0:00:28 > 0:00:33Human beings venture into the highest parts of our planet at their peril.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37Some might think that by climbing a great mountain,
0:00:37 > 0:00:38they have somehow conquered it.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41But we can only be visitors here.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48This is a frozen, alien world.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02This is the other extreme -
0:01:02 > 0:01:05one of the lowest, hottest places on Earth.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16It's over 100 metres below the level of the sea.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19But here a mountain is in gestation.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22Pools of sulphuric acid are indications
0:01:22 > 0:01:26that, deep underground, there are titanic stirrings.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36This is the Danakil Depression in Ethiopia,
0:01:36 > 0:01:39lying within a colossal rent in the Earth's surface,
0:01:39 > 0:01:42where giant land masses are pulling away from one another.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49Lava rises to the surface through this crack in the crust,
0:01:49 > 0:01:52creating a chain of young volcanoes.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06This one, Erta Ale,
0:02:06 > 0:02:11is today the longest continually-erupting volcano on the planet,
0:02:11 > 0:02:15a lake of lava that has been molten for over 100 years.
0:02:26 > 0:02:32These same volcanic forces also created Ethiopia's highlands.
0:02:39 > 0:02:4070 million years ago,
0:02:40 > 0:02:45this land was just as flat and as deep as the Danakil Depression.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51Molten lava, rising from the Earth's core,
0:02:51 > 0:02:55forced up a huge dome of rock 500 miles wide -
0:02:55 > 0:02:57the Roof of Africa.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07Over millennia, rain and ice carved the rock
0:03:07 > 0:03:11into a landscape of spires and canyons.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19These summits, nearly three miles up,
0:03:19 > 0:03:24are home to some very remarkable mountaineers...
0:03:24 > 0:03:26gelada baboons.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30They are unique to the highlands of Ethiopia.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47The cliffs where they sleep are for expert climbers only
0:03:47 > 0:03:50and geladas certainly have the right equipment -
0:03:50 > 0:03:55the strongest fingers of any primate and an utterly fearless disposition.
0:03:58 > 0:04:03But you need more than a head for heights to survive up here.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07A day in the geladas' life reveals how they have risen to the challenge.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22For all monkeys,
0:04:22 > 0:04:24morning is grooming time -
0:04:24 > 0:04:27a chance to catch up with friends.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29But unlike other monkeys,
0:04:29 > 0:04:32geladas chatter constantly while they do it.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38It's a great way to network while your hands are busy.
0:04:38 > 0:04:43These socials can't go on for too long.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47Geladas have a busy daily schedule and there is work to be done.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53Most monkeys could not live up here.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57There is no fruit and few insects to feed on.
0:04:57 > 0:04:58But geladas are unique.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01They are the only monkeys in the world
0:05:01 > 0:05:03to live almost entirely on grass.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18They live in the largest assemblies formed by any monkeys.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20Some groups are 800 strong...
0:05:20 > 0:05:23and they crop the high meadows like herds of wildebeest.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39The geladas graze alongside Walia ibex,
0:05:39 > 0:05:42which are also unique to these highlands.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49These rare creatures are usually very shy,
0:05:49 > 0:05:53but they drop their guard when the geladas are around.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00You might expect that grazers would avoid each other's patch,
0:06:00 > 0:06:05but this is a special alliance from which both partners benefit.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08It's not so risky to put your head down...
0:06:08 > 0:06:10if others are on the look-out.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14Ethiopian wolves.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17They won't attempt an attack in broad daylight.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25But, at dusk, the plateau becomes a more dangerous place.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31With the grazing largely over,
0:06:31 > 0:06:33there is a last chance to socialise
0:06:33 > 0:06:36before returning to the sleeping cliffs.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54BABOONS HOWL
0:06:54 > 0:06:58An early warning system puts everyone on the alert.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25BABOONS HOWL
0:07:47 > 0:07:53Their day ends as it began, safe on the steep cliffs.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03The Ethiopian volcanoes are dormant,
0:08:03 > 0:08:07but elsewhere, others still rage.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22Volcanoes form the backbone
0:08:22 > 0:08:24of the longest mountain chain on our planet -
0:08:24 > 0:08:27the Andes of South America.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32This vast range stretches 5,000 miles
0:08:32 > 0:08:34from the equator down to the Antarctic.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39It formed as the floor of the Pacific Ocean
0:08:39 > 0:08:43slid beneath the South American continent, buckling its edge.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58At the southern end stand the mountains of Patagonia.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03It's high summer.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07WIND WHISTLES
0:09:07 > 0:09:12But the Andes have the most unstable mountain weather on the planet
0:09:12 > 0:09:15and storms can erupt without warning.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21Temperatures plummet and guanacos and their newborn young
0:09:21 > 0:09:24must suddenly endure a blizzard.
0:09:36 > 0:09:41Truly, all seasons in one day.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53A puma...
0:09:53 > 0:09:55the lion of the Andes.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05Pumas are usually solitary and secretive.
0:10:05 > 0:10:10To see a group walking boldly in the open is extremely rare.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25It's a family - a mother with four cubs.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28She has just one brief summer
0:10:28 > 0:10:32in which to teach them their mountain survival techniques.
0:10:44 > 0:10:50Rearing four cubs to this age is an exceptional feat,
0:10:50 > 0:10:54but she does have an excellent territory, rich in food and water.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01Although the cubs are now as large as their mother,
0:11:01 > 0:11:03they still rely on her for their food.
0:12:24 > 0:12:30It will be another year before the cubs can hunt for themselves.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43Without their mother's skill and experience,
0:12:43 > 0:12:46they would never survive their first winter.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09Battered by hurricane-force winds,
0:13:09 > 0:13:11these slopes are now lifeless.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18Further north, they hold other dangers.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52Moving at 250mph,
0:13:52 > 0:13:55an avalanche destroys everything in its path.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17In the American Rockies,
0:14:17 > 0:14:21100,000 avalanches devastate the slopes every winter.
0:14:24 > 0:14:30This huge mountain chain continues the great spine
0:14:30 > 0:14:32that runs from Patagonia to Alaska.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53The slopes of the Rockies, bleak though they are,
0:14:53 > 0:14:58provide a winter refuge for some animals.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03A mother grizzly emerges from her den
0:15:03 > 0:15:06after six months dozing underground.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08Her two cubs follow her
0:15:08 > 0:15:11and take their first steps in the outside world.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29These steep slopes provide a sanctuary for the cubs.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32A male bear would kill and eat them, given the chance,
0:15:32 > 0:15:36but big animals find it difficult to get about here.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39Males may be twice the size of a female
0:15:39 > 0:15:41and even she can have problems.
0:15:54 > 0:15:58Her cubs, however, make light of the snow...
0:15:58 > 0:16:00and of life in general.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16But the mother faces a dilemma.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19It is six months since she last fed
0:16:19 > 0:16:22and her milk is starting to run dry.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25She must soon leave the safety of these nursery slopes
0:16:25 > 0:16:28and lead her cubs away from the mountain.
0:16:28 > 0:16:33If she delays, the whole family will risk starvation.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03Summer reveals the true nature of the Rockies.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14Stripped of snow,
0:17:14 > 0:17:17the peaks bare their sculpted forms.
0:17:19 > 0:17:23Only now can mountaineers reclaim the upper reaches.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55Two miles up,
0:17:55 > 0:18:00the crumbling precipices seem devoid of life.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12But there ARE animals here.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32A grizzly bear.
0:18:32 > 0:18:37It seems to be an odd creature to find on these high rocky slopes.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44It is hard to imagine what could have attracted it here.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00At this time of the year,
0:19:00 > 0:19:04bears should be fattening up for the winter,
0:19:04 > 0:19:08yet they gather in some numbers on these apparently barren slopes.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24They are searching for a rather unusual food.
0:19:26 > 0:19:27Moths!
0:19:27 > 0:19:31Millions have flown up here to escape the heat of the lowlands
0:19:31 > 0:19:34and they are now roosting among the rocks.
0:19:36 > 0:19:40Moths may seem a meagre meal for a bear,
0:19:40 > 0:19:42but their bodies are rich in fat
0:19:42 > 0:19:46and can make all the difference in a bear's annual struggle for survival.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52Another battle is being waged here,
0:19:52 > 0:19:55but on a much longer timescale.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59These loose boulders are the mountain's crumbling bones.
0:19:59 > 0:20:04The Rockies are no longer rising, but slowly disintegrating.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11All mountains, everywhere,
0:20:11 > 0:20:15are being worn down by frost, snow and ice.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25The Alps were raised some 15 million years ago
0:20:25 > 0:20:27as Africa, drifting northwards,
0:20:27 > 0:20:29collided with the southern edge of Europe.
0:20:35 > 0:20:40These spires are the eroded remains of an ancient sea bed
0:20:40 > 0:20:43that once stretched between the two continents.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03But these are just the Alpine foothills.
0:21:03 > 0:21:08The range at its centre rises to three miles high
0:21:08 > 0:21:11and is crowned with permanent snows.
0:21:23 > 0:21:29The Matterhorn - its summit too steep to hold a snowfield.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41Mont Blanc - the highest peak in western Europe.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57The distinctive jagged shapes of the Alps
0:21:57 > 0:22:02were carved by those great mountain sculptors...the glaciers.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12Immense rivers of moving ice, laden with rock,
0:22:12 > 0:22:17grind their way down the mountains, gouging out deep valleys.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27They are the most powerful erosive force on our planet.
0:22:36 > 0:22:40A moulin - a shaft in the ice opened by melt water
0:22:40 > 0:22:43as it plunges into the depths of the glacier.
0:22:58 > 0:23:03Like the water running through it, the ice itself is constantly moving,
0:23:03 > 0:23:06flowing down the valley with unstoppable force.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27Alpine glaciers may seem immense,
0:23:27 > 0:23:30but they are dwarfed by those in the great ranges
0:23:30 > 0:23:34that divide the Indian sub-continent from Tibet.
0:23:37 > 0:23:43This is the boulder-strewn snout of the giant Baltoro Glacier
0:23:43 > 0:23:46in the Karakoram mountains of Pakistan.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58It's the biggest mountain glacier on Earth,
0:23:58 > 0:24:0243 miles long and over three miles wide.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05This huge ice-filled valley is so large
0:24:05 > 0:24:08it is clearly visible from space.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34This is the greatest concentration of peaks over five miles high
0:24:34 > 0:24:37to be found anywhere on Earth.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43They are the most dangerous mountains of all.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46K2 and her sister peaks
0:24:46 > 0:24:49have claimed more lives than any others.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03The peaks here rise so precipitously,
0:25:03 > 0:25:06the glaciers are so steep and crevassed,
0:25:06 > 0:25:09that few except the most skilled mountaineers
0:25:09 > 0:25:12can penetrate these ranges.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17Markhor gather for their annual rut.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32Males must fight for the right to breed,
0:25:32 > 0:25:38but on these sheer cliffs, any slip by either animal could be fatal.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50A snow leopard -
0:25:50 > 0:25:53the rarest of Himalayan animals.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56It's a female returning to her lair.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10These are the first intimate images
0:26:10 > 0:26:13of snow leopard ever filmed in the wild.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25She greets her one-year-old cub.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32Her den is well chosen.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36It has exceptional views of the surrounding cliffs.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41On these treacherous slopes,
0:26:41 > 0:26:45no hunter other than the snow leopard would have a chance
0:26:45 > 0:26:48of catching such agile prey.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57A female with young makes an easier target.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19Her large paws give an excellent grip
0:27:19 > 0:27:23and that long tail helps her balance.
0:27:31 > 0:27:36Silently, she positions herself above her prey.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39She returns...with nothing.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12Golden eagles patrol these cliffs,
0:29:12 > 0:29:14in search of the weak or injured.
0:29:34 > 0:29:36With a two-metre wingspan,
0:29:36 > 0:29:40this bird could easily take a young markhor.
0:29:43 > 0:29:45Eagles hunt by sight
0:29:45 > 0:29:49and the thickening veil of snow forces them to give up
0:30:04 > 0:30:08For the leopard, the snow provides cover
0:30:08 > 0:30:10and creates an opportunity.
0:30:28 > 0:30:32The worsening weather dampens the sound of her approach,
0:30:32 > 0:30:36allowing her to get within striking distance.
0:30:53 > 0:30:57It was an act of desperation to try and catch such a large animal.
0:31:06 > 0:31:09Wolves have made a kill,
0:31:09 > 0:31:12giving other hunters a chance to scavenge.
0:31:27 > 0:31:31The worst of the blizzard brings success for the snow leopard,
0:31:31 > 0:31:34but having descended so far to make the kill,
0:31:34 > 0:31:38she has a gruelling climb to get back to her lair.
0:31:52 > 0:31:54The cub must be patient.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57It will be a year before it has the strength and skill
0:31:57 > 0:32:00to kill for itself on these difficult slopes.
0:32:24 > 0:32:29The snow leopard is an almost mythical creature,
0:32:29 > 0:32:30an icon of the wilderness,
0:32:30 > 0:32:33an animal few humans have ever glimpsed
0:32:33 > 0:32:36for its world is one we seldom visit.
0:32:45 > 0:32:48The Karakoram lie at the western end of a range
0:32:48 > 0:32:52that stretches across a tenth of our planet...
0:32:52 > 0:32:54the Himalayas.
0:33:03 > 0:33:08These, the highest mountains in the world, like other great ranges,
0:33:08 > 0:33:12were created by the collision of continents.
0:33:14 > 0:33:16Some 50 million years ago,
0:33:16 > 0:33:18India collided with Tibet,
0:33:18 > 0:33:22thrusting up these immense peaks which are still rising.
0:33:27 > 0:33:32This vast barrier of rock and ice is so colossal,
0:33:32 > 0:33:35it shapes the world's climate.
0:33:36 > 0:33:40Warm winds from India, full of moisture,
0:33:40 > 0:33:42are forced upwards by the Himalayas.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45As the air rises, so it cools,
0:33:45 > 0:33:49causing clouds to form and the monsoon is born.
0:34:27 > 0:34:31At high altitudes, the monsoon rains fall as snow.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35Here at the far eastern end of the range, in China,
0:34:35 > 0:34:40one inhabitant endures the bitter winters out in the open.
0:34:47 > 0:34:51Most other bears would be sleeping underground by now,
0:34:51 > 0:34:55but the giant panda can't fatten up enough to hibernate.
0:34:58 > 0:35:03Its food, bamboo, on which it totally relies,
0:35:03 > 0:35:05has so little nutritional value
0:35:05 > 0:35:09that it can't build up a store of fat like other bears.
0:35:11 > 0:35:15Most of the creatures here move up or down the slopes with the seasons,
0:35:15 > 0:35:19but the panda is held captive by its diet,
0:35:19 > 0:35:22for the kind of bamboo it eats only grows at this altitude.
0:35:30 > 0:35:35These forests hold fewer challenges for the more mobile.
0:35:38 > 0:35:44The golden snub-nosed monkey, like the giant panda, lives only in China.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49Their thick fur allows them
0:35:49 > 0:35:52to survive at greater altitudes than any other monkey
0:35:52 > 0:35:56and when the cold bites, they have these upper slopes to themselves.
0:36:04 > 0:36:06Even if you have a warm coat,
0:36:06 > 0:36:09it apparently helps to surround yourself
0:36:09 > 0:36:11with as many layers as possible.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15But at least these monkeys have a choice.
0:36:15 > 0:36:19If they tire of tree bark and other survival food,
0:36:19 > 0:36:22they can always descend to lower, warmer altitudes
0:36:22 > 0:36:24and not return until spring.
0:36:28 > 0:36:33As the snows retreat, trees come into bloom.
0:36:38 > 0:36:40Cherry blossom.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45Rhododendrons.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48Here in their natural home, they form great forests
0:36:48 > 0:36:51and fill the landscape with the colours of a new season.
0:37:10 > 0:37:16These forests are host to a rich variety of springtime migrants.
0:37:30 > 0:37:34Beneath the blooms, another display.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40It's the mating season for oriental pheasants...
0:37:40 > 0:37:42Himalayan monal...
0:37:46 > 0:37:48..tragopan...
0:37:48 > 0:37:49and blood pheasant.
0:37:57 > 0:38:02Musk deer make the most of a short flush of spring foods.
0:38:04 > 0:38:07This male smells a potential mate.
0:38:22 > 0:38:24The red panda...
0:38:24 > 0:38:26rarely glimpsed in the wild.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29It was once considered a kind of raccoon,
0:38:29 > 0:38:32but is now believed to be a small mountain bear.
0:38:42 > 0:38:46By midsummer, its larger, more famous relative
0:38:46 > 0:38:49has retreated into a cave.
0:39:03 > 0:39:07A giant panda nurses a tiny week-old baby.
0:39:14 > 0:39:18Her tender cleaning wards off infection.
0:39:29 > 0:39:34She won't leave this cave for three weeks,
0:39:34 > 0:39:38not while her cub is so utterly helpless.
0:39:47 > 0:39:49Progress is slow,
0:39:49 > 0:39:54for milk produced on a diet of bamboo is wretchedly poor.
0:40:01 > 0:40:05Four weeks old and the cub is still blind.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16Its eyes do not fully open
0:40:16 > 0:40:19until three months after birth.
0:40:19 > 0:40:24But the chances of the cub reaching adulthood are slim.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31The struggle of a giant panda mother to raise her cub
0:40:31 > 0:40:34is a touching symbol
0:40:34 > 0:40:37of the precariousness of life in the mountains.
0:40:47 > 0:40:53On the highest summits of our planet, nothing can live permanently.
0:40:57 > 0:41:00The highest peak of all, Mount Everest,
0:41:00 > 0:41:04five and a half miles above sea level and still rising.
0:41:04 > 0:41:06The roof of our world.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11Of those humans who have tried to climb it,
0:41:11 > 0:41:14one in ten have lost their lives.
0:41:14 > 0:41:20Those that succeed can stand for only a few moments on its summit.
0:41:20 > 0:41:26The Nepalese call it "a mountain so high no bird can fly above it".
0:41:32 > 0:41:34But each year,
0:41:34 > 0:41:37over 50,000 demoiselle cranes
0:41:37 > 0:41:41set out on one of the most challenging migrations on Earth.
0:41:43 > 0:41:47To reach their overwintering grounds in India,
0:41:47 > 0:41:49they must cross the Himalayas.
0:41:56 > 0:42:00By late morning, ferocious winds are roaring past the peaks.
0:42:00 > 0:42:05The cranes must gain height to avoid the building storm.
0:42:33 > 0:42:37They've hit serious turbulence.
0:42:40 > 0:42:45They must turn back or risk death.
0:43:18 > 0:43:23A new day and a new opportunity.
0:43:23 > 0:43:27The flock stay in close contact by calling to one another.
0:43:36 > 0:43:40Weak from lack of food and water, they use thermals -
0:43:40 > 0:43:42rising columns of warm air -
0:43:42 > 0:43:44to gain height.
0:44:00 > 0:44:05For many, this is their first journey across the Himalayas.
0:44:05 > 0:44:09For some, it will be their last.
0:44:17 > 0:44:21The golden eagles have been expecting them.
0:44:31 > 0:44:36The eagles work in pairs to separate a young crane from the flock.
0:45:21 > 0:45:23It escapes the clutches of one...
0:45:23 > 0:45:25and is caught by another.
0:45:28 > 0:45:32But even a young crane is a heavy prize
0:45:32 > 0:45:36and the eagle has to struggle to control it.
0:45:54 > 0:45:57The mother can wait no longer.
0:45:57 > 0:46:00This is a desperate race against worsening weather.
0:46:06 > 0:46:10The rest of the flock battle on.
0:46:14 > 0:46:15In the final ascent,
0:46:15 > 0:46:19every wing-beat becomes an exhausting struggle.
0:46:36 > 0:46:43At last, they are over the highest barrier that lies in their way.
0:46:50 > 0:46:54But, like all who visit the world of the high mountains,
0:46:54 > 0:46:56they dare not linger.
0:47:15 > 0:47:17It's not just the scale of mountains
0:47:17 > 0:47:20that makes them a daunting place to work in.
0:47:20 > 0:47:24The wildlife is scarce and extremely hard to find
0:47:24 > 0:47:30and it doesn't come any harder than finding and filming the snow leopard.
0:47:36 > 0:47:39Scientists can spend years in the field
0:47:39 > 0:47:43with barely even a sighting of this rare creature.
0:47:43 > 0:47:49Planet Earth sent one of the toughest cameramen in the business
0:47:49 > 0:47:52to begin a three-year quest to film it.
0:47:53 > 0:47:57So, I guess you could say this is where it really starts.
0:47:57 > 0:48:02We're up here in snow leopard country.
0:48:02 > 0:48:05You look around and anywhere, anytime,
0:48:05 > 0:48:07you might just see it.
0:48:07 > 0:48:10These are big, big mountains
0:48:10 > 0:48:13and there are not many snow leopards.
0:48:13 > 0:48:15There it is!
0:48:15 > 0:48:19There's home entrance for the next wee while.
0:48:19 > 0:48:24If I take you inside, I'll show you the amenities. Very much five star!
0:48:24 > 0:48:28It's actually, I think, quite comfy.
0:48:28 > 0:48:30There's the bed
0:48:30 > 0:48:34and I've got pretty much everything I need.
0:48:34 > 0:48:38I brought some water up from the river.
0:48:38 > 0:48:44True, it's a little bit, er, cramped, but it's quite enough.
0:48:44 > 0:48:51And, er, all I need know are one or two pussycats.
0:48:54 > 0:48:56As an insurance policy,
0:48:56 > 0:48:59the crew set up remote camera traps.
0:48:59 > 0:49:01Yeah, that's good. OK, Doug.
0:49:01 > 0:49:03These cameras are triggered by movement
0:49:03 > 0:49:06and capture images of ANY passer-by.
0:49:06 > 0:49:08Am I a good snow leopard?
0:49:08 > 0:49:09- Erm... No, but... - LAUGHTER
0:49:09 > 0:49:13If a snow leopard does what you did, that'll be jolly good.
0:49:15 > 0:49:17But to stand a chance of filming any behaviour,
0:49:17 > 0:49:21Doug just has to sit and hide... and wait.
0:49:21 > 0:49:23HE EXHALES LOUDLY
0:49:23 > 0:49:25This is tedious stuff.
0:49:25 > 0:49:29This is the seventh session that I've done.
0:49:29 > 0:49:33I do three hours in the morning, three hours in the late afternoon.
0:49:33 > 0:49:34No' a sign!
0:49:37 > 0:49:40If you got just a little bit of hint,
0:49:40 > 0:49:42a wee bit of a sighting now and again,
0:49:42 > 0:49:45your spirits would be lifted.
0:49:45 > 0:49:50But right now, I'd swap a little bit of this animal's charisma
0:49:50 > 0:49:52for a little bit more visibility.
0:49:54 > 0:49:56Doug's hide is carefully positioned
0:49:56 > 0:49:58to give him the best view of the valley
0:49:58 > 0:50:01just in case a snow leopard should turn up.
0:50:05 > 0:50:08Five days!
0:50:08 > 0:50:11That's 35 hours of watching.
0:50:13 > 0:50:14Nothing.
0:50:14 > 0:50:16No cats.
0:50:18 > 0:50:20Of course it's boring!
0:50:20 > 0:50:22It's boring as hell!
0:50:35 > 0:50:38After seven weeks of patiently sitting and waiting,
0:50:38 > 0:50:43these distant shots are all that Doug managed to film from the hide.
0:50:43 > 0:50:48But luckily, the remote camera's proved to be more successful.
0:50:52 > 0:50:56Whilst even a few shots of snow leopard in the wild are thrilling,
0:50:56 > 0:51:00the crew were still far from having a sequence of behaviour.
0:51:01 > 0:51:03Planet Earth needed to take another risk
0:51:03 > 0:51:06and move to a new location.
0:51:10 > 0:51:13Unfortunately, where they hoped to search for snow leopard,
0:51:13 > 0:51:17others were already searching for al-Qaeda.
0:51:17 > 0:51:21- REPORTER: - This is THE location in the war against terror.
0:51:24 > 0:51:26Only news crews were given access
0:51:26 > 0:51:30until the political situation became more stable.
0:51:35 > 0:51:39One year later, Planet Earth was finally allowed into Pakistan.
0:51:39 > 0:51:42They faced a week-long trek through terrain
0:51:42 > 0:51:46that was not only politically but geologically unstable.
0:51:50 > 0:51:52Whoo!
0:51:57 > 0:52:03The BBC has put us through two days of safety training.
0:52:03 > 0:52:08It went from land mine clearing to hijack attempt
0:52:08 > 0:52:11and having watched the markhor, which we're trying to film,
0:52:11 > 0:52:14climb these cliffs that we're on today,
0:52:14 > 0:52:18the most terrifying thing is these football-sized rocks
0:52:18 > 0:52:21that keep flying past at head height.
0:52:21 > 0:52:25You just think you actually can't prepare for that sort of thing,
0:52:25 > 0:52:29getting knocked on the head by a big rock.
0:52:29 > 0:52:30It's quite scary, really.
0:52:30 > 0:52:34But it turned out to be worth all the risk.
0:52:34 > 0:52:37The crew were in promising snow leopard terrain
0:52:37 > 0:52:42and soon finding plenty of signs that they were around.
0:52:42 > 0:52:44How old do you think that one is?
0:52:48 > 0:52:52We just got a lot of snow and we'll be able to track the snow leopard.
0:52:52 > 0:52:55So, we'll have a lot better chance of filming it.
0:52:55 > 0:52:57It's just fantastic!
0:52:57 > 0:53:00Good news for tracking,
0:53:00 > 0:53:03but the snow would make it far harder to get around.
0:53:05 > 0:53:08To increase their chances of finding a snow leopard,
0:53:08 > 0:53:10the crew split up,
0:53:10 > 0:53:13leaving Mark to spend Christmas on his own.
0:53:13 > 0:53:15It's gonna be the first Christmas and New Year
0:53:15 > 0:53:17I've spent away from my family.
0:53:18 > 0:53:21I spoke to my kids last night
0:53:21 > 0:53:25and they were just about to go out carol singing around the village.
0:53:25 > 0:53:28It would have been nice to have been with them.
0:53:28 > 0:53:32Erm... However, er...
0:53:35 > 0:53:37Well, that's it, really.
0:53:37 > 0:53:40Although Mark woke to a white Christmas,
0:53:40 > 0:53:43there was no sign of the present that he had most been wishing for.
0:53:43 > 0:53:48He had to wait five days before he heard any more news.
0:53:49 > 0:53:54We just got a report that there's a snow leopard up on the ridge.
0:53:54 > 0:53:58We were too low where we were before
0:53:58 > 0:54:00so I'm just trying to get some height
0:54:00 > 0:54:02to get a better view of it.
0:54:08 > 0:54:13Hugh on the radio said it was just up the valley on the cliff
0:54:13 > 0:54:15on the left here.
0:54:19 > 0:54:23Finally, Mark was rewarded with his first ever glimpse.
0:54:23 > 0:54:25I looked up onto the ridge.
0:54:25 > 0:54:28I could see this leopard-shaped rock,
0:54:28 > 0:54:31which I'd seen a million times before.
0:54:31 > 0:54:36I looked through binoculars and there was a leopard just sat there.
0:54:36 > 0:54:38I said, "Leopard, leopard!"
0:54:38 > 0:54:41They went, "Mark..." "Look at it!"
0:54:41 > 0:54:45It's perched just on top of a rock and it looked down at us
0:54:45 > 0:54:50and it sort of sat down in a sphinx-like posture.
0:54:50 > 0:54:54It came down very quickly and it's in a cave just up here,
0:54:54 > 0:54:56about 100 metres away.
0:54:57 > 0:55:02And, er, we've just gotta stake it out now and wait.
0:55:04 > 0:55:07Mark's patience had paid off.
0:55:07 > 0:55:11News of his success quickly reached the tracking team.
0:55:11 > 0:55:13Snow leopard, snow leopard!
0:55:15 > 0:55:20- Hey! - THEY CHEER
0:55:26 > 0:55:29I can't tell you how relieved I am.
0:55:29 > 0:55:31This is just the best news ever
0:55:31 > 0:55:36and tomorrow's New Year's Eve so I think we're gonna party like there's no tomorrow!
0:55:36 > 0:55:39No excuses, I think, on this one!
0:55:39 > 0:55:42Ohhh! I just...
0:55:42 > 0:55:45Unbelievable! I couldn't be happier!
0:55:45 > 0:55:50The crew were lucky enough to spend two whole weeks
0:55:50 > 0:55:52with this snow leopard and her cub,
0:55:52 > 0:55:55capturing intimate details of their lives
0:55:55 > 0:55:58in this extremely remote location.
0:56:04 > 0:56:08But the final day of filming was to bring the best luck of all.
0:56:29 > 0:56:31Planet Earth's three-year quest
0:56:31 > 0:56:34ended with this extraordinary footage -
0:56:34 > 0:56:37a wild snow leopard hunt,
0:56:37 > 0:56:41something few humans have ever even seen.
0:57:00 > 0:57:03Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd 2006
0:57:03 > 0:57:06E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk