Mount Vinson Antarctica

Mount Vinson in Antarctica

Vinson Massif (4,892m / 16,050 ft) is the highest peak on the world’s southernmost continent and one of the classic seven summits. Situated in the Sentinel Range of the Ellsworth Mountains and located approximately 1,200 km / 750 miles from the South Pole, the massif is 21km (13 miles) long and 13km (8 miles) wide. While a high mountain in the western part of Antarctica was long believed to exist, Vinson was first sighted only in 1958 by U.S. Navy aircraft flying out of Byrd Station. The massif was named for Carl Vinson, a U.S. Congressman from Georgia who was a key supporter of funding for Antarctic research. In 1966 the first ascent was made by a team from the American Alpine Club and the National Geographic Society, who were given field support by the U.S. Navy and the National Science Foundation. The normal route does not present great technical difficulty, but extremely low temperatures, high winds, and considerable altitude make Vinson a highly challenging ascent. Situated 3,500 k / 2,174 miles south of the nearest major city—Punta Arenas in Chile—complex logistics make this expedition a major undertaking.

Our expedition makes use of logistics provided by Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions (ALE), the best available on the white continent, with 24 years of experience. ALE operates two Twin Otters and a Cessna 185, as well as a 45-seat Illyushin 76 aircraft with a two ton load capacity, permitting long range autonomy between their bases in Punta Arenas and Patriot Hills. The communications and safety base at Patriot Hills is a private camp that houses 50 people and contains a full kitchen, dining area, and specially-designed heated tents with flooring. These facilities provide a solid foundation and create safe conditions for this extraordinary austral adventure.

Itinerary

Day 1 Punta Arenas
Reception at Punta Arenas airport and transfer to our Hotel. We’ll meet the guides and other members of the expedition, make an equipment and gear check, re-pack equipment, and have a presentation on the expedition.
Elevation – 37m / 121 ft / Hotel

Day 2 Punta Arenas
All equipment must be given to the guide before 9:00 am for weight control and loading. During the morning we’ll take a relaxing guided walking tour of downtown Punta Arenas.
Elevation – 37m / 121 ft / Hotel

Day 3 Punta Arenas - Patriot Hills
Transfer to Punta Arenas airport for flight boarding. Following a four hour flight we’ll reach Patriot Hills, landing on a naturally-ocurring, blue-ice runway. This private, seasonally-occupied camp is operated by Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions, the only organization providing support to expeditions to the interior of Antarctica. It is located in the Heritage Range, which forms the southern half of the Ellsworth Mountains and is only 1,075 km / 667 miles from the South Pole. On arrival, we’ll tour the site and finalize details for tomorrow’s departure to Mt. Vinson base camp.
Elevation – Min 37m / 121 ft - Max 884m / 2,900 ft / Tent

Day 4 Patriot Hills
We’ll spend the day in Patriot Hills.
Elevation – 884m / 2,900 ft / Tent

Day 6 Patriot Hills - Mount Vinson Base Camp
We make the one-hour flight to our base camp on Mount Vinson and make an immediate portage of our equipment to Camp 1.
Elevation – Min 884m / 2,900 ft – Max 2,100m / 6,889 ft / Tent

Day 7 Mount Vinson Base Camp - Camp 1
This morning we’ll ascend to Camp 1, located on the Branscomb Glacier.
Elevation – Min 2,100m / 6,889 ft – Max 2,850m / 9,350 ft / Tent

Day 8 Camp 1 - Camp 2
Today we climb to Camp 2.
Elevation – Min 2,850m / 9,350 ft – Max 3,000m / 9,842 ft / Tent

Day 9 Camp 2 – Camp 3
Today we ascend to Camp 3 located in the pass between Mt. Shin and Mt. Vinson. This section includes navigating a hanging glacier with seracs and crevasses.
Elevation – Min 3,000m / 9,842 ft – Max 3,700m / 12,139 ft / Tent

Day 10 – 11 – 12 Camp 3 - Mount Vinson Summit - Camp 3
Leaving two days in reserve for bad weather, we make our long-awaited push to the summit of Mount Vinson. Following a 7 hour climb, we reach the highest point of the Earth’s southernmost continent. To the north we’ll see Mounts Shinn and Eppery, as well as Mt. Tyree, at 4,852m / 15,918 ft, the second-highest peak in Antarctica. To the south, we have views of the Nimitz glacier and the Polar plateau. We descend to Camp 3.
Elevation – Min 3,700m / 12,139 ft – Max 4,892m / 16,049 ft / Tent

Day 13 Camp 3 - Base Camp
Following our ascent route we return to base camp.
Elevation – Min 2,100m / 6,889 ft – Max 3,700m / 12,139 ft / Tent

Day 14 Base Camp - Patriot Hills - Punta Arenas
We fly back to Patriot Hills and then on to Punta Arenas. We transfer to our Hotel and the Mount Vinson in Antarctica expedition comes to an end!
Elevation – Min 37m / 121 ft – Max 2,100m / 6,889 ft / Tent

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Tour Details

Duration	14 days
Difficulty	Excellent physical conditions required
Departures	By Reservation Only
Expedition cost	US $42,000 per person minimum 4 clients.
Reservation cost	USD 6,000
Balance due payment	120 days prior departure
Space available	6 climbers

Service include

Professional Bilingual Mountain Guide.
Ratio Guide Clients 1-4.
All local organization and supervision by KL Adventure Staff.
Round trip flights between Punta Arenas, Partiot Hills, and Vinson base camp with a baggage allowance of 20 kg.
Transfer IN Punta Arenas.
Two hotel nights in Punta Arenas, double occupancy with breakfast.
All meals during the expedition.
High quality expedition common gear; The North Face tents, Mountain Hardware and Marmot tents, isolate mattress, high camp stoves & fuel.
Radio communication VHF.
First aid kit.
Satellite phone at base camp on a per minute payment basis.

Service does not include

All personal climbing equipment gear.
Excess baggage on flights.
Any cost involve in an early or late departure.
Any drinks (soda, beer or wine) in Punta Arenas.
Arrival & final dinner in Punta Arenas.
Cancellation, accident and rescue insurance.
Any cost involve during waiting days in Punta Arenas or at any other location.
Cash for extra expenses.
Any other service not mentioned above.
Gratuities.

Important

All itineraries are subject to change due to changes in the weather, individual’s acclimatization rates and the guide’s criteri.
This schedule does not include delays due to climactic conditions. Expeditions should allow for an extra 10 to 15 days on-site when planning for this trip to provide sufficient leeway to cover any unforeseeable weather-related eventualities.
Any departure dates can be re-scheduled with a minimum of 6 persons