It is a nice alpine scene. 

I prefer the second because it is easier on my eyes. The first has lots of sparkly bits - the most likely cause is oversharpening. 

However, the second lacks mid tone contrast and is looking a bit murky. I would use a curves adjustment layer to steepen the curve through the mid tones to remedy that to suit my taste.

As an exercise if you want to see the pixels that are blown or lost to black try this in PS:

Add a levels adjustment layer, change the blend mode to luminosity as you do it,  now hold down the Alt key on a pc (different for a mac) and click on the left slider. When it is at zero the image will now show you what pixels are at zero the rest of the window will be white, slide it inwards to ten and the image will now show you what pixels are at ten or below.  Repeat the process clicking on the right slider while holding down the Alt key at 255 all you will see in the window are the pixels of that value. Move the slider inwards to 245 and you will see all the pixels with a value of 245 and above. Do not OK the adjustment layer dialogue unless you want to make a layer to adjust your image to where you have moved the sliders.

 

This is the way I use levels to adjust images so I know exactly what pixels will show as pure black and what pixels will show as pure white. The blend mode of the layer **must  **be luminosity for this to work with colour images, and for you to adjust your levels without affecting colour. I realise this is a B/W image, but it pays to get the habit of always changing the blend mode when working with Levels.

 Andreas inspired me to add a quote

And every one said, 'If we only live,
We too will go to sea in a Sieve,---
To the hills of the Chankly Bore!'
Far and few, far and few, Are the lands where the Jumblies live;
Their heads are green, and their hands are blue, And they went to sea in a Sieve.

Edward Lear
http://www.nonsenselit.org/Lear/ns/jumblies.html