All Antarctica expedition dispatches

Vinson Base Camp

Lead guide Garrett Madison called in via sat phone with the following update:

Hi!! This is Garrett calling in for the Mount Vinson expedition.  We are at Vinson base camp!  We were able to fly from Union Glacier camp this evening around 6:30 PM.  We got to Vinson base camp around 7:30 PM.  We’ve set up our camp and we’re cooking some dinner.  We are looking forward to a good night’s rest.  Tomorrow we are going to do a carry up to Low Camp on Vinson.  All is well here and we’ll check in soon.  Thanks!

(photo:  © Santiago Urrutia)

Aerial View of Union Glacier Camp in Southern Ellsworth Mountains

Garrett Madison and our first Mt. Vinson expedition team arrived safely to Union Glacier Camp in the southern Ellsworth Mountains of Antarctica.  They have been enjoying beautiful clear and calm skies in 24 hours of daylight.  Tents are up, food is excellent and the team is happily enjoying exploring the comforts of the camp.

Weather conditions at Union Glacier have vastly improved.  So the team is looking forward to flying on to Vinson Base Camp tomorrow or possibly even tonight.  Our two following teams are optimistically looking for minimal delays too.

Did you know:  Union Glacier Camp is the only facility of its kind in Antarctica. The full-service private camp operates during the Antarctic summer (November through January) and is dismantled at the end of each season. The camp not only provides accommodations to guests on guided experiences but also serves as a logistics hub, supporting private expeditions and National Antarctic Programs.

(photo:  © Russ Hepburn)

Best Christmas

Garrett and team are striking their happy poses because our first of three Vinson expeditions was rewarded for their patience with the best Christmas present ever:  a GO! for the flight from Punta Arenas, Chile to Union Glacier, Antarctica.

After eight days waiting for the weather at Union Glacier, the team is now headed to the airport to board the Ilyushin IL-76 TD jet for the 4-1/2 hour flight.  The extra time in Punta Arenas gave the team the opportunity to fully explore the many restaurants and cultural sights.  Somewhere along the way, they even rubbed the toe of Magellan for good luck.

It’s looking like this change in the weather will allow the schedules to start to return to normalcy.  Our second team is arriving in Punta Arenas this week.  They are scheduled to fly on to Union Glacier on January 3rd.  Some of the team may take advantage of the extra time in Chile to explore Patagonia’s Torres del Paine national park – named by National Geographic as one of the World’s most beautiful places.  Kind of a nice bonus!

Get ready to follow the action-packed Antarctica climbing season.  Stay up to date by subscribing to the dispatch updates.

Happy holidays and joyous wishes to you and yours from Madison Mountaineering!

(photo:  Madison Mountaineering archives)

Vinson climbing team!

Our first Mount Vinson expedition team is standing by in Punta Arenas, Chile, waiting for good weather to fly to Antarctica.

Currently, the winds on the Blue Ice Runway at Union Glacier camp are too strong for a safe landing.  So we have to wait until conditions improve before we can take off.  The climbers are all packed up and ready to go.

In the meantime, we are passing the time by enjoying the many nice Punta Arenas restaurants, museums and local experiences.  We hope to have a good weather window in the next 2 – 3 days for our flight to Antarctica.

Did you knowMount Vinson is named for Georgia Congressman Carl Vinson, the former Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.

This week we are kicking-off the first of our three expeditions to Antarctica, the ‘Frozen Continent’, this season!

We are excited to be leading climbers on their quest for Mount Vinson, the highest peak in Antarctica, at just over 4850m / 16,000 ft. and one of the ‘Seven Summits‘!

Follow us as we begin our journey in Punta Arenas, the Southern most city in Chile located on the Strait of Magellan, to Union Glacier camp in Antarctica then on to Mount Vinson Base Camp.  Mount Vinson is the most remote of the Seven Summits and one of the least climbed.  It is however, arguably the most beautiful.  The peak is surrounded by Antarctica’s pristine ice for as far as the eye can see.  We are excited to ‘hit-the-ice’ again this year.  We hope that you will follow along with our expedition dispatches and perhaps be inspired to join us next year!

(photo: Madison Mountaineering archives) 

Our Mount Vinson Expeditions concluded yesterday when our second team made it back to Punta Arenas, Chile, after a successful climb of the highest peak on the continent of Antarctica.  We are thrilled to announce that Madison Mountaineering was the only company leading multiple Mount Vinson Expeditions with 100% climber success overall, this is unmatched by the other guide companies on the mountain this year.  We credit this high level of achievement and safety to our commitment of thorough climber screening and preparation beforehand, our leadership on the mountain, and building cohesive teams of climbers that are very powerful.  Our first team of Mount Vinson climbers comprised of Garrett, Peter, Richard, and Sharon reached the summit of Mount Vinson on January 7th, and our second team of Mount Vinson climbers comprised of Garrett, Keith, Annie, Mei, Jeff, Tamas, and Maria reached the summit of Mount Vinson on January 17th after first having skied to the South Pole!

Each of our Mount Vinson expeditions were very fortunate to reach the top of the mountain with fantastic weather, clear skies and only a little wind, very pleasant summit days indeed!  We now will head home to our families and friends, and for some of us begin preparing for our next big expedition, Mount Everest beginning in early April!  Please enjoy the photos below of our recent climbs in Antarctica!  For climbers looking to climb Mount Vinson or other peaks in Antarctica for the upcoming season (December 2018), its important to start planning soon!

Garrett Madison

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Mount Vinson Expeditions

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Mount Vinson Expeditions

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Mount Vinson Expeditions

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Mount Vinson Expeditions

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Mount Vinson Expeditions

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The Madison Mountaineering Polar Explorer’s Mount Vinson expedition team have now arrived back to Union Glacier Camp in Antarctica. With foggy conditions at Vinson base camp it took a couple days to safely land the inbound plane and pick up our climbers. Plan is to enjoy the next couple days at Union Glacier Camp with very comfortable accommodations, hot showers, three hot meals a day and many fun outdoor activities. The Union Glacier Camp is the only private seasonally occupied camp site located in Ellsworth Land in Antarctica. The camp is located in the Heritage Range, below the Ellsworth Mountains, on Union Glacier. All is well and our team will check in once back in Punta Arenas, Chile!

Stay tuned as we gear up for the 2018 Everest and Lhotse expedition! We are excited to return to the Nepalese Himalayas in early June with a strong team of international climbers this season.

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Audio dispatch from Garrett Madison

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Mountaineering Polar

The Madison Mountaineering – Polar Explorers team arrived safely to Mount Vinson base camp after a successful summit yesterday. Everyone is happy that they made the summit with the upper mountain to themselves on a beautiful sunny day. Today the clouds have moved in and it has started to snow. Now back at base camp the team will wait for a flight back to Union Glacier. All is well and we will check in soon!

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Audio dispatch from Garrett Madison

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Polar Explorers team

 

The Madison Mountaineering Polar Explorer’s team reached the summit of Mount Vinson today! Climbers are now safely back at high camp after a wonderful summit day with hardly any wind and clouds beneath. Headed down to Vinson base camp tomorrow and will check in soon!

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Audio dispatch from Garrett Madison

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Mountaineering Polar Explorer