2 Die in Mt McKinley Fall

Jordan Romero has climbed tallest mountain on each continent

(NEWSER) - While most of you were busily sucking down eggnog, Jordan Romero, the boy mountain climber who became the youngest to scale Mt. Everest , was down in Antarctica setting a seven-peak record. The 15-year-old reached the summit of Mt. Vinson Massif yesterday, making him the youngest to climb the tallest peak on each of the seven continents, reports the BBC . More»

Climber apparently suffered heart attack soon after reaching the summit

(NEWSER) - A 52-year-old climber died on Mt. McKinley yesterday, soon after reaching the 20,320-foot summit, reports Reuters . After a 20-hour climb, Brian Young returned to the high camp, 3,000 feet below the summit, when he apparently suffered a heart attack and stopped breathing. Attempts to revive Young failed. His death brings the total number of deaths on McKinley this year to five. About 1,200 to 1,300 people climb McKinley each year. More»

(NEWSER) - Former Olympic snowboarding champ Karine Ruby of France died yesterday after she and two fellow climbers tumbled into a glacial crevasse while descending Mont Blanc in France. One of her companions survived the fall, but sustained serious injuries and was air-lifted to the hospital. The 31-year-old Ruby, who won a gold medal in 1998 and a silver in 2002, was training to be a mountain guide. More»

Handful have already reached summit today

(NEWSER) - The deaths of four people in a Mount Everest "traffic jam" last weekend haven't stopped a new crowd from pushing toward the peak. More than 150 people plan to attempt to reach the top this weekend, and already today, a number of climbers have made it, an official tells the AP . The AP notes that there have been no reports of trouble thus far, and weather conditions continue to be favorable. More»

Buoys and other material from Japan show up on Alaska shores

(NEWSER) - Buoys by the hundreds are just part of the "unprecedented" waves of debris washing up on Alaska's shores. Montague Island, located some 120 miles southeast of Anchorage, has lately seen a steady stream of buoys, styrofoam, and other items that have made their way across the Pacific, likely in the wake of Japan's March 2011 tsunami, the Telegraph reports. More»