Vinson
2012
Summit 7 – ANTARCTICA – Vinson – 4,892M
Vinson – Dec 2012
After a few days hankered down in our tent at 4000m high camp because of severe storms and 100mph winds we dropped down to low camp (3000m) for 2 nights.The storm moved on and we were quickly up the fixed ropes back to high camp, staying one night before heading for the summit on the morning of 5th December 2012.
6 hours later at 3.30 pm, I stood on the summit with my team mates Martin Frey, Winslow Passey and Paulina Aulesta. My quest for the 7 summits now complete, Vinson Massif is the highest mountain of Antarctica, lying in the Sentinel Range of the Ellsworth Mountains, which stand above the Ronne Ice Shelf near the base of the Antarctic Peninsula.
The massif is located about 1,200 kilometres (750 mi) from the South Pole and is about 21 km (13 mi) long and 13 km (8.1 mi) wide.At 4,892 metres (16,050 ft) the highest point is Mount Vinson, which was named in 2006 after Carl Vinson, long-time member of the U.S. Congress from the state of Georgia.
Vinson Massif was first seen in 1958 and first climbed in 1966. An expedition in 2001 was the first to climb via the Eastern route, and also took GPS measurements of the height of the peak. As of February 2010, 1,400 climbers have attempted to reach the top of Mount Vinson.
MARK PINNOCK
Mountain Climber, Distance Runner, Motivational Speaker, Entrepreneur and Successful Businessman.
Email: markpinnock1@gmail.com