Would you like to inspect the original subtitles? These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated:
1
00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:04,833
The andes.
2
00:00:04,933 --> 00:00:08,033
The world's longest mountain range...
3
00:00:12,433 --> 00:00:17,066
Stretching 5,000 miles along south america's spine.
4
00:00:19,366 --> 00:00:21,700
Hidden away in these mountains
5
00:00:21,800 --> 00:00:25,466
Are an astonishing number of different worlds
6
00:00:30,266 --> 00:00:35,033
Cloud forests locked in mist,
7
00:00:35,133 --> 00:00:39,533
The largest salt flats on earth,
8
00:00:39,633 --> 00:00:44,666
Ice fields 200 miles across.
9
00:00:44,766 --> 00:00:48,333
The andes have a thousand different faces,
10
00:00:48,433 --> 00:00:51,366
So for those who call these mountains home,
11
00:00:51,466 --> 00:00:54,800
Adaptation is everything.
12
00:00:54,900 --> 00:00:58,500
Opportunists find riches in the desert...
14
00:01:02,633 --> 00:01:04,833
While bold mountaineers traverse
15
00:01:04,933 --> 00:01:07,200
Vertical landscapes.
16
00:01:09,833 --> 00:01:13,866
Big cats hunt in desolate wilderness...
17
00:01:16,066 --> 00:01:19,433
And brave parents dare to raise their families
18
00:01:19,533 --> 00:01:22,733
Deep in an ice world.
19
00:01:22,833 --> 00:01:25,300
But even with these skills,
20
00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:28,800
Survival in the andes is no sure thing.
21
00:01:32,700 --> 00:01:35,766
It's a battle for survival that rages
22
00:01:35,866 --> 00:01:38,600
Across the world in great mountain ranges
23
00:01:38,700 --> 00:01:40,733
That touch the skies.
24
00:01:42,766 --> 00:01:47,200
Hostile,unforgiving worlds
25
00:01:47,300 --> 00:01:51,000
That push life to its limits,
26
00:01:51,100 --> 00:01:52,966
Where against all odds,
27
00:01:53,066 --> 00:01:57,266
A few extraordinary animals
28
00:01:57,366 --> 00:01:59,900
And remarkable people
29
00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:01,266
Dare to live
30
00:02:01,366 --> 00:02:04,133
In the highest places on earth.
32
00:02:17,500 --> 00:02:21,066
The andes span south america
33
00:02:21,066 --> 00:02:24,800
From bottom to top,stretching 3 times
34
00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:27,733
The length of the himalaya.
35
00:02:27,733 --> 00:02:29,800
Within these mountains lie worlds
36
00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:33,433
Both remarkable and unique,
37
00:02:33,433 --> 00:02:36,766
And one of them lies on the equator,
38
00:02:36,766 --> 00:02:42,266
Where the andes cross through ecuador.
39
00:02:42,266 --> 00:02:44,000
The cloud forest.
41
00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:56,266
Even 6,500 feet up,
42
00:02:56,266 --> 00:03:01,966
It's 60 degrees,with lots of sunshine...
43
00:03:01,966 --> 00:03:05,800
And more rain than anywhere else in the andes,
44
00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:07,533
20 feet a year.
46
00:03:10,500 --> 00:03:13,233
It's the perfect recipe for life.
47
00:03:17,433 --> 00:03:21,133
Tens of thousands of species vie for space...
48
00:03:26,866 --> 00:03:31,366
Nearly a thousand types of bird,
49
00:03:31,366 --> 00:03:35,066
1/6 of all plant species.
50
00:03:35,066 --> 00:03:38,500
But intense competition makes living here tough.
51
00:03:41,533 --> 00:03:45,900
It seems everything wants to eat everything else.
52
00:03:47,933 --> 00:03:50,966
The way to survive is to adapt.
53
00:03:53,033 --> 00:03:56,100
Stick insects mimic thorny plants.
54
00:03:58,833 --> 00:04:01,933
Glass frogs go a step further.
55
00:04:04,833 --> 00:04:07,066
With translucent skin...
56
00:04:08,933 --> 00:04:11,100
To soften their silhouette...
57
00:04:13,966 --> 00:04:18,333
But there's one frog here that takes adaptation
58
00:04:18,333 --> 00:04:20,200
To a whole new level...
59
00:04:25,466 --> 00:04:29,300
A newly discovered rain frog,
60
00:04:29,300 --> 00:04:31,400
Less than an inch long.
61
00:04:35,966 --> 00:04:41,400
On the face of it,he looks quite ordinary,
62
00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:43,366
But he has a trick up his sleeve
63
00:04:43,366 --> 00:04:46,100
That baffles biologists,
64
00:04:46,100 --> 00:04:50,233
A trick that allows him to vanish from his predators...
65
00:04:54,200 --> 00:04:56,533
Like this eyelash viper.
66
00:05:03,733 --> 00:05:06,933
Large eyes lock onto the prey.
67
00:05:10,700 --> 00:05:12,433
He leaps for cover...
68
00:05:16,966 --> 00:05:20,300
And now,he performs a bit of magic.
69
00:05:32,100 --> 00:05:36,166
He grows 3-dimensional camouflage.
70
00:05:48,333 --> 00:05:51,866
His new shape,color,and texture
71
00:05:51,866 --> 00:05:54,366
Blend seamlessly with the moss.
72
00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:13,933
It's the perfect adaptation to the cloud forest.
73
00:06:18,700 --> 00:06:22,800
This is the story all through the andes.
74
00:06:26,433 --> 00:06:29,266
It's adaptation that makes the different worlds
75
00:06:29,266 --> 00:06:31,800
Of this mountain range survivable.
76
00:06:38,466 --> 00:06:41,366
Each world demands special abilities
77
00:06:41,366 --> 00:06:43,033
From its inhabitants...
78
00:06:47,933 --> 00:06:50,800
And nowhere is more challenging
79
00:06:50,800 --> 00:06:52,633
Than the far south.
80
00:06:55,033 --> 00:06:58,866
The andes start at chile's southernmost tip,
81
00:06:58,866 --> 00:07:01,966
Cape horn.
82
00:07:01,966 --> 00:07:05,166
Some call it the end of the earth.
84
00:07:13,233 --> 00:07:18,933
Down here,ferocious winds blow at over 100 miles an hour.
85
00:07:21,733 --> 00:07:24,000
The weather changes faster than anywhere
86
00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:26,500
In south america.
88
00:07:30,633 --> 00:07:33,566
One moment,a storm's brewing...
90
00:07:38,766 --> 00:07:40,500
The next.
91
00:07:42,833 --> 00:07:44,433
Total calm.
92
00:07:47,333 --> 00:07:50,800
To live in the southern andes,animals must adapt
93
00:07:50,900 --> 00:07:53,966
To the constantly changing environment.
95
00:07:59,566 --> 00:08:00,900
A puma.
96
00:08:03,166 --> 00:08:06,733
The biggest cat in the andes.
98
00:08:11,366 --> 00:08:13,433
She has 3 cubs
99
00:08:13,433 --> 00:08:15,566
And must raise them on her own.
100
00:08:17,666 --> 00:08:22,500
Just 4 months old,they're always hungry.
102
00:08:27,333 --> 00:08:31,500
She must make a kill every 4 days,
103
00:08:31,500 --> 00:08:33,200
Whatever the weather...
104
00:08:39,833 --> 00:08:43,533
But today,clear skies and cold winds
105
00:08:43,533 --> 00:08:46,733
Have blanketed the landscape in frost.
106
00:08:52,700 --> 00:08:55,766
The pumas have lost their natural camouflage
107
00:08:55,766 --> 00:08:59,033
In this white world.
108
00:08:59,033 --> 00:09:01,866
Hunting will have to wait.
109
00:09:07,200 --> 00:09:11,100
The cubs use the time to play,
110
00:09:11,100 --> 00:09:14,133
Practice for when they'll have to hunt for real
111
00:09:14,133 --> 00:09:16,200
In just a few months' time.
112
00:09:33,533 --> 00:09:37,466
But the winter sun soon burns off the frost...
113
00:09:40,066 --> 00:09:42,766
And that changes everything.
115
00:09:49,266 --> 00:09:53,566
A guanaco,a relative of the llama,
116
00:09:53,566 --> 00:09:58,733
And at 6 feet tall,the andes' largest animal.
117
00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:07,400
Now camouflaged again,the pumas go unnoticed,
118
00:10:07,400 --> 00:10:10,066
And there's no wind to carry their scent...
119
00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:19,666
But when it's this calm,the slightest rustle
120
00:10:19,666 --> 00:10:21,400
Could give her away.
121
00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:43,466
The puma's weapon is stealth,not speed.
122
00:10:45,266 --> 00:10:49,400
She must remain undetected as long as possible.
124
00:10:58,200 --> 00:11:02,633
Once a guanaco gets going,there's no catching it.
126
00:11:13,666 --> 00:11:16,800
A wind from the coast brings yet another change
127
00:11:16,800 --> 00:11:18,200
In the weather.
128
00:11:22,933 --> 00:11:27,500
Fog blows in and is trapped by the mountains.
129
00:11:30,500 --> 00:11:34,533
Visibility drops to a few feet.
130
00:11:34,533 --> 00:11:39,733
Sound has become muffled.
131
00:11:39,733 --> 00:11:43,066
For an ambush hunter like the puma,
132
00:11:43,066 --> 00:11:45,733
It's perfect.
134
00:11:56,700 --> 00:12:00,766
And when the fog lifts,it reveals mother puma's
135
00:12:00,766 --> 00:12:02,666
Successful kill.
136
00:12:07,966 --> 00:12:10,966
The family can eat 30 pounds of meat
137
00:12:10,966 --> 00:12:13,033
In a single sitting.
138
00:12:18,233 --> 00:12:20,566
Their lives depend on making the most
139
00:12:20,566 --> 00:12:24,500
Of every opportunity that comes their way...
140
00:12:27,966 --> 00:12:30,266
And there's one final weather change
141
00:12:30,266 --> 00:12:31,766
For the day.
142
00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:38,966
A burst of mountain sunshine is a welcome warmer
143
00:12:38,966 --> 00:12:40,933
And the perfect excuse
144
00:12:40,933 --> 00:12:42,900
For another play session.
145
00:12:51,633 --> 00:12:56,266
This calm spell might only last a matter of minutes.
146
00:12:59,366 --> 00:13:05,800
In the southern andes,change is the only certainty,
147
00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:08,466
But whatever the conditions,
148
00:13:08,466 --> 00:13:10,566
They will be ready.
149
00:13:23,733 --> 00:13:28,466
This landscape stretches for over a thousand miles
150
00:13:28,466 --> 00:13:32,100
Up through chile and argentina.
151
00:13:32,100 --> 00:13:35,666
But further north are different mountain worlds,
152
00:13:35,666 --> 00:13:38,400
Each with its own challenges.
153
00:13:41,066 --> 00:13:44,966
And at the very top of chile is the strangest place
154
00:13:44,966 --> 00:13:47,733
In the entire andes.
155
00:13:51,733 --> 00:13:55,666
Surrounded by a wall of high mountains,
156
00:13:55,666 --> 00:14:01,800
Rain clouds can't reach the atacama desert.
157
00:14:01,800 --> 00:14:05,866
40,000 square miles,
158
00:14:05,866 --> 00:14:10,266
The driest place on earth.
159
00:14:10,266 --> 00:14:13,366
Some weather stations here have never recorded
160
00:14:13,366 --> 00:14:17,266
A single drop of rain,
161
00:14:17,266 --> 00:14:20,166
Yet one remarkable creature is so well suited
162
00:14:20,166 --> 00:14:23,100
To life here,it's found nowhere else
163
00:14:23,100 --> 00:14:24,966
On the planet.
164
00:14:31,333 --> 00:14:33,433
The salt flat lizard.
165
00:14:36,700 --> 00:14:40,366
His whole life revolves around water
166
00:14:40,366 --> 00:14:42,333
And trying to find it.
167
00:14:45,866 --> 00:14:48,400
In this sun-warped world,
168
00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:54,833
Lakes seem to appear out of thin air
169
00:14:54,833 --> 00:14:57,433
And vanish just as quickly.
171
00:15:06,866 --> 00:15:10,566
But this time,the water is for real.
173
00:15:12,600 --> 00:15:16,433
Melt water from distant mountaintops flows underground
174
00:15:16,433 --> 00:15:18,566
Until it wells up here.
175
00:15:23,533 --> 00:15:26,866
It seems like an oasis,
176
00:15:26,866 --> 00:15:29,766
But appearances can be deceiving.
177
00:15:31,833 --> 00:15:35,700
This water is saturated with salt,
178
00:15:35,700 --> 00:15:38,000
Leached from the rocks.
179
00:15:44,133 --> 00:15:47,566
But there's a secret to surviving in this world.
181
00:15:54,433 --> 00:15:56,933
And it's right in front of him.
183
00:16:01,133 --> 00:16:02,866
Brine flies.
184
00:16:02,866 --> 00:16:06,400
Salt specialists.
185
00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:10,400
The flies drink the water,then filter out the salt...
186
00:16:11,733 --> 00:16:15,033
Leaving them sweet and juicy and filled
187
00:16:15,033 --> 00:16:16,633
With fresh water.
188
00:16:19,466 --> 00:16:21,466
All the lizard needs to do...
189
00:16:22,800 --> 00:16:24,266
Is catch them.
190
00:16:41,866 --> 00:16:45,433
To get the equivalent of a teaspoon of fresh water,
191
00:16:45,433 --> 00:16:49,266
He has to eat 400 flies.
192
00:17:06,700 --> 00:17:11,333
This fly-ridden shoreline is a paradise...
193
00:17:13,766 --> 00:17:15,833
And that's the problem.
194
00:17:24,733 --> 00:17:28,566
There's a new guy in town,
195
00:17:28,566 --> 00:17:31,333
And this territory isn't big enough
196
00:17:31,333 --> 00:17:33,433
For the both of them.
197
00:17:46,366 --> 00:17:50,366
The defender puffs himself up.
198
00:17:50,366 --> 00:17:52,900
Maybe the intruder will back down.
199
00:18:29,566 --> 00:18:32,666
Owning a stake in this shoreline
200
00:18:32,766 --> 00:18:38,233
Can be the difference between life and death.
201
00:18:38,333 --> 00:18:42,400
Bad news for the intruder.
202
00:18:42,400 --> 00:18:45,133
The victor has held his ground,
203
00:18:45,133 --> 00:18:48,866
So the flies are all his
204
00:18:48,866 --> 00:18:52,900
At the only spring in hundreds of square miles
205
00:18:52,900 --> 00:18:55,033
Of andes desert.
206
00:18:57,100 --> 00:19:00,100
200 miles to the north,
207
00:19:00,100 --> 00:19:03,466
The remnant of a vast prehistoric lake
208
00:19:03,466 --> 00:19:06,033
Scars the barren landscape.
209
00:19:07,500 --> 00:19:12,200
Trapped by the andes,the lake slowly evaporated,
210
00:19:12,200 --> 00:19:15,966
Leaving behind an extraordinary legacy.
211
00:19:20,466 --> 00:19:22,800
Incredibly,the world's flattest place lies hidden
212
00:19:22,800 --> 00:19:28,900
At 12,000 feet amongst the peaks
213
00:19:28,900 --> 00:19:31,133
Of the bolivian andes.
214
00:19:33,666 --> 00:19:37,566
The salar de uyuni,
215
00:19:37,566 --> 00:19:40,233
The world's biggest salt flat...
216
00:19:42,833 --> 00:19:47,166
4,000 square miles of nothing...
217
00:19:50,166 --> 00:19:55,633
Except for 50 billion tons of salt.
218
00:19:58,200 --> 00:20:03,066
The salt flat is the most hostile andean world.
219
00:20:03,066 --> 00:20:04,700
Nothing grows here.
220
00:20:11,133 --> 00:20:14,500
The salt is 16 feet thick,
221
00:20:14,500 --> 00:20:20,766
Studded with countless polygons,formed as the salar dried out.
222
00:20:26,633 --> 00:20:31,533
The scenery seems unchanging,
223
00:20:31,533 --> 00:20:34,266
But sometimes in late summer,
224
00:20:34,266 --> 00:20:37,333
A miraculous transformation takes place.
226
00:21:02,633 --> 00:21:08,166
Sudden rains leave a layer of dead-calm water
227
00:21:08,166 --> 00:21:10,133
Just an inch deep...
228
00:21:20,633 --> 00:21:24,866
Turning the salt flat into a natural wonder...
229
00:21:27,333 --> 00:21:31,333
The world's largest mirror,
230
00:21:31,333 --> 00:21:33,833
80 miles across.
231
00:21:46,800 --> 00:21:52,933
At night,the landscape is transformed again...
232
00:21:55,866 --> 00:22:00,166
Into a 360-degree starscape.
233
00:22:08,600 --> 00:22:12,033
This dazzling show is only possible
234
00:22:12,033 --> 00:22:18,566
Because the salar de uyuni is perfectly flat.
235
00:22:18,566 --> 00:22:21,900
Yet only 200 miles to the north,
236
00:22:21,900 --> 00:22:25,600
The andes are staggeringly vertical.
237
00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:32,366
Here,160 peaks rise to over 18,000 feet.
238
00:22:35,866 --> 00:22:41,733
This is the central andes,a series of rugged worlds...
239
00:22:44,333 --> 00:22:47,633
And once the heart of the largest civilization
240
00:22:47,633 --> 00:22:52,533
The andes has ever known...
241
00:22:52,533 --> 00:22:54,600
The inca empire.
242
00:22:58,900 --> 00:23:04,566
Only 500 years ago,it was the greatest empire on earth...
243
00:23:13,200 --> 00:23:17,633
And machu picchu was its finest royal estate.
244
00:23:21,300 --> 00:23:24,200
The incas ruled 10 million people
245
00:23:24,200 --> 00:23:27,033
Scattered across the andes.
246
00:23:30,100 --> 00:23:32,800
They were masters of engineering.
247
00:23:37,266 --> 00:23:41,166
Their granite blocks fit together perfectly.
248
00:23:41,166 --> 00:23:44,266
Some weigh 14 tons,
249
00:23:44,266 --> 00:23:48,733
Each hewn by hand and hauled into position.
250
00:23:55,666 --> 00:24:01,666
Today,the inca empire is long gone,
251
00:24:01,666 --> 00:24:09,366
But its challenging,rugged world remains.
252
00:24:09,366 --> 00:24:13,066
The apurimac river carves a 600-foot gorge
253
00:24:13,066 --> 00:24:17,200
Through the peruvian highlands.
254
00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:21,666
At quehue,it splits communities in half.
255
00:24:25,766 --> 00:24:29,666
But the locals are direct descendants of the incas.
256
00:24:29,666 --> 00:24:32,200
They've inherited the same language,
257
00:24:32,200 --> 00:24:37,666
The same amazing engineering skills.
258
00:24:37,666 --> 00:24:41,666
In june every year,they come together to harvest
259
00:24:41,666 --> 00:24:43,933
A hardy mountain plant...
260
00:24:46,133 --> 00:24:49,566
Coyaichu grass.
261
00:24:49,566 --> 00:24:51,966
It's strong and flexible
262
00:24:51,966 --> 00:24:55,133
To cope with the harsh mountain winds.
263
00:24:55,133 --> 00:24:58,366
Perfect to make a special rope.
264
00:25:04,266 --> 00:25:08,166
Aquilina ruiz is 77.
266
00:25:20,133 --> 00:25:22,900
Right now,every local household
267
00:25:22,900 --> 00:25:27,633
Is busy making 200 feet of rope.
268
00:25:27,633 --> 00:25:29,366
It's a real community effort.
270
00:25:33,166 --> 00:25:36,766
Soon,entire villages will gather
271
00:25:36,766 --> 00:25:41,633
On both sides of the gorge.
272
00:25:41,633 --> 00:25:44,833
Their grass is about to play center stage
273
00:25:44,833 --> 00:25:48,966
In a mountain ritual passed down since inca times.
276
00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:08,366
All this work has one purpose.
277
00:26:12,766 --> 00:26:16,100
A bridge has stood here since inca times,
278
00:26:16,100 --> 00:26:18,966
A link between communities.
279
00:26:18,966 --> 00:26:21,700
But this is no ordinary bridge.
280
00:26:24,333 --> 00:26:27,900
It's made of hundreds of these handmade ropes,
281
00:26:27,900 --> 00:26:30,600
Woven out of tens of thousands of feet
282
00:26:30,600 --> 00:26:32,566
Of coyaichu grass.
283
00:26:35,600 --> 00:26:40,533
Aquilina has been using it since childhood.
284
00:26:40,533 --> 00:26:43,566
But in the mountains,the bridge wears out fast
285
00:26:43,566 --> 00:26:46,200
And must be replaced every year.
286
00:26:58,900 --> 00:27:02,500
And now,this bridge's time has come.
288
00:27:08,233 --> 00:27:10,966
But in order to create a new crossing,
289
00:27:10,966 --> 00:27:14,133
They must first sever their precious connection.
290
00:27:19,666 --> 00:27:23,500
Priests make offerings to the mountain spirits
291
00:27:23,500 --> 00:27:25,766
Just as their ancestors did.
292
00:27:29,133 --> 00:27:32,800
Only now can a new bridge take shape.
295
00:28:06,200 --> 00:28:11,900
After 3 days of hauling and weaving,it's ready,
296
00:28:11,900 --> 00:28:15,433
The combined work of 4 entire villages.
297
00:28:18,400 --> 00:28:22,866
Now aquilina can visit the other side in safety...
298
00:28:24,200 --> 00:28:28,466
All thanks to a bridge made of simple mountain grass...
299
00:28:31,400 --> 00:28:34,766
And original inca ingenuity.
300
00:28:43,533 --> 00:28:49,633
The central andes aren't just an obstacle for people.
301
00:28:49,633 --> 00:28:53,666
700 miles to the north in western peru,
302
00:28:53,666 --> 00:28:56,600
The mountains are so large,they literally
303
00:28:56,600 --> 00:28:58,866
Stop the clouds.
304
00:29:08,533 --> 00:29:12,033
Creating a scorched world of dry forest...
305
00:29:12,033 --> 00:29:14,366
Where rain rarely falls.
306
00:29:17,033 --> 00:29:20,233
It's over 100 degrees,
307
00:29:20,233 --> 00:29:22,000
Even in the shade.
308
00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:30,233
This parched landscape is home to the andes'
309
00:29:30,233 --> 00:29:32,500
Most elusive animal...
310
00:29:40,033 --> 00:29:42,600
The spectacled bear.
311
00:29:47,066 --> 00:29:50,900
He can go 5 months without a real drink,
312
00:29:50,900 --> 00:29:53,833
Just surviving on succulent plants.
313
00:30:01,866 --> 00:30:05,400
Strong,long legs and curved claws
314
00:30:05,400 --> 00:30:07,400
Are perfect for climbing.
315
00:30:13,600 --> 00:30:17,366
He knows the secret to mastering this desert.
316
00:30:17,366 --> 00:30:19,600
He knows the signs.
317
00:30:23,700 --> 00:30:27,633
On a far hillside,he spots it,
318
00:30:27,633 --> 00:30:30,100
A single fig tree,
319
00:30:30,100 --> 00:30:31,900
And that means water.
322
00:30:37,000 --> 00:30:39,133
A spring wells up here.
323
00:30:41,866 --> 00:30:44,000
It's created a refuge where mountain animals
324
00:30:44,000 --> 00:30:45,700
Find shade...
325
00:30:47,700 --> 00:30:49,733
And life-saving water.
327
00:30:57,800 --> 00:31:03,200
But little bears,like this one,have to be wary.
328
00:31:03,200 --> 00:31:06,466
This sanctuary is a magnet for other bears.
330
00:31:18,300 --> 00:31:22,533
Best to not risk a fight with a big male like this one.
332
00:31:30,000 --> 00:31:32,900
Young bears move between oases,
333
00:31:32,900 --> 00:31:35,266
Seeking a place to call their own.
334
00:31:47,866 --> 00:31:52,966
There's only a handful of springs in 200 square miles
335
00:31:52,966 --> 00:31:55,366
Of high-altitude desert.
336
00:31:57,866 --> 00:32:00,500
In time,bears make a mental map
337
00:32:00,500 --> 00:32:03,300
Of every spring in their territory.
339
00:32:10,500 --> 00:32:14,500
Some are nothing more than a cooling mud slide.
340
00:32:20,500 --> 00:32:24,733
Others have magnificent bathing facilities.
342
00:32:37,133 --> 00:32:42,033
Thanks to his amazing memory,this bear can even enjoy
343
00:32:42,033 --> 00:32:44,500
A swim in a desert.
344
00:32:59,633 --> 00:33:02,600
The remote worlds of the spectacled bear
345
00:33:02,600 --> 00:33:05,466
May not be isolated for much longer.
346
00:33:10,700 --> 00:33:14,733
Roads are gradually connecting the central andes...
347
00:33:17,800 --> 00:33:22,400
But these roads are like no others in the world.
348
00:33:24,533 --> 00:33:27,300
Northern peru is a dangerous maze
349
00:33:27,300 --> 00:33:30,066
Of steep slopes,
350
00:33:30,066 --> 00:33:32,000
Deep canyons...
351
00:33:33,900 --> 00:33:36,133
And rough roads.
352
00:33:43,000 --> 00:33:46,133
They're only for the bold.
353
00:33:49,700 --> 00:33:54,666
In huancabamba,villagers rely on one man.
354
00:33:57,766 --> 00:34:00,600
Some here call him a hero.
355
00:34:04,433 --> 00:34:08,100
Glorioso albaneida has one of the world's
356
00:34:08,100 --> 00:34:10,500
Most dangerous jobs.
357
00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:17,366
He's the bus driver,
358
00:34:17,366 --> 00:34:22,566
And this is the 12:58 to lima.
359
00:34:36,133 --> 00:34:38,400
Glorioso has been behind the wheel
360
00:34:38,400 --> 00:34:41,400
For over 50 years.
361
00:34:41,400 --> 00:34:43,633
He started at age 14,
362
00:34:43,633 --> 00:34:46,500
Driving trucks across the andes.
364
00:35:01,966 --> 00:35:04,766
It starts off easy enough,
365
00:35:04,766 --> 00:35:08,800
Dropping over 3,000 feet on a series of switchbacks
366
00:35:08,800 --> 00:35:10,966
Called "the horse killer."
367
00:35:14,733 --> 00:35:16,300
Every year,over a thousand lives
368
00:35:16,400 --> 00:35:20,566
Are lost on peru's mountain roads.
369
00:35:34,233 --> 00:35:37,800
For glorioso,it's just a normal day.
370
00:35:40,566 --> 00:35:44,000
He's been driving this route for 12 years.
371
00:35:48,033 --> 00:35:50,600
The mountain roads are so rough,
372
00:35:50,600 --> 00:35:53,500
His tires only last 10 weeks.
373
00:36:11,033 --> 00:36:16,766
But the hard part is further down the valley.
374
00:36:16,766 --> 00:36:20,766
The road is barely a foot wider than the bus...
375
00:36:22,433 --> 00:36:27,666
Sandwiched between a 100-foot drop on one side
376
00:36:27,666 --> 00:36:29,666
And a towering cliff on the other.
377
00:36:32,300 --> 00:36:36,533
Not a place to meet oncoming traffic.
379
00:36:42,266 --> 00:36:46,600
For the passengers,it's just the usual commute.
380
00:36:49,466 --> 00:36:51,633
Nobody's in a rush.
381
00:36:59,900 --> 00:37:03,666
As the local saying goes,it's better to arrive
382
00:37:03,666 --> 00:37:05,600
A little late in this world...
384
00:37:06,900 --> 00:37:08,866
Than early in the next.
385
00:37:35,100 --> 00:37:38,400
And that's the secret to a long career
386
00:37:38,400 --> 00:37:40,466
As a peruvian bus driver,
387
00:37:40,466 --> 00:37:43,666
Taking the mountains at their own pace.
388
00:37:51,066 --> 00:37:52,900
Roads like this wind their way
389
00:37:52,900 --> 00:37:57,033
Through the remotest corners of the central andes,
390
00:37:57,033 --> 00:38:01,533
But some peakswill always be off-limits.
391
00:38:07,366 --> 00:38:11,033
At 40 million years old,the andes are the youngest
392
00:38:11,033 --> 00:38:13,233
Of the great mountain ranges.
393
00:38:17,433 --> 00:38:20,366
Even now,deep underground,
394
00:38:20,366 --> 00:38:24,566
Two colossal tectonic plates are colliding.
395
00:38:26,266 --> 00:38:29,400
As the land buckles,the andes continue
396
00:38:29,400 --> 00:38:30,933
To be formed.
397
00:38:33,333 --> 00:38:38,600
Mud boils where it overlies vast underground magma chambers.
398
00:38:45,233 --> 00:38:49,833
As the chambers swell,the land above rises further.
399
00:38:55,533 --> 00:38:59,866
In some places,by over 6 feet a decade.
400
00:39:04,733 --> 00:39:07,766
Sometimes,magma pushes all the way
401
00:39:07,766 --> 00:39:09,366
To the surface.
402
00:39:19,566 --> 00:39:23,100
There are over 200 active volcanoes
403
00:39:23,100 --> 00:39:25,233
Spread across the andes,
404
00:39:25,233 --> 00:39:28,300
More than anywhere else on earth.
405
00:39:31,433 --> 00:39:35,166
An eruption can blast a billion tons of ash
406
00:39:35,166 --> 00:39:38,266
13 miles into the atmosphere.
407
00:39:51,000 --> 00:39:54,566
Tectonic activity has left a remarkable legacy
408
00:39:54,566 --> 00:39:56,900
Across the central andes.
409
00:40:02,233 --> 00:40:06,266
The solidified remains of one ancient magma chamber
410
00:40:06,266 --> 00:40:09,000
Dominates peru's paron valley.
411
00:40:11,766 --> 00:40:15,400
A granite tower is a rarity in the andes.
412
00:40:19,466 --> 00:40:22,300
It draws pilgrims from all over.
413
00:40:24,733 --> 00:40:26,266
Man: when i came to the mountain,
414
00:40:26,266 --> 00:40:31,166
It's like when other people go to the church and pray.
415
00:40:31,166 --> 00:40:36,966
I feel the same connection with god.
416
00:40:36,966 --> 00:40:39,933
All his life,ivan calderon's passion
417
00:40:39,933 --> 00:40:42,833
Has been for climbing in the andes...
418
00:40:46,233 --> 00:40:49,433
But today,it's his first attempt at scaling
419
00:40:49,433 --> 00:40:51,933
This tower...
420
00:40:51,933 --> 00:40:57,133
La esfinge,over 3,000 feet tall,
421
00:40:57,133 --> 00:41:00,166
Nearly vertical.
422
00:41:00,166 --> 00:41:03,366
When this route was first climbed 30 years ago,
423
00:41:03,366 --> 00:41:05,733
It took 10 days.
424
00:41:16,766 --> 00:41:22,433
Ivan and his partner fuco are attempting it in just one.
425
00:41:24,833 --> 00:41:29,033
This is big wall climbing in the extreme.
426
00:41:32,966 --> 00:41:35,633
Falling from the top,it would take
427
00:41:35,633 --> 00:41:39,600
22 long seconds to hit the ground.
428
00:41:43,366 --> 00:41:45,600
Because this granite solidified so slowly
429
00:41:45,600 --> 00:41:48,833
Over tens of thousands of years,
430
00:41:48,833 --> 00:41:53,100
It's packed with large quartz crystals,
431
00:41:53,100 --> 00:41:56,233
And that's the key to the climbers' success.
432
00:41:58,733 --> 00:42:03,766
As coarse as sandpaper,quartz is good for grip
433
00:42:03,766 --> 00:42:05,566
But hard on the skin.
434
00:42:11,600 --> 00:42:15,633
3 hours in and 15,000 feet up,
435
00:42:15,633 --> 00:42:18,966
There's only half the oxygen as at sea level.
436
00:42:22,700 --> 00:42:25,666
Ivan's muscles are screaming.
438
00:42:34,266 --> 00:42:38,066
And now,he faces the toughest part of the climb.
440
00:43:14,600 --> 00:43:20,266
Next,a sheer face...
442
00:43:22,100 --> 00:43:24,833
Polished smooth by ice and wind.
444
00:43:51,600 --> 00:43:53,366
I'm exhausted.
445
00:43:56,800 --> 00:44:00,933
The air is so thin,and it's hard to breathe
446
00:44:00,933 --> 00:44:02,800
At this altitude.
447
00:44:14,566 --> 00:44:19,300
6 relentless hours into the climb,
448
00:44:19,300 --> 00:44:21,833
Fuco takes his turn in front.
449
00:44:38,700 --> 00:44:42,566
After 10 hours,the summit.
450
00:44:46,866 --> 00:44:51,400
Heh heh heh.Heh heh heh!
451
00:44:51,400 --> 00:44:52,633
Yeah.
452
00:44:55,966 --> 00:44:59,866
Ivan: all day for - it's just for this moment.
453
00:44:59,866 --> 00:45:02,933
You know,just to enjoy this view.
454
00:45:02,933 --> 00:45:05,033
Wow!
455
00:45:05,033 --> 00:45:06,766
Amazing.
456
00:45:09,700 --> 00:45:11,833
Ivan and fuco have climbed
457
00:45:11,833 --> 00:45:17,033
Above the clouds to 17,400 feet.
458
00:45:20,466 --> 00:45:23,033
Beyond them stretches a whole new world
459
00:45:23,033 --> 00:45:25,366
Of extreme high altitude...
460
00:45:31,233 --> 00:45:36,400
Peru's cordillera blanca,the "white range."
461
00:45:44,033 --> 00:45:47,500
Clouds blow in from the amazon basin
462
00:45:47,500 --> 00:45:50,133
200 miles to the east.
463
00:45:58,833 --> 00:46:02,700
Because they are so laden with rain-forest moisture,
464
00:46:02,700 --> 00:46:05,933
They generate wet,dense snow,
465
00:46:05,933 --> 00:46:11,166
Creating an ice world full of huge snow sculptures...
466
00:46:22,966 --> 00:46:25,966
Cornices made by snow blown
467
00:46:25,966 --> 00:46:28,333
Over mountain crests,
468
00:46:28,333 --> 00:46:32,233
Thousands of tons,teetering on the ridgeline.
469
00:46:43,433 --> 00:46:47,433
The snow clings to near vertical cliffs.
470
00:46:51,233 --> 00:46:53,333
Flutings form where avalanches
471
00:46:53,333 --> 00:46:55,866
Have gouged channels.
472
00:47:04,166 --> 00:47:09,866
And most mysterious of all,penitentes,
473
00:47:09,866 --> 00:47:15,200
Blades of ice,each up to 20 feet tall,
474
00:47:15,200 --> 00:47:18,666
Formed by the sun carving troughs in the snow.
475
00:47:28,600 --> 00:47:32,266
One of the great natural wonders of our planet,
476
00:47:32,266 --> 00:47:36,333
4 miles up and almost never seen.
477
00:47:41,800 --> 00:47:45,100
One creature,though,makes a home
478
00:47:45,200 --> 00:47:48,266
In the central andes' ultimate ice world.
480
00:47:50,366 --> 00:47:55,133
Peru's quelccaya glacier covers 15 square miles.
481
00:47:58,900 --> 00:48:02,733
It's the largest expanse of ice in the tropics.
482
00:48:07,133 --> 00:48:09,466
Enormous tongues of ice flow down
483
00:48:09,466 --> 00:48:12,766
From quelccaya's summit until they break up
484
00:48:12,766 --> 00:48:15,233
At its lowermost reaches.
485
00:48:19,266 --> 00:48:24,533
Amazingly,the white winged diuca finches thrive here,
486
00:48:24,533 --> 00:48:26,633
18,000 feet up.
488
00:48:32,466 --> 00:48:36,300
Also known as glacier birds,they come to quelccaya
489
00:48:36,300 --> 00:48:38,233
To avoid predators...
490
00:48:42,166 --> 00:48:44,466
And they've discovered the perfect place
491
00:48:44,466 --> 00:48:46,233
To raise a family...
492
00:48:51,166 --> 00:48:54,200
The glacier itself.
494
00:49:00,333 --> 00:49:05,500
Two chicks are hidden safely inside,
495
00:49:05,500 --> 00:49:08,633
The world's only glacier-nesting birds.
496
00:49:11,233 --> 00:49:14,433
This is one of the ultimate adaptations
497
00:49:14,433 --> 00:49:17,033
Found anywhere in the andes.
498
00:49:24,300 --> 00:49:27,300
At night,the temperature drops
499
00:49:27,300 --> 00:49:29,833
To 14 degrees...
501
00:49:34,800 --> 00:49:38,200
But insulated in their nest,it's not the cold
502
00:49:38,200 --> 00:49:40,266
That threatens them up here.
503
00:49:46,200 --> 00:49:48,266
It's the sun.
504
00:49:53,966 --> 00:49:56,600
The chicks don't have long.
505
00:49:56,600 --> 00:49:59,800
In less than a month,their home will melt
506
00:49:59,800 --> 00:50:02,433
Out of the ice cliff.
507
00:50:02,433 --> 00:50:04,700
It's a race against time.
508
00:50:09,633 --> 00:50:12,233
In places,quelccaya is receding
509
00:50:12,233 --> 00:50:15,000
Over 30 feet a year.
510
00:50:20,000 --> 00:50:22,366
Other nests have already fallen.
511
00:50:36,400 --> 00:50:39,733
Finally,one chick is bold enough to follow
512
00:50:39,733 --> 00:50:42,733
Its parents into the outside world...
513
00:50:45,200 --> 00:50:48,100
Leaving its sibling all alone.
514
00:50:51,166 --> 00:50:54,833
Now,the nest is beginning to collapse.
516
00:50:58,600 --> 00:51:01,633
As a last resort,the parents
517
00:51:01,633 --> 00:51:04,633
Cut back on feeding.
518
00:51:04,633 --> 00:51:08,400
Perhaps a more hungry chick can be coaxed out.
519
00:51:21,600 --> 00:51:24,166
Safe at last.
520
00:51:28,600 --> 00:51:32,333
But the future for its species is less certain.
521
00:51:35,200 --> 00:51:38,233
The air temperature up here is rising,
522
00:51:38,233 --> 00:51:41,733
And quelccaya's retreat is accelerating.
523
00:51:44,033 --> 00:51:47,266
At current rates,quelccaya will be 30% smaller
524
00:51:47,266 --> 00:51:50,366
In just 20 years.
525
00:51:53,300 --> 00:51:55,566
The home of the glacier bird
526
00:51:55,566 --> 00:51:58,300
Is slowly disappearing.
527
00:52:03,433 --> 00:52:08,133
Along the length of the andes,extraordinary animals
528
00:52:08,133 --> 00:52:11,433
Have made remarkable adaptations,
529
00:52:11,433 --> 00:52:17,466
Each to their own unique worlds,
530
00:52:17,466 --> 00:52:20,300
But these worlds are changing now
531
00:52:20,300 --> 00:52:24,066
More than ever.
532
00:52:24,066 --> 00:52:26,766
Corners that were once isolated
533
00:52:26,766 --> 00:52:28,800
Are now within reach.
534
00:52:33,366 --> 00:52:39,433
Old traditions are under new pressures,
535
00:52:39,433 --> 00:52:44,633
And as the climate changes,ancient worlds may disappear.
537
00:52:53,400 --> 00:52:57,466
For the animals and people of the andes,
538
00:52:57,466 --> 00:53:01,866
The greatest challenge is yet to come.
539
00:53:09,633 --> 00:53:11,833
Next time on kingdoms of the sky,
540
00:53:11,933 --> 00:53:14,033
North america's greatest mountain range
541
00:53:14,133 --> 00:53:16,466
Extends far and wide.
542
00:53:16,566 --> 00:53:19,766
Crossing terrain both beautiful and cruel.
543
00:53:21,366 --> 00:53:22,766
In the blink of an eye,
544
00:53:22,866 --> 00:53:27,833
Seasons can change and best laid plans are soon discarded.
545
00:53:29,333 --> 00:53:33,233
Demanding a unique expertise of all who attempt to endure.
546
00:53:34,900 --> 00:53:37,533
The spectacular uncertainty of the rockies.36599
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get subtitles in any language from opensubtitles.com, and translate them here.