Amazing pictures show the brutal living conditions in the highest habitable place on earth

La Rinconada is the highest human habitation in the world, and it is home to some of the most brutal living conditions known to man. It's also an unregulated goldmine.

At a height of over 16,000 feet, it's a place where only the hardest-skinned can carve a living. More than 50,000 people live in the settlement, perched atop Mount Ananea in the Peruvian Andes. It spends much of the year in sub-zero temperatures.

The photos in this article were provided by Walker Dawson. You can check out more of his work on his Facebook page or email him at walkermanchesterdawson@gmail.com.

This is what it's like to spend your life above the clouds.