08:25.80]This vast range stretches 5,000 miles from the Equator down to the Antarctic. [08:32.64] [08:34.00]It formed as the floor of the Pacific Ocean [08:36.64] [08:36.72]slid beneath the South American continent, buckling its edge. [08:41.20] [08:52.20]At the southern end stand the mountains of Patagonia. [08:56.84] [08:58.92]It's high summer, [09:00.48] [09:05.80]but the Andes have the most unstable mountain weather on the planet [09:10.28] [09:10.36]and storms can erupt without warning. [09:13.52] [09:15.04]Temperatures plummet [09:16.32] [09:16.40]and guanacos and their newborn young must suddenly endure a blizzard. [09:21.52] [09:34.56]Truly, all seasons in one day... [09:38.12] [09:49.76]A puma - [09:50.80] [09:50.92]the lion of the Andes. [09:53.12] [09:59.28]Pumas are usually solitary and secretive. [10:03.12] [10:03.20]To see a group walking boldly in the open is extremely rare. [10:08.72] [10:19.44]It's a family - a mother with four cubs. [10:23.36] [10:23.60]She has just one brief summer [10:26.12] [10:26.24]in which to teach them their mountain survival techniques. [10:30.08] [10:42.60]Rearing four cubs to this age is an exceptional feat, [10:47.40] [10:47.48]but she does have an excellent territory, [10:49.80] [10:49.92]rich in food and water. [10:52.20] [10:55.68]Although the cubs are now as large as their mother, [10:58.24] [10:58.36]they still rely on her for their food. [11:01.16] [12:22.48]It will be another year before the cubs can hunt for themselves. [12:28.08] [12:38.56]Without their mother's skill and experience [12:41.40] [12:41.52]they would never survive their first winter. [12:44.20] [13:03.92]Battered by hurricane force winds, [13:06.56] [13:06.68]these slopes are now lifeless. [13:09.56] [13:12.72]Further north, they hold other dangers. [13:16.24] [13:46.40]Moving at 250 miles an hour, [13:49.52] [13:49.60]an avalanche destroys everything in its path. [13:53.32] [14:13.08]In the American Rockies [14:15.08] [14:15.16]a 100,000 avalanches devastate the slopes every winter. [14:19.88] [14:22.84]This huge mountain chain continues the great spine [14:27.24] [14:27.32]that runs from Patagonia to Alaska. [14:30.76] [14:48.88]The slopes of the Rockies, bleak though they are, [14:51.80] [14:51.88]provide a winter refuge for some animals. [14:55.60] [14:58.24]A mother grizzly emerges from her den [15:00.92] [15:01.04]after six months' dozing underground. [15:04.20] [15:04.32]Her two cubs follow her [15:05.96] [15:06.08]and take their first steps in the outside world. [15:09.52] [15:23.20]These steep slopes provide a sanctuary for the cubs. [15:26.60] [15:26.72]A male bear would kill and eat them given the chance. [15:30.20] [15:30.68]But big animals find it difficult to get about here. [15:33.84] [15:33.96]Males may be twice the size of a female [15:36.52] [15:36.64]and even she can have problems. [15:38.84] [15:52.80]Her cubs, however, make light of the snow [15:56.32] [15:56.40]and of life in general. [15:58.24] [16:11.40]But the mother faces a dilemma: [16:13.92] [16:14.00]it's six months since she last fed [16:16.72] [16:16.80]and her milk is starting to run dry. [16:19.64] [16:20.04]She must soon leave the safety of these nursery slopes [16:23.20] [16:23.28]and lead her cubs away from the mountain. [16:26.04] [16:26.52]If she delays, the whole family will risk starvation. [16:31.40] [16:57.96]Summer reveals the true nature of the Rockies. [17:02.16] [17:10.08]Stripped of snow, [17:11.60] [17:11.72]the peaks bear their sculpted forms. [17:15.24] [17:17.92]Only now can mountaineers reclaim the upper reaches. [17:22.04] [17:51.80]Two miles up the crumbling precipices seem devoid of life. [17:57.80] [18:07.00]But there are animals here - [18:10.16] [18:28.80]a grizzly bear. [18:30.56] [18:30.68]It seems to be an odd creature to find on these high rocky slopes. [18:35.36] [18:38.60]It's hard to imagine what could have attracted it here. [18:42.28] [18:57.20]At this time of the year bears should be fattening up for the winter. [19:01.88] [19:01.96]Yet they gather in some numbers on these apparently barren slopes. [19:06.80] [19:18.60]They're searching for a rather unusual food - [19:22.52] [19:24.04]moths. [19:25.28] [19:25.44]Millions have flown up here to escape the heat of the lowlands [19:28.84] [19:28.92]and they're now roosting among the rocks. [19:31.56] [19:34.68]Moths may seem a meager meal for a bear, [19:37.96] [19:38.08]but their bodies are rich in fat [19:39.84] [19:39.92]and can make all the difference in a bear's annual struggle for survival. [19:44.44] [19:47.60]Another battle is being waged here [19:50.20] [19:50.28]but on a much longer timescale. [19:53.12] [19:53.20]These loose boulders are the mountain's crumbling bones. [19:57.48] [19:57.56]The Rockies are no longer rising [19:59.72] [19:59.88]but slowly disintegrating. [20:02.52] [20:07.20]All mountains everywhere are being worn down by frost, snow and ice. [20:13.52] [20:19.32]The Alps were raised some 15 million years ago [20:22.92] [20:23.00]as Africa, drifting northwards, collided with the southern edge of Europe. [20:28.16] [20:33.68]These spires are the eroded remains of an ancient seabed [20:37.68] [20:37.76]that once stretched between the two continents. [20:41.44] [20:57.80]But these are just the Alpine foothills. [21:01.48] [21:01.60]The range at its centre rises to 3 miles high [21:05.68] [21:05.80]and is crowned with permanent snows. [21:09.20] [21:22.00]The Matterhorn, [21:23.16] [21:23.24]its summit too steep to hold a snow field. [21:26.84] [21:35.24]Mont Blanc - the highest peak in Western Europe. [21:39.40] [21:52.08]The distinctive jagged shapes of the Alps [21:55.28] [21:55.40]were carved by those great mountain sculptors - [21:58.72] [21:58.84]the glaciers. [22:00.40] [22:06.24]Immense rivers of moving ice, [22:08.84] [22:08.92]laden with rock, [22:10.24] [22:10.32]grind their way down the mountains, [22:12.64] [22:12.72]gouging out deep valleys. [22:15.40] [22:21.68]They're the most powerful erosive force on our planet. [22:26.24] [22:34.00]A moulin - a shaft in the ice opened by melt water [22:37.84] [22:37.92]as it plunges into the depths of the glacier. [22:41.28] [22:56.40]Like the water running through it, [22:57.96] [22:58.04]the ice itself is constantly moving, [23:00.60] [23:00.68]flowing down the valley with unstoppable force. [23:04.28] [23:22.60]Alpine glaciers may seem immense, [23:25.12] [23:25.20]but they're dwarfed by those in the great ranges [23:27.96] [23:28.04]that divide the Indian subcontinent from Tibet. [23:31.36] [23:35.68]This is the boulder strewn snout [23:38.28] [23:38.36]of the giant Baltoro glacier in the Karakoram mountains of Pakistan. [23:44.00] [23:52.84]It's the biggest mountain glacier on Earth - [23:55.88] [23:55.96]43 miles long and over 3 miles wide. [23:59.80] [23:59.92]This huge ice-filled valley is so large [24:03.28] [24:03.36]it's clearly visible from space. [24:05.84] [24:28.16]This is the greatest concentration of peaks over 5 miles high [24:32.56] [24:32.64]to be found anywhere on Earth. [24:35.24] [24:38.08]They're the most dangerous mountains of all. [24:41.20] [24:41.28]K2 and her sister peaks have claimed more lives than any others. [24:47.08] [24:58.12]The peaks here rise so precipitously, [25:01.20] [25:01.28]the glaciers are so steep and crevassed [25:03.92] [25:04.00]that few except the most skilled mountaineers can penetrate these ranges. [25:09.00] [25:12.36]Markhor gather for their annual rut. [25:15.80] [25:28.00]Males must fight for the right to breed, [25:30.92] [25:31.00]but on these sheer cliffs any slip by either animal could be fatal. [25:35.80] [25:46.88]A snow leopard - [25:48.12] [25:48.24]the rarest of Himalayan animals. [25:50.68] [25:51.76]It's a female returning to her lair. [25:54.84] [26:05.36]These are the first intimate images of snow leopard ever filmed in the wild. [26:11.32] [26:20.80]She greets her one year old cub. [26:23.76] [26:28.00]Her den is well chosen. [26:30.24] [26:30.36]It has exceptional views of the surrounding cliffs. [26:34.08] [26:37.28]On these treacherous slopes [26:39.40] [26:39.48]no hunter other than the snow leopard [26:41.96] [26:42.04]would have a chance of catching such fragile prey. [26:45.36] [26:52.24]A female with young makes an easier target. [26:55.76] [27:14.28]Her large paws give an excellent grip [27:17.28] [27:17.36]and that long tail helps her balance. [27:20.76] [27:29.64]Silently she positions herself above her prey. [27:34.24] [28:34.36]She returns with nothing. [28:37.40] [29:07.20]Golden eagles patrol these cliffs in search of the weak or injured. [29:12.80] [29:32.40]With a 2 metre wing span [29:34.52] [29:34.60]this bird could easily take a young markhor. [29:37.76] [29:41.48]Eagles hunt by sight [29:43.24] [29:43.36]and the thickening veil of snow forces them to give up. [29:47.56] [30:03.04]For the leopard the snow provides cover [30:06.00] [30:06.08]and creates an opportunity. [30:08.36] [30:26.16]The worsening weather dampens the sound of her approach [30:30.08] [30:30.20]allowing her to get within striking distance. [30:34.12] [30:50.84]It was an act of desperation [30:52.80] [30:52.88]to try and catch such a large animal. [30:55.60] [31:04.76]Wolves have made a kill [31:06.72] [31:06.84]giving other hunters a chance to scavenge. [31:10.36] [31:25.92]The worst of the blizzard brings success for the snow leopard, [31:29.52] [31:29.64]but having descended so far to make the kill [31:32.24] [31:32.36]she has a grueling climb to get back to her lair. [31:36.32] [31:50.00]The cub must be patient. [31:52.00] [31:52.12]It'll be a year before it has the strength and skill [31:54.68] [31:54.80]to kill for itself on these difficult slopes. [31:58.68] [32:22.80]The snow leopard is an almost mythical creature, [32:26.36] [32:26.44]an icon of the wilderness, [32:28.20] [32:28.28]an animal few humans have ever glimpsed [32:31.32] [32:31.40]for its world is one we seldom visit. [32:34.80] [32:42.52]The Karakoram lie at the western end of a range [32:45.68] [32:45.76]that stretches across a tenth of our planet - [32:49.68] [32:50.00]the Himalayas. [32:52.00] [33:01.68]These, the highest mountains of the world, [33:04.52] [33:04.60]like other great ranges, [33:06.60] [33:06.68]were created by the collision of continents. [33:10.56] [33:11.72]Some 50 million years ago [33:14.04] [33:14.12]India collided with Tibet [33:16.08] [33:16.20]thrusting up these immense peaks, which are still rising. [33:20.68] [33:25.72]This vast barrier of rock and ice [33:29.04] [33:29.16]is so colossal it shapes the world's climate. [33:33.28] [33:34.80]Warm winds from India, full of moisture, [33:37.76] [33:37.84]are forced upwards by the Himalayas. [33:40.20] [33:40.32]As the air rises so it cools, [33:42.80] [33:42.88]causing clouds to form [33:44.92] [33:45.00]and the monsoon is born. [33:47.56] [34:24.64]At high altitudes the monsoon rains fall as snow. [34:29.20] [34:30.00]Here, at the far eastern end of the range in China, [34:33.28] [34:33.36]one inhabitant endures the bitter winters out in the open. [34:38.24] [34:45.24]Most other bears would be sleeping underground by now, [34:49.24] [34:49.36]but the giant panda can't fatten up enough to hibernate. [34:54.12] [34:56.64]Its food, bamboo, on which it totally relies [35:00.68] [35:00.76]has so little nutritional value [35:03.56] [35:03.64]that it can't build up a store of fat like other bears. [35:07.68] [35:08.84]Most of the creatures here move up or down the slopes with the seasons [35:13.56] [35:13.64]but the panda is held captive by its diet [35:16.56] [35:16.64]for the kind of bamboo it eats only grows at this altitude. [35:21.36] [35:28.20]But these forests hold fewer challenges for the more mobile. [35:33.64] [35:36.28]The golden snap-nosed monkey, like the giant panda, lives only in China. [35:42.84] [35:44.84]Their thick fur allows them to survive at greater altitudes than any other monkey [35:49.96] [35:50.04]and when the cold bites they have these upper slopes to themselves. [35:54.76] [36:02.16]Even if you have a warm coat [36:04.08] [36:04.16]it apparently helps to surround yourself with as many layers as possible. [36:08.80] [36:10.84]But at least these monkeys have a choice - [36:13.20] [36:13.28]if they tire of tree bark and other survival food [36:16.56] [36:16.68]they can always descend to lower warmer altitudes [36:19.96] [36:20.04]and not return there till spring. [36:22.20] [36:26.52]As the snows retreat [36:28.60] [36:28.72]trees come into bloom. [36:31.16] [36:37.04]Cherry blossom. [36:38.36] [36:41.40]Rhododendrons - [36:42.76] [36:42.84]here in their natural home they form great forests [36:46.16] [36:46.24]and fill the landscape with the covers of a new season. [36:49.92] [37:08.88]These forests are a host to a rich variety of springtime migrants. [37:14.56] [37:28.80]Beneath the blooms - another display. [37:32.16] [37:35.20]It's the mating season for oriental pheasants, [37:38.48] [37:38.60]Himalayan monal, [37:40.36] [37:44.08]tragopan [37:45.52] [37:45.64]and blood pheasant. [37:47.44] [37:55.48]Musk deer make the most of a short flash of spring foods. [38:00.36] [38:02.04]This male smells a potential mate. [38:05.64] [38:20.60]The red panda, rarely glimpsed in the wild. [38:24.16] [38:24.24]It was once considered a kind of raccoon, [38:26.60] [38:26.68]but is now believed to be a small mountain bear. [38:30.00] [38:40.72]By midsummer its larger, more famous relative, has retreated into a cave. [38:47.24] [39:00.60]A giant panda nurses a tiny week old baby. [39:06.00] [39:12.32]Her tender cleaning wards off infection. [39:16.24] [39:27.40]She won't leave this cave for three weeks, [39:31.24] [39:33.00]not while her cub is so utterly helpless. [39:36.76] [39:45.72]Progress is slow [39:47.32] [39:47.44]for milk produced on a diet of bamboo is wretchedly poor. [39:52.64] [39:59.24]Four weeks old [40:00.76] [40:00.88]and the cub is still blind. [40:03.36] [40:11.40]Its eyes do not fully open until three months after birth, [40:17.08] [40:17.20]but the chances of the cub reaching adulthood are slim. [40:21.92] [40:26.04]The struggle of a giant panda mother to raise her cub [40:29.68] [40:29.80]is a touching symbol of the precariousness of life in the mountains. [40:35.60] [40:45.36]On the highest summits of our planet [40:48.20] [40:48.32]nothing can live permanently. [40:50.84] [40:55.24]The highest peak of all, [40:56.88] [40:56.96]Mount Everest, five and a half miles above sea level [41:00.92] [41:01.00]and still rising - the roof of our world. [41:05.04] [41:06.60]Of those humans who've tried to climb it [41:09.32] [41:09.40]one in ten have lost their lives. [41:12.36] [41:12.52]Those that succeed can stand for only a few moments on its summit. [41:18.12] [41:18.24]The Nepalese call it 'a mountain so high no bird can fly above it.' [41:24.08] [41:30.52]But each year over 50,000 demoiselle cranes [41:35.20] [41:35.28]set out on one of the most challenging migrations on Earth. [41:39.56] [41:41.68]To reach their overwintering grounds in India [41:44.96] [41:45.08]they must cross the Himalayas. [41:48.04] [41:54.60]By late morning ferocious winds are roaring past the peaks. [41:58.80] [41:58.92]The cranes must gain height to avoid the building storm. [42:03.20] [42:31.60]They've hit serious turbulence. [42:34.44] [42:38.92]They must turn back [42:40.56] [42:40.68]or risk death. [42:42.56] [43:16.56]A new day [43:18.04] [43:18.16]and a new opportunity. [43:20.52] [43:21.60]The flock stay in close contact by calling one another. [43:25.84] [43:34.92]Weak from lack of food and water, [43:37.12] [43:37.20]they use thermals, rising columns of warm air, to gain height. [43:42.08] [43:59.00]For many this is their first journey across the Himalayas. [44:03.96] [44:04.08]For some, it will be their last. [44:07.28] [44:15.60]The golden eagles have been expecting them. [44:18.88] [44:29.28]The eagles work in pairs to separate a young crane from the flock. [44:34.60] [45:19.24]It escapes the touches of one, [45:21.60] [45:21.76]and is caught by another. [45:23.68] [45:26.72]But even a young crane is a heavy prize [45:30.16] [45:30.28]and the eagle has to struggle to control it. [45:34.00] [45:52.56]The mother can wait no longer - [45:54.48] [45:54.56]this is a desperate race against worsening weather. [45:58.56] [46:04.88]The rest of the flock battle on. [46:07.68] [46:11.80]In the ascent every wing beat becomes an exhausting struggle. [46:17.28] [46:35.20]At last they are over the highest barrier that lies in their way. [46:40.80] [46:47.88]But like all who visit the world of the high mountains [46:51.80] [46:51.92]they dare not linger. [46:54.08]

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