Vinson Massif

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seven summits adventure [Antartica]

Vinson Massif is the highest mountain of Antarctica, located about 1,200 km (750 mi) from the South Pole. The mountain is about 21 km (13 mi) long and 13 km (8 mi) wide. At 4,892 metres (16,050 ft) the highest point is Mount Vinson, which was named in 2006 by US-ACAN. The southern end of the massif ends at Hammer Col, which joins it to the Craddock Massif, of which the highest point is Mount Rutford (4477 m). The massif lies in the Sentinel Range of the Ellsworth Mountains, which stand above the Ronne Ice Shelf near the base of the Antarctic Peninsula.

A high mountain, provisionally known as 'Vinson' was long suspected to be in this part of West Antarctica, but it was not actually seen until January 1958, when it was spotted by US Navy aircraft from Byrd Station. It was named after Carl Vinson (also the namesake of an aircraft carrier), a United States Georgia Congressman who was a key supporter of funding for Antarctic research.

In 1963, two groups within the American Alpine Club, one led by Charles Hollister and Samuel C. Silverstein, M.D., then in New York, and the other led by Peter Schoening of Seattle, Washington, began lobbying the National Science Foundation to support an expedition to climb Vinson. The two groups merged in spring 1966 at the urging of the National Science Foundation and the American Alpine Club, and Nicholas Clinch (Pasadena, CA) was recruited by the American Alpine Club to lead the merged expeditions. Named officially the American Antarctic Mountaineering Expedition 1966/67, the expedition was sponsored by the American Alpine Club and the National Geographic Society, and supported in the field by the U.S. Navy and the National Science Foundation Office of Antarctic Programs. Ten scientists and mountaineers participated in AAME 1966/67.

The climb of Vinson offers little technical difficulty beyond the usual hazards of travel in Antarctica, and as one of the Seven Summits, it has received much attention from well-funded climbers in recent years. Between 1985 and 2000 Adventure Network International, the only private logistical support to reach Vinson Massif, brought over 450 climbers to the base of the mountain. From there climbers could climb unguided or with guides.

The climate on Vinson is generally controlled by the polar ice cap's high-pressure system, creating predominantly stable conditions but, as in any arctic climate, high winds and snowfall are a possibility. Though the annual snowfall on Vinson is low, high winds can cause base camp accumulations up to 46 centimetres (18 in) in a year. During the summer season, November through January, there are 24 hours of sunlight. While the average temperature during these months is −30 °C (−20 °F), the intense sun will melt snow on dark objects.

Antarctica's geography is different from any other place on earth. As the fifth largest continent Antarctica covers an area of about 14,000,000 square kilometers. Unlike its counterpart in the north, there is hard land underneath the southern ice cap however the continent itself is almost completely submerged beneath the thick ice layer that hides much of the underlying topography. At its thickest the ice is over 15,000ft and only about 1% of Antarctica's total surface area is bare rock. Antarctica is the only continent in the world with no permanent or indigenous human inhabitants. Larger than the United States, the frozen land is populated by approximately 2,500 people during the summer and fewer than 1,000 in the winter.

Source:
Wikipedia-Vinson Massif
7summit.com
Alaska Mount Guide
7summits.vinson/trips
RMI guide-vinsonmassif
for travel information, climbing and exploration relating to the Vinson Massif you can contact the list:

Adventure Network International
79 West 4510 South, Suite 2
Salt Lake City UT 84107
USA
Phone: (801) 266 4876 / 4982
International +1 (801) 266 4876 / 4982
Fax (801) 266 1592
Email: general@adventure-network.com

Alaska Mountain Guides & Climbing School
P.O. Box 1081, Haines AK 99827
E-mail:info@alaskamountainguides.com
Call: 1.800.766.3396
Fax: 907.766.3393

Rainier Mountaineering, Inc.
Post Office Box Q
Ashford, WA 98304
Telephone: (888) 89-CLIMB (888-892-5462)
Local Phone Line: (360) 569-2227
Fax: (360) 569-2982
Street Address:
30027 SR 706 East
Ashford, WA 98304
Email RMI: info@rmiguides.com