THE JUMP

High up in the mountains and thousands of feet off the ground, a party of climbers were in for a shock as they came face to face with this frightening leap of faith. These daunting photographs were captured by Italian photographer Nicola Bombassei, 38, after he unexpectedly stumbled across the 3,000 meter high drop, at Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Italy. 'The drop should have been fitted with a big wooden board over it, so that climbers can pass the cleft easily,' said Nicola. 'But when we arrived we couldn't find the board anywhere, and it was never an option not to complete the climb, so we had no choice but to take on the jump.

Other great stories
CATERPILLAR AND MANTIS BATTLE IT OUT

A little caterpillar fearlessly scampers down a branch and confronts a praying mantis .

BOXING DAY SQUIRRELS

BOXING DAY has come early for this pair of feisty squirrels, as their Christmas party quickly turns sour .

FLY FISHING

A fish almost escapes the beak of a bird as they both soar through the air .

BRITISH KINGFISHER SPLASH

BRITISH kingfishers love to cool off by creating a splash .

MAN AND NATURE

LEAF-ing much to the imagination, this camera trickery is blooming marvellous .

LONDON LANDSCAPES PHOTOGRAPHED FROM ROOFTOPS

A British photographer has captured the beauty of London in a stunning series of landscapes shots .

BIKINI SWIM WITH JELLYFISH

A BIKINI swim with jellyfish sounds like the most painful past-time on the planet .

DOG WITH A BONE

A puppy bit off more than he could chew when he stole a six inch Chinese spare rib from his owner and swallowed it WHOLE, Cheeky Staffordshire bull terrier Rossi had his life SPARED when he underwent a life-saving operation to remove the bone from his stomach after swiping part of the takeaway meal .

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST: SWIMMING WITH SHARKS

Armed with a snorkel, flippers and her skimpy bikini, an intrepid female free diver swims alongside an array of reef sharks .

HORSE BEFRIENDS ADOPTED CAT

Going for long rides through vast fields together, this twosome share an unbreakable bond .

VICTORIAN TENNIS RULE BOOK REVEALS GAME PLAYED BY THREE

TENNIS was a game made for three according to the first Victorian rule book .

SLEEPING IN THE WILDERNESS

SLEEPING within touching distance of wild African animals might not be everyone's idea of a relaxing break .