A National Geographic photographer and two mountaineering students have been found dead after vanishing a month ago on one of the world's most dangerous peaks.

Brazilian national Edson Vandeira Costa and the students had been engulfed by an avalanche as they climbed the 6,025-metre (19,767-foot) Artesonraju mountain in the Peruvian Andes.

National Geography photographer Edson Vandeira Costa poses in undated photo. He and two other climbers were found dead on the Artesonraju mountain in Peru on 22 June, 2025. Note: Private photo from local media. (@edsonvandeira/Newsflash/NX)

Rescuers found the bodies of Costa and students Homer Efrain Pretel Alonzo and Jesus Picon Huarta on 22nd June, nearly four weeks after they disappeared on 29th May.

Alonzo and Huarta were in their final year of mountaineering studies at the Huaraz High Mountain Studies Centre in Peru.

Costa's spectacular nature images had appeared on the History Channel and in National Geographic.

National Geography photographer Edson Vandeira Costa poses in undated photo. He and two other climbers were found dead on the Artesonraju mountain in Peru on 22 June, 2025. Note: Private photo from local media. (Edson Vandeira/Newsflash/NX)

The mountain is notorious as one of the most dangerous to climb in the world, with the only three routes up all graded 'Difficult Plus' or 'Difficult'.

It was also the inspiration for the mountain peak on the Paramount Pictures logo.

(Joseph Golder / newsX)