Hi Friends who follow some of my adventures...
The next one is now upon me soon.
On December 1st, Chile COVID quarantine restriction permitting, I'm heading to Antarctica with Alpine Ascent International (AAI). AAI is the trusted guiding company I have climbed all the others peaks with (Denali, Kilimanjaro, Cho Oyu, Everest...) and I am lucky enough to be guides by Ben Jones and Lakpa Rita Sherpa who were my lead guides on Cho Oyu and Everest.
So I'll use this post to give an overview of the peak itself. And I'll probably cover some of the logistic and details in a subsequent post.
But for now, to wet your appetite, here is a ling to a short video that is posted on AAI Mount Vinson Overview page: https://youtu.be/W-Vh1Vg37z8
Mount Vinson is the highest peak in Antarctica. It is part of the Sentinel Range, Ellsworth Mountains and is 4892m or 16,049ft high. It is is barely higher than Mount Blanc or Mount Rainier. But unlike these two that can be climbed in a week end, Mount Vinson extreme remote location requires an expedition style organization over a 9 day period. We'll cover that in a subsequent post.
So the first question that I have been asked a few times already and that I will address now is why go there in the middle of the winter? It must be super cold. Well since Antarctica is in the south hemisphere, December, which is when I will join the expedition, will be the middle of the summer for them then. But worry not it will be plenty cold, just not as cold as it usually is. During summer season, the temperature will average only about -20c. But because the sun never sets during this season it can get pretty mild during some of the most sunny days. So the good news is that all my Himalayan gear will become handy once more.
But wait, Why Mount Vinson in the first place?
Well, first, it is one of the seven summits. While I never started all these climbs thinking I would climb the 7 summits (that is the highest peak on every continent), after having climb Denali, Kilimanjaro and Everest most recently, I think this is a goal that is now in a reasonable reach.
But also Antarctica is one of the last true remote and wild places left in this world. It is said to be a place of amazing beauty that is still mostly clean of the human touch. Who wouldn't want to go explore some of the purest sights and vistas left in this world?
OK, that is enough for a first post. I will cover traveling to Antarctica, the route to the summit and address a few more of your questions in a subsequent post.