He expected to see them in the death zone, but not in 2012 expedition gear.

CNN: SHARE THIS

He was disoriented and unconscious, but alive -- a miracle considering his exposure in the death zone.

CNN: SHARE THIS

An experienced climber, he should've made it from Camp 3 to Camp 4, in the death zone, in six hours.

CNN: SHARE THIS

In the death zone between the rock shoals and the breakers, two grey seals float and turn, fishing, peering, wallowing like fat ladies in a spa pool.

BBC: Hiking Wales�� storied coastline

The mountain's summit stands at 8, 848 metres high, and beyond 7, 600 metres climbers enter what is known as the "death zone" - so called because of the serious effects of oxygen deprivation on the body.

BBC: Climber abandons Everest attempt

The big-borrowing countries around the edge of the euro zone suffered a near-death experience in 2010, and they will be in a pretty miserable state in 2011 as austerity measures bite and households come to terms with their high debts and poor prospects.

ECONOMIST: Robin Bew expects another tough year for the global economy

Although this week's death toll was only a fraction of the size of the tsunami, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono visited the disaster zone within hours of the tragedy.

ECONOMIST: This time the president knew what he had to do