The longest chain of mountains in the world at 7200km, the Andes run the length of western South America and dictate the climate for the whole continent. From the northern coasts of Venezuela to the tip of Tierra del Fuego in Chile, they include some of the highest peaks outside the Himalayas. Live volcanoes punctuate the range, and form part of the Pacific Rim of Fire. This film explores how life has managed to exist in this high altitude world of extremes.

Pumas roam the mountain slopes searching for a meal. Condors glide over 5000 metres above them hoping to scavenge a free meal from their leftovers.

High altitude cloud forests cling to the steep slopes and carpet a rich world of spectacled bears, colourful birds and unique plants. The jungle also cloaks the deserted mountain cities of ancient and mysterious peoples long since reclaimed by nature. Yet people still live in the thin air and extreme exposures of the Andes. The Quechua are some of the world’s most adapted peoples. Every day is an uphill struggle.

In Peru and Bolivia, the Andes have thrust expansive desert plains and salt pans 3 miles into the sky. Known as the altiplano, these high altitude plateaus are some of the most extreme habitats on Earth. Baking heat claims the day, and frigid winter grips the night. The highest geysers in the world attest to the volcanic instability of the whole area. Flamingoes sieve the saline pools for brine shrimp and altitude adapted animals like viscachas and vicunas graze the plains.