Maria-Theresien Strasse, Innsbruck, Austria. Photo credit: Innsbruck Tourist Board.

Innsbruck, Austria, the capital of the Alps, is one of the world’s most stunning mountain cities.

In this city of 120,000 residents, every winter it’s common to see skiers in ski suit and ski boots, their pair of skiers on their shoulder, heading to Nordkettenbahn.

Alpin Lodges Kuehtai. Photo credit: Innsbruck Tourist Board.

Snowboarders’ paradise. Photo credit: Innsbruck Tourist Board.

Mountain gorillas in Rwanda. Photo credit: Volcanoes Safaris.

Love mountain gorillas?  If you’ve always dreamed of seeing mountain gorillas in their natural habit, then take a look at Volcanoes Safaris.

The luxury safari company runs mountain gorilla safaris in Rwanda including the 6-day Gorillas in Parc National des Volcans and Culture in Mgahinga.

This safari offers guests “insight into gorilla and local community life in Uganda and Rwanda and demonstrates how they are linked by responsible tourism.”

Safari guests spend two days tracking mountain gorillas on the slopes of the volcanoes. Then guests transfer to Mount Gahinga in Uganda and learn about the Batwa community.

What will safari travelers see? Here are more mountain gorilla photos by Volcanoes Safaris:

All above photo credits: Volcanoes Safaris.

A musher forges ahead in the race. Photo credit: IPSSSDR.

The International Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race (IPSSSDR) kicks off today in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

The race will travel through nine Wyoming towns to the finish in Park City, Utah on February 4, 2012.

Dogs playing it cool before the Park City final stage. Photo credit: IPSSSDR.

Some 22 teams of champion mushers and their elite canine athletes will compete in the event.

The race was founded in 1996 by Frank Teasley to make sled dog racing more accessible to the public.

For more info, go to the IPSSSDR site.

Photojournalist Jon Nicholson leads photographic workshops to Bhutan, Burma, Jodhpur and Varanasi. Photo credit: Abercrombie & Kent.

Mountain and travel photography lover?  Then you might fancy joining photojournalist Jon Nicholson on photographic workshops to Bhutan, Burma, Jodhpur and Varanasi.

The Abercrombie & Kent photographic workshops are part of journeys “designed for travelers who are looking for a more unusual, insightful and inspiring travel experience.”

A professional photographer for 25+ years, Nicholson is official photographer for the London Olympic Games in 2012.

He has worked for UN agencies UNICEF and UNFPA and magazines including The National Geographic and Condé Nast Traveller.

On tours to Burma, Bhutan, Jodhpur and Varanasi, Nicholson will give share his technical expertise and understanding of context and composition with aspiring photographers.

In Bhutan, the tour will “traverse the striking mountain kingdom, capturing the tranquility of remote and ancient dzongs, exploring rural regions and understanding the significance of the country’s religious festivals.”

Highlights of the Bhutan tour will include:

• Capturing the colors of the Paro Festival;
• Staying in local guest houses and
• Visiting local rural communities and tiny hamlets among the paddy fields.

“The camera was the catalyst for exploring the country with eyes wide open – we had great fun and saw so much more of the real Bhutan as a result,” says Annabel Tremaine, who traveled in Bhutan with Nicholson.

For more info on the photographic workshops, visit the Abercrombie & Kent site.

Love Letters on Scotland’s Isle of Skye.

Feel like some love from Scotland’s Isle of Skye?  We do – Scottish Love Letters photography art prints from Landscape365.

Isle of Skye-based photographers Andrew and Rosie Woodhouse, aka Landscape365, have created this sweet way to tell your loved ones you care.

Their latest Love Letters collection brings together the landscapes of the west coast of Scotland with hand-painted letters spelling out ‘Love’.

Says Andrew Woodhouse, founder:

“(The Love Letters) mean different things to different people; we’ve met people who have fallen in love with the west coast of Scotland, visiting time and time again, we know people who have got engaged on local beaches and we know that some just dream about coming here. The ‘Love Letters’ collection not only brings together our love of the Isle of Skye but it hopefully goes someway to expressing how inspiring and rousing the landscape can be and how much it means to people who see it.”

The photographers will also create bespoke images featuring names, short phrases or dates which can be gifts for weddings, christenings and anniversaries.

Their photography art prints are available in varied sizes from 12 x 8in to 38 x 28in.

The Love Letter prints are finished in a classic white wooden or ornate antique frame or presented as a canvas wrap or acrylic print.

For more info, visit the site www.landscapes365.com.

Image courtesy of Landscapes365.

The unsung heroes are the Porters and Sherpas who make it possible to climb at these altitudes. Photo credit: Dave Bouskill.

Photographer Dave Bouskill contributed this guest photo essay on the Everest Region of the Himalayas in Nepal.

He is one half of Canada’s Adventure Couple and photographer at ThePlanetD.com.

After a decade lighting feature films and television, I switched careers and took my knowledge of shaping and manipulating light for motion pictures to stills photography.

I have been traveling full-time for the past two years documenting my adventures through my camera lens.

One of these projects was the Mongol Rally in which I drove through 15 countries from England to Mongolia to raise money for charity.

You can follow me on Facebook at ThePlanetD.

Monuments to fallen Sherpas decorated with prayer flags become more common the higher you get. Photo credit: Dave Bouskill.

A young monk’s view of Mt. Everest. Photo credit: Dave Bouskill.

The winds are harsh on the Summit of Mt. Everest and prayer flags are everywhere. Photo credit: Dave Bouskill.

The sun rises over the the Monastery at Tengboche at 3867m. Photo credit: Dave Bouskill.

Strolling through the foothills we are treated to an unobstructed view of Ama Dablam at 6812m. Photo credit: Dave Bouskill.

Yaks are the workhorses of the Himalaya. They carry gear and supplies for all expeditions. Photo credit: Dave Bouskill.

The small village of Dingboche 4530m is dwarfed by the Himalaya peaks. Photo credit: Dave Bouskill.

The perfect place to watch the sunrise over Mt. Everest is Kala Patthar or The Black Rock at 5643m. Photo credit: Dave Bouskill.

The Khumbu Icefall is one of the most dangerous stages of the South Col route to Everest’s summit. Photo credit: Dave Bouskill.

Penguins on Livingston Island, Antarctica.

Jorge Kozulj contributed this guest photo essay on Antarctica.  He is the founder of Andescross, an outdoor guiding company in Bariloche, Patagonia.

Antarctica is one of the most popular destinations for mountain travelers and adventurers.

Mountain guide Jorge Kozulj shares this photo essay of his Antarctica adventure.

Skiing in Peninsula Antarctica with Mt Franze at the back.

Exploring the Antarctica terrain.

Elizabeth and Hubert skiing in Cierva Cove area. Our home is in the water, that little ship.

Skiing on one little Island in Antarctica and the ocean below.

First ski day in Cierva Cove, Antarctica Peninsula.

Arriving at the Antarctica Peninsula.

Evening light, alpenglow in Neumeyer Channel heading to Mt Franze area.

Images courtesy of Jorge Kozulj.

Outdoor photographer?  If you’re living or traveling in the U.S., then you’ll want to check out From the Edge with Peter Lik on The Weather Channel (TWC).

The half-hour, action adventure nature TV series follows photographer Peter Lik on his quest for the perfect photograph, battling weather in epic U.S. landscapes.

It airs on The Weather Channel on Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET and 11 p.m. ET.

Australian native Lik is an award-winning and collected fine art photographer, internationally acclaimed for his panoramic landscape photography.

His landscape photography often highlights the impact of weather.

“In “From the Edge with Peter Lik,” Lik reveals the country through a whole new perspective, capturing its diverse climates and natural beauty through his lens,” says The Weather Channel.

In the series episodes, Lik travels to U.S. destinations including Big Island of Hawaii, Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Arches National Park and the “Big Sky Country” of Montana.

For iPad users, they can follow the show along with a new iPad app, “From the Edge with Peter Lik from The Weather Channel,” available at the App Store.

The app includes audio-synced and exclusive iPad content for an interactive viewing experience.

On the show’s website – weather.com/fromtheedge – viewers can see featured photos, video and behind-the-scenes footage.

Mobile consumers can access photos, information and video footage under the “Photos & Fun” from the weather.com’s mobile Web.

For more show info, visit the show’s site.

Video courtesy of The Weather Channel.

Viti Krafla, Iceland.

The Midnight Sun is a stunning part of Nordic mountain travel.

In June, UK/Iceland travel company Wild Photography Holidays plans a small group photography holiday to Iceland’s Eastern Fjords.

The trips features these 10 Ways To Celebrate the Summer Solstice in the Land of the Midnight Sun:

1. Experience flights across Iceland
2. Capture geothermal phenomena
3. Focus on Lake Myvatn’s bird life
4. Hop into a 4×4 for a ride through mountain scenery
5. View nesting puffins in the Eastern Fjord
6. Relax in Iceland’s newest geothermal spa pool
7. Photograph in the Midnight Sun
8. Enjoy close ups of Iceland’s waterfalls including Dettifoss
9. Eat bread baked in the lava
10. Visit one of Iceland’s fishing villages

“This summer solstice photographic holiday ensures hours of magical ambient light with endless sunrises and sunsets allowing maximum time behind the lens to capture some memorable images,” says Wild Photography Holidays.

In the Midnight Sun, participants will be able to photograph landscape, plant and bird life against a backdrop of mountains, fjords, fishing villages, waterfalls and geothermal areas.

Photographer Martin Sammtleben will give beginner to advanced light room tutorials and work with participants.

In rural Iceland, holiday accommodation will be in local guesthouses.

For more info, visit the Wild Photography Holidays site.

Here are more Midnight Sun scenes from Iceland:

Vodlavik.

Selfoss.

Puffin.

Poppies.

Images courtesy of Wild Photography Holidays.

Mountain guide Jorge Kozulj contributed this guest photo essay on Patagonia mountain travel and life. He is the founder of Andescross, an outdoor guiding company in Bariloche, Patagonia.

Climb, girl, climb: Guided climb with my friend Jill, Summit of Torre Principal in Frey area, Cerro Catedral, Bariloche, Patagonia.

Andescross came from a natural development of my lifelong connection with the mountains.

As a teenager, along with my friends, we mountain biked the trails to the local climbing crag after school.

On snowy days, we managed to get out of school early for powder skiing in the area of Bariloche. We would take weekends off and visit the closest mountain hut to ski or climb.

I spent two years in Buenos Aires as an engineering/architecture student, but my passion for being outdoors and my extra energy led me back to pursue a life in the mountains.

Between climbing and skiing trips in my early 20s, I spent two summers salmon fishing in Kodiak, Alaska. I learned English and developed a love for Alaska where I go back every time I can.

I’ve climbed in the towers of the Utah desert; in the Dolomites of Italy (Corvara); Spain; France; Czech Republic (Adrspach) and Slovakia.

Later, I decided to pursue a career as a mountain guide. In 1998, I started guiding in Southern Patagonia and slowly started to make my career from guiding, hiking, climbing and skiing.

Since then, I have spent my time between guiding and doing personal mountain trips.

Some of the most memorable trips in Argentina and Chile have been in the Southern Patagonian Icefield; Central Andes of Mendoza; Central Patagonia; Cerro San Lorenzo and Cerro Castillo.

Today, Andescross outdoor guiding has expanded to a highly skilled team.

We’re active in all mountain-related activities including family treks, alpine climbs, glacier walks, mountain biking, ski mountaineering and ski touring in the Andes of Patagonia, Argentina and Chile.

Skiing Cerro Lopez: Cerro Lopez is one of the most beautiful mountains that calls your attention as a skier coming to Bariloche. Big beautiful bowl with endless options for backcountry skiing.

Film work in Chile: Camping at the rim of Puyehue Volcano during a film-photo shoot for The North Face Athletes, Chile.

Lanin Volcano: One of the most scenic, conic-shaped volcanoes in the Andes, an excellent ski mountaineering destination.

Happy life in the Andes: A classic, 5-day trek trip with tent logistics, passing by alpine meadows, alpine lakes and ridges and exploring Nahuel Huapi National Park in Argentina.

Love is love: A couple gets ready, packing to ascend Osorno Volcano in Chile.

Chile: Packing donkeys during photo-film shoot in Puyehue Volcano Chile for The North Face Snowboard team.

Images courtesy of Jorge Kozulj and Andescross.

This is a Guest Post.