“A snapshot from mountaineer's life”. Have you ever wondered how does a mountaineer's day start? I will give you a hint: you wake up at 3 am, set the stove, wake up your partner, pretend it is warm, quickly consume a high-calorie breakfast, watch your friends slowly ascending the icy slopes of your dream summit with their tiny head torches glimmering against perfectly blue ice, and hope for the good weather. One would ask: why all this trouble? The answer is easy: for the love of the adventure and the unknown. Location: Chamonix, Haute Savoye, France. (Photo and caption by Kamil Tamiola/National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest)

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“Woman with Umbrella in Rain” by Raimund von Stillfried. Artist: Kusakabe Kimbei (Japanese, 1841–1934), 1870s. Commercial photography studios in Meiji-era Japan were renowned for the subtlety and refinement of their coloring techniques. This hand-tinted image of a young woman caught in a heavy rainstorm achieved its naturalistic effect by knitting together multiple strands of artifice: the greenery in the foreground was a studio prop; the flaps of the kimono were suspended by thin wires to create the impression of a strong wind; and long, diagonal marks were made on the negative to suggest streaks of rain. (Photo courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art)

The Northern Lights glow green in a spectacular light show above a field of trees frozen solid with snow. (Photo by Jaak Sarv/Solent News & Photo Agency)

Pedra da Gavea highline, 850 meters above the city, 100 meters direct exposure, March 24, 2013. Brian Mosbaugh on the line. Carefully tiptoeing almost 3000 metres above Rio de Janeiro on a thin wire got a bit too much for this adrenaline junkie – so he decided to have a LIE DOWN. Fearless Brian Mosbaugh is so used to the perilous heights he decided he deserved a short break and proceeded to kick back and relax over the famous Brazilian city. (Photo by Scott Rogers/Caters)

P.S. All pictures are presented in high resolution. To see Hi-Res images – just TWICE click on any picture. In other words, click small picture – opens the BIG picture. Click BIG picture – opens VERY BIG picture (if available; this principle works anywhere on the site AvaxNews).

A man watches as high surf crashes into the wall and spills onto Channel Drive in Montecito, Calif., January 7, 2016. Bacteria levels can increase significantly during and after rainstorms as contaminants in the runoff enter the ocean via storm drains, creeks and rivers. (Photo by Mike Eliason/AP Photo)

Competitors Hope Garcia (L) and Francesca Esker during the newly reintroduced Muscle Beach Vintage Swimsuit competition at Venice Beach, California on May 30, 2016. Venice is one of two historic bodybuilding locations and took over as the most famous spot when the nearby Santa Monica Muscle beach was shutdown due to overcrowding. California Governor and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger used to be a regular amongst the many famous bodybuilders and actors who have trained there and still makes an occasional appearance. (Photo by Mark Ralston/AFP Photo)

Clown/comedian/filmmaker Pierre Etaix attends The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences' Presents “Pierre Etaix: The Laughter Returns” at AMPAS Samuel Goldwyn Theater on November 16, 2011 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Valerie Macon/Getty Images)

A woman carries earthen pots to fill them with drinking water on a hot summer day, on the outskirts of Ajmer, Rajasthan, India April 25, 2017. (Photo by Himanshu Sharma/Reuters)