RISE ABOVE

Roaming the crags and sheer slopes of Western Europe's highest mountain range, the Alpine ibex is now thriving again having come perilously close to extinction

- Emile Séchaud

Cloud cover

A lone male ibex (known as a bouquetin in French-speaking regions of the Alps) stands sentinel above the clouds cloaking Lake Geneva in France's Haute-Savoie region. On this December dawn, at the peak of the mating season, he's on the lookout for females - hoping that at least one will be impressed by his hefty horns.

High and wild

A magnificent male grazes among shattered rocks beneath the Mont Blanc massif in south-west Switzerland. Living at altitudes up to 3,300m in summer across their Alpine range, these large goats - a big male can top 100kg at his pre-winter peak - prefer south-facing slopes and ridges.

Social climber

An ibex scales a stratified cliff-face in Haute-Savoie to join a cluster of females with kids above her; in summer, ibex form same-sex groups comprising several dozen individuals.

Horns of plenty

The curved, heavily ridged horns of male ibex grow to nearly 1m long and can weigh over 6kg - intimidating weapons used during bouts to establish a place in the local hierarchy and access to breeding females. Such a powerful creature will likely win more opportunities to mate than less well-endowed rivals.

Boys club