It was a year of raging wildfires, erupting volcanoes and smoggy pollution. But there were beautiful moments, too. Here are 15 amazing shots from 2017.
2017 was a year of destruction. Wildfires raged, volcanoes erupted and pollution swarmed entire cities in a fog of smoggy air.
But the beauty of the natural world didn’t escape unnoticed. Here are some of the most gorgeous photos of what happened to the Earth this year, as captured by Reuters photographers.
It was a record-setting year for climbers.
In the photo above, a solo climber journeys up a wall of ice in a northern pocket of the Czech Republic. Other impressive accomplishments this year included a new record for the speediest climb: two men in Yosemite climbed 2,900 feet up “the Nose” in 2 hours and 19 minutes. And daredevil free-solo climber Alex Honnold scrambled up “El Capitain” in the same park without any ropes or protective equipment, becoming the first person to complete the climb that way.
Tech: The most gorgeous and terrifying photos of the natural world captured in 2017
