Sandesh Kadur / Drumstick primrose (Primula denticulata) high elevation flowers of the Himalaya. Bhutan, February.

Patricio Robles Gil / St. Elias Mountains, Kluane National Park, Canada

Colin Monteath / Mountaineer enjoying the view of Mt Everest and the Himalayan Mountains at sunset from Gokyo Ri, Khumbu, Nepal

Colin Monteath / Mt Makalu (8,462 meters) and Mt Chomolonzo (7,540 meters) bathed in dawn light, reflected in small lake, Khama Valley, Tibet

Colin Monteath / Panoramic view from Mt Makalu, elevation 8,462 meters, to Mt Everest, elevation 8,850 meters, at dawn, reflected in small lake, Khama Valley, Kharta region, Tibet

Colin Monteath / Panoramic view from Mt Makalu, elevation 8,462 meters, to Mt Everest, elevation 8,850 meters, at dawn, reflected in small lake, Khama Valley, Kharta region, Tibet

Colin Monteath / Wildflowers growing on moraine terrace beside Kangshung Glacier, with Mt Chomolonzo in background, east of Mt Everest, Tibet

Colin Monteath / Climber enjoying view of Mt CookÆs Caroline Face from Ball Pass, Mt Cook National Park, New Zealand

Colin Monteath / Mitre Peak at 6,252 meters elevation above Concordia towers over Baltoro Glacier, Karakoram Mountains, Pakistan

Colin Monteath / Powder snow avalanche falling from Gasherbrum, Baltoro Glacier, Karakoram Mountains, Pakistan

Colin Monteath / Climber hauls load above 4,200 meter camp on the west buttress route of Mt Denali or Mt McKinley which reaches 6,194 meters elevation, Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Colin Monteath / Climber on the summit of Pik Kommunizma at 7,500 meters elevation, highest mountain in the Pamirs, a mountain range in Tajikistan, central Asia

Colin Monteath / Mustagh Tower, center, and Masherbrum (K1) seen from Chongtar, Karakoram, Xinjiang, China

Tui De Roy / Parincota, elevation 6,232 meters, Lauca National Park, Andes Mountains, Chile

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Dragon's blood tree (Dracaena serrulata) at high elevation in Dhofar Mountains, Oman, January

Tim Laman / Foja Mountains RAP Expedition High Camp at 2000 m elevation in the upper montane forest. Field assistants prepare breakfast. Foja Mountains, Papua, Indonesia, 2008. (taken during Conservation Interna...

Tim Laman / Foja Mountains RAP Expedition High Camp at 2000 m elevation in the upper montane forest. Foja Mountains, Papua, Indonesia, 2008. (taken during Conservation International Rapid Assessment Program exped...

Tim Laman / Foja Mountains RAP Expedition High Camp at 2000 m elevation in the upper montane forest. Foja Mountains, Papua, Indonesia, 2008. (taken during Conservation International Rapid Assessment Program exped...

Piotr Naskrecki / Mossy forest at high elevation, Papua New Guinea

Donald M. Jones / Blue Grouse (Dendragapus obscurus) male in high elevation forest, western Montana

Piotr Naskrecki / High elevation swamp in forest, Atewa Range, Ghana

Konrad Wothe / Peony (Paeonia officinalis) flowers, Monti Sibilini National Park, Italy

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Snow-capped Alaska Range and cumulus clouds in blue sky in autumn, Denali National Park, Alaska

Colin Monteath / Mani stone and Gurla Mandhata from Chiu monastery, Lake Manosarovar, Central Asia, Tibet

Colin Monteath / Campsite under Chomolonzo, Pethang Ringmo terrace, Khangshung Glacier, Tibet

Colin Monteath / Potala Palace, World Heritage Site, exiled Dalai Lama's winter palace, autumn light at dawn, Lhasa, the capital of Tibet

Colin Monteath / Ghangdrung Village, 7219 meters elevation, and Ghandrung Village after a winter snowfall, Nepal

Colin Monteath / Ghangdrung village with Annapurna South, at 7219 metres, covered in fresh winter snow, Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal

Colin Monteath / Cerro Torre and Fitzroy, dawn from Loma Pelique Tumbado, Los Glaciares National Park, Patagonia, Argentina

Suzi Eszterhas / Dall's Sheep (Ovis dalli) pair, Denali National Park, Alaska

Colin Monteath / Trekker under Kabru Peak (7300 m) in winter snow, from Rathong Chu, near Kangchenjunga, Sikkim Himalaya, India

Colin Monteath / Prayer flags on Gotcha la Kangchenjunga, Talung face (8595 meters) in the background, most easterly of the world's fourteen 8000 metre peaks, Sikkim Himalaya, India

Colin Monteath / Dawn on Kangchenjunga, Talung face from Dzong Ri, 8585 meters, most easterly of the world's fourteen 8000 metre peaks, Sikkim Himalaya, India

Colin Monteath / Wind cloud over Kangchenjunga, Talung face from Dzong Ri, 8585 meters, most easterly of the world's fourteen 8000 metre peaks, Sikkim Himalaya, India

Colin Monteath / Dawn on Kangchenjunga, Talung face from Dzong Ri, eight thousand five hundred eighty five meters, most easterly of the world's fourteen 8000 metre peaks, Sikkim Himalaya, India

Colin Monteath / Trekker beneath Kangchenjunga, Talung face from Dzong Ri, 8585 meters, most easterly of the world's fourteen 8000 metre peaks, Sikkim Himalaya, India

Colin Monteath / Iced up prayer flags, Dzong Ri, 8595 meters, Kangchenjunga in distance, most easterly of the world's fourteen 8000 metre peaks, Sikkim Himalaya, India

Colin Monteath / Dawn on Kangchenjunga, Talung face from Dzong Ri, 8585 meters, most easterly of the world's fourteen 8000 metre peaks, Sikkim Himalaya, India

Colin Monteath / Trekker beneath Kangchenjunga, Talung face from Dzong Ri, 8585 meters, most easterly of the world's fourteen 8000 metre peaks, Sikkim Himalaya, India

Colin Monteath / Dawn on Kangchenjunga, Talung face from Dzong Ri, 8585 meters, most easterly of the world's fourteen 8000 metre peaks, Sikkim Himalaya, India

Colin Monteath / Prayer flags, Gotcha la, five thousand meters, Kangchenjunga, most easterly of the world's fourteen 8000 metre peaks, Talung Face, Sikkim Himalaya, India

Colin Monteath / Kabru Peak, seven thousand three hundred meters, winter snowfall Rathong chu, near Kangchenjunga, Sikkim Himalaya, India

Colin Monteath / Dawn on Kangchenjunga, Talung face from Dzong Ri, 8585 meters, most easterly of the world's fourteen 8000 metre peaks, Sikkim Himalaya, India

Colin Monteath / Kangchenjunga, Talung face from Dzong Ri, 8585 meters, most easterly of the world's fourteen 8000 metre peaks, Sikkim Himalaya, India

Colin Monteath / Kangchenjunga, Talung face from Dzong Ri, 8585 meters, most easterly of the world's fourteen 8000 metre peaks, Sikkim Himalaya, India

Colin Monteath / Trekker beneath Kangchenjunga, Talung face from Dzong Ri, 8585 meters, most easterly of the world's fourteen 8000 metre peaks, Sikkim Himalaya, India

Pete Oxford / Puna Flamingo (Phoenicopterus jamesi) nesting Laguna Colorada in the Altiplano of Bolivia

Tim Fitzharris / Balsamroot Sunflower (Balsamorhiza sagittata) patch, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Patricio Robles Gil / The peak of Las Virgenes Volcano, 1,920 meters high, El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve, Baja California, Mexico

Patricio Robles Gil / Volcan de las Virgenes and Volcan Del Azufre, El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve, Baja California, Mexico

Patricio Robles Gil / Picacho Del Diablo, the highest peak in Baja California at 3,000 meters, San Pedro Martir National Park, Mexico

Patricio Robles Gil / The Sierra San Pedro Martir mountains, northern Baja California, Mexico

Colin Monteath / Man standing on a rock overlooking the Olympus Range, dry valleys, Antarctica

Colin Monteath / Man standing on a rock overlooking the Olympus Range, dry valleys, Antarctica

Colin Monteath / Man standing on a rock overlooking the Olympus Range, dry valleys, Antarctica

Colin Monteath / Hiker at sunset in the Darrans above cloud-filled Hollyford Valley, Fjordland National Park, New Zealand

Colin Monteath / Vegetable Sheep (Raoulia sp) alpine plant, Hollyford Valley, Fjordland, New Zealand

Colin Monteath / Climber above Webb Glacier, dry valleys, Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica

Colin Monteath / Mt Tutuko, Fjordland's highest peak, view from Conical Hill, Routeburn Track, Fjordland National Park, New Zealand

Colin Monteath / Sunset over Mueller Glacier Lake and Hooker Valley in winter seen from Sebastopol, Mt Cook National Park, New Zealand

Colin Monteath / Hiker on Mt Roy with Mt Aspiring in the distance above Lake Wanaka, Central Otago, New Zealand

Tim Fitzharris / Orange Sneezeweed (Hymenoxys hoopesii) and Delphinium (Delphinium staphisagria) in American Basin, Colorado

Tim Fitzharris / Palmyra Peak reflected in Alta Lake near Telluride, Colorado

Tim Fitzharris / Nokhu crags, hornfel layers carved by glaciers, Medicine Bow Range, Colorado

Tim Fitzharris / Sunset over river and peaks in Moraine Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Tim Fitzharris / Geissler Mountain reflected in Linkins Lake, Colorado

Pete Oxford / Lake Titicaca Frog (Telmatobius culeus) the world's largest aquatic frog, held by a researcher at Lake Titicaca at 13,000 feet elevation, Andes Mountains, Bolivia and Peru, South America

Colin Monteath / Lower Gasherbrum peaks showing glacial cirques (Bowl shaped basin) and valley glaciers, Baltoro Glacier, Karakoram Mountains, Pakistan

Patricio Robles Gil / St. Elias Mountains showing bowl shaped glacial cirques and valley glaciers, Kluane National Park, Canada

Colin Monteath / Aerial view of Mt Aspiring (3033 meters) at sunset, winter, New Zealand

Colin Monteath / Aerial view of Mt Aspiring (3033 meters) at sunset, winter, New Zealand

Colin Monteath / Dawn light on Mt Lhotse (Left) the South Col of Mt Everest (Center) and the Kangshung face of Mt Everest as seen from 6,200 meters elevation at Kharta Glacier, Tibet

Jim Brandenburg / Frost-covered hill rising from boreal forest, Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Minnesota

Michael & Patricia Fogden / Black-bellied Hummingbird (Eupherusa nigriventris) male feeding at and pollinating Gesneria (Kohleria sp) flowers, mid-elevation rainforest, Sarapiqui Gorge, Costa Rica

Patricio Robles Gil / St. Elias Mountains, Kluane National Park, northern Canadian Rocky Mountains, Canada

Patricio Robles Gil / Peak in the St. Elias Mountain, Kluane National Park, Canada

Michael & Patricia Fogden / White-bellied Mountain Gem (Oreopyra hemileucus) hummingbird male perching in mid-elevation rainforest, Sarapiqui Gorge, Costa Rica

Colin Monteath / Chogolisa at 7,668 meters elevation, upper Baltoro Glacier, Karakoram Mountains, Pakistan

Colin Monteath / Pulling sledges towards K2, second highest peak in the world, across Godwin Austen Glacier, Karakoram Mountains, Pakistan

Colin Monteath / Ice climbing on serac under K2, Godwin Austen Glacier, Karakoram Mountains, Pakistan

Colin Monteath / Drogpa nomads herd Yaks above Kangshung Glacier, east of Mt Everest, Chomolonzo Peak is seen in the distance, Tibet

Colin Monteath / Mt Everest reflected in pond at 6,000 meters elevation, Kharta Glacier, Tibet

Colin Monteath / Mt Everest reflected in pond at 6,000 meters elevation, Kharta Glacier, Tibet

Colin Monteath / Dawn light on Lhotse, the south Col of Mt Everest, as seen from 6,200 meters elevation at Kharta Glacier, Tibet

Colin Monteath / Mt Cook or Aoraki, eastern side seen from the Malte-Brun Range in winter, Mt Cook National Park, New Zealand

Colin Monteath / Mt Cook, also called Aoraki, and Mt Tasman, aerial view at dawn of eastern faces from above Tasman Glacier, South Island, New Zealand

Colin Monteath / Mt Cook or Aoraki, aerial view of south face above Hooker Valley, Southern Alps, New Zealand

Colin Monteath / Ski mountaineer near summit with Mt Tasman behind, Westland National Park, New Zealand

Colin Monteath / Skier on Fox Glacier, Westland National Park, New Zealand

Colin Monteath / Ski mountaineer on the Franz Josef Glacier near Drummond Peak, watching the sunset over the Tasman Sea, Westland National Park, New Zealand

Sumio Harada / Mountain Goat (Oreamnos americanus) in Rocky Mountain landscape, North America

Sumio Harada / Mountain Goat (Oreamnos americanus) in Rocky Mountain landscape, North America

Sumio Harada / Mountain Goat (Oreamnos americanus) herd traveling along the edge of a glacier, Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska

Sumio Harada / Moss Campion (Silene acaulis) partially covered in snow, Rocky Mountains, North America

Pete Oxford / Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) perched in a Pine tree, Cotopaxi National Park, Ecuador

Pete Oxford / Lesser Flamingo (Phoenicopterus minor) group near Borax mines, altiplano, southwestern Bolivia