Peaks and Summits: 31 Photos of Majestic Mountain Adventures

Atop on of two summit pinnacles of Snaefellsjokull mountain in Iceland, climber Remi McMurtry stands above the clouds. Stood on the higher ridge I shivered waiting for the clouds to clear; a 30-minute pose for 30 seconds of clarity. The clouds later descended as we hiked down into a midnight sun.

In 2015 the Matterhorn was illuminated for the jubilee that marked the 150th anniversary of the first ascent of the mountain. For the event, 50 lamps along the Hörnligrat gradually lit up until all illuminated the path of the first climbers from 1865. A red lamp marked the place below the summit where four alpinists fell to their deaths.

The summit of Aiguille de Bionnassay (4052m) in the Mont Blanc Massif, after climbing its north face.

Standing on the summit of Mount Gordon, a youth mountaineering group fetches brilliant blue water from an almost unreal looking pool of water just below the summit!

A 22° halo during a total lunar eclipse at 13,796ft on the summit of Maunakea, Hawaii Island.

This was en route to the summit of Mt Arrowsmith on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The visibility was poor but the snow conditions were perfect and the stoke levels were high.

Jengish Chokusu (also known as Victory peak or Peak Pobeda, 7349 m) is the highest peak of Kyrgyzstan. It is recognised as the northernmost seven-thousander and one of the most dangerous peaks for climbers at this altitude level. Since its first ascent in 1956 only about 400 climbers have reached the top and 100 died trying. On the night this picture was taken, a party of 20 climbers was fighting its way down the mountain after losing one of its members near the summit.

Contemplating an active volcano up-close is to hear that roar of the Earth. It's a unique sensation, sometimes terrifying and at other times a pure adrenaline rush. The volcano pictured is Fuego, one of the most active volcanoes in the world, and the image is taken from the summit of its twin volcano, Acatenango.

I reached the summit of Huayna Potosi Mountain in Bolivia and was surprised to see a dog trailed from behind. Amazing climber!

Mount Pilatus majestically towers over the city of Lucerne, Switzerland, and its lake. A layer of thin, low clouds/haze below emphasises the height of this mountain summit above its surroundings.

I was exploring the wild and remote Caukasus mountain range of Georgia together with a group of pro ski freeriders. Here you see my three friends hiking up a lonely mountain at sunset to reach a virgin run down to the valley. Anne Wangler is already at the summit and is watching her friends on the final metres before the summit.

A split second glimpse of mountaineers while on the gondola to the summit of Mont Blanc.

Epic sunrise from below the summit of Ha Ling Peak in Canada. It took me over two hours of hiking in the dark in some icy conditions to get the top. The temperature was about -20 Celsius and my fingers almost fell off when I was trying to set up the camera and find the compositions, but the moment I managed to capture will stay with me forever.

A full moon shepherds our party along the crevasse field en route to the summit of Rainier. Roped together, we carefully watch each step and deal with the reality that we carry each others' lives in our hands.

Winter camping is cold, unpleasant and beautiful. I took this picture near the summit of Winchester Mountain, Washington, USA.

I took this picture on the summit of Trapper's Peak after spending the night up there in a tent.

When we went up to the mountains that night with the stargazers of Vals, they were able to tell us all the facts about every peak we saw. Mount Guraletschhorn (2,908m), which you can see in this picture, was one of them. The centre of the Milky Way was setting behind the summit. In the picture you can easily spot the colourful lagoon nebula on the left and the bright shining planet Saturn in the top right. Luckily, the mountainscape was eliminated by the rising moon, giving the picture more depth.

Will Gadd climbs an ice fin near the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania.

The descent from the summit of Raceka, Ala Archa National Park, Kyrgyzstan.

Summiting the Arête des Cosmiques on the Mont Blanc Massif in Chamonix, France.

Alpenglow (n.) a reddish glow often seen on the summits of mountains just before sunrise or just after sunset.

This image was taken at an altitude of about 8,800m, while traversing the summit pyramid on Mount Everest. It is difficult to take many photos up there and I was concerned in case my battery died before I got the chance for that elusive summit pic. This was maybe 30 minutes from the top and came out well for a one-handed shot!

The Matterhorn, illuminated on the 150th anniversary of the first ascent. The first pair to reach the top were Edward Whymper (English), and Michel Croz (French), along with the rest of their team via Zermatt and the Eastern Face (as shown by the lanterns). They were racing an Italian team, who reached the summit only three days later via the South Face. There is a single Red lantern to show where Lord Francis Douglas, Charles Hudson, Douglas Hadow, and Michel Croz were killed on the descent.

Early winter in Northern Norway and Johan Engebratt has just reached the summit after hours of climbing from sea level. For the last section to the summit he had to put his skis on his backback. The views are nothing but water and mountains, and the sun is as always low in the sky at this time of year. Just one thing left to do – the ski descent.

North Arapahoe Peak is the highest point in the Indian Peaks Wildness. Not only can you see the Arapahoe glacier directly below you from the summit, but you can also see the city of Boulder, to which the glacier provides water , far off in the distance. Arapahoe, like many glaciers, is getting smaller and smaller every year. On the lighter side of things, getting to the summit of North Arapahoe requires you to traverse a Class III scramble and is an amazing adventure to an amazing view with friends!

I was exploring the wild and remote Caucasus mountain range of Georgia together with a group of pro ski freeriders. Here you see Jochen Reiser on his final metres before the summit.

This photo was taken while coming down off of South Suicide Peak, Chugach State Park, Alaska. The conditions were prime. Both avalanche conditions and weather opened up in a way that allowed a burly summit in the middle of an Alaskan winter.

A short rest during an ascent to Mount Elbrus, in the Caucasus Mountains in Southern Russia, during a very stormy day.

Mount Brewster (right) and Top Heavy (left), with Brewster Glacier between, in the Southern Alps, New Zealand. The summit of Mount Armstrong is in the foreground. For me, this sums up my personal quest for happiness – being in the mountains, away from the clutter and frustrations of city life, striving for a goal, being immersed in the moment.

Two alpinists walking on an icy ridge at the summit of Mont Blanc du Tacul, in the Mont Blanc massif of the French Alps.