...elite group of climbers who have stood atop McKinley in the inhospitable days of winter. In January 1998, he and Vladimir Ananich became the first-and so far, only-climbers to scale McKinley in the dead of winter, meaning late December through...

...If Kuriaki succeeds, his will be the second complete winter ascent this year. Russian climbers Artur Testov and Vladimir Ananich reached the 20,320-foot summit last month, becoming the first to stand on the top in January. Kuriaki...

...third climber remained at the 14,000 level. All three were in good shape, Hudson said. Artur Testov, 32, Vladimir Ananich, 40, and Alexandr Nikiforov, 29, want to become the first to climb North America's highest peak in the dead...