Team departs Union Glacier Camp for Punta Arenas!

Yesterday we left Mount Vinson base camp in the morning and flew by twin otter aircraft to Union Glacier camp, where we waited just a short time until the Ilushin 76 aircraft flew us to Punta Arenas, arriving late in the evening. Currently all members are in Punta Arenas or are enroute home. We have enjoyed 3 spectacular weeks in Antarctica, skiing to the South Pole and then climbing the highest peak on the continent, Mount Vinson, at just over 16,000 feet in elevation. Everyone on our team succeeded in both reaching the South Pole and reaching the summit of Mount Vinson.  This has been an awesome journey, a great way to start off 2017! We look forward to repeating this program next season in Antarctica!

– Garrett Madison 

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Union Glacier Camp

Mt. Vinson Summit

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Union Glacier Camp

Antarctica Expedition Team 2017

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Union Glacier Camp

Descent on Mount Vinson

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Union Glacier Camp

Joel Schauer on the summit of Mount Vinson!

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Union Glacier Camp

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Union Glacier Camp

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Mount Vinson climbing expedition returns safely to base camp

Hi, this is Garrett Madison calling in for the Mount Vinson climbing expedition. Today is January 19 and today we came from high camp down to Vinson base camp. We had a nice day, it was cloudy some light snow but not windy. Everyone did great coming down from high camp to low camp and all the way to base camp. Had a big meal hamburgers, pasta and a little champagne to toast our successful climb. Now we are just hanging out at base camp getting ready to go to sleep and waiting for a flight back to Union Glacier hopefully tomorrow. Then onward back to Chile and home. We have had a wonderful expedition we are down safe to base camp just waiting for a airplane to fly back to union glacier camp then a jet back to Chile. We will check in soon. Thanks.

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Mount Vinson climbing expedition

Mount Vinson climbing expedition

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SUMMIT: Mount Vinson expedition team reaches 4,892m / 16,050ft

Hello, this is Garrett Madison with the Mount Vinson expedition. Today is January 17th and we are at the summit of Mount Vinson! Beautiful day up here, got the summit all to ourselves. We are the only team up here on the mountain on high camp. And we are going to savor the top here for 45 minutes, take a few photos and then head on down to high camp and spend the night. Everyone did great today worked hard, and just a glorious day up here blue skies. Views of the Sentinel range, Ellsworth mountains, Tyree, Shinn and just a spectacular day up here, we will check in soon. Thanks.

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Mount Vinson expedition

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Mount Vinson climbing team on summit ascent!

Hey this is Garrett Madison calling in for the Mount Vinson climbing team. We had a great rest day today at high camp. Our plan is to go for the summit tomorrow. We are going to depart high camp by around 8am and hopefully reach the summit sometime in the afternoon and make it back to camp in about 12 hours time. Beautiful weather up here, hardly any wind today, suns been out all day and no high clouds. Really lucky hoping this good weather holds for us tomorrow. Then we will be down the following day to Vinson basecamp. Fingers crossed for good weather tomorrow and a fantastic summit. We will check in soon.

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Mount Vinson reaches high camp in Antarctica

Hello, it is the Mount Vinson team here in Antarctica. This is Garrett calling in today with a big day here for us, it is actually early 2am on January 16th and we are just getting ready to go to bed after a huge day climbing from low camp up to high camp. We made it up here a couple hours ago, took a while to have dinner and heat up our water bottles and get ready to bed. Everyone is doing well. We are up here at high camp the weather forecast looks good, we are going to take a rest day tomorrow. Hopefully summit the next day, the 17th of January if all goes according to plan. Beautiful views up here, 24 hours of daylight as usual in Antarctica this time of the year. Bright blue skies above us, all is well here in Antarctica, we will check in tomorrow. Thanks.

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Follow along with our friends at Polar Explorers for exciting news and photos as our team climbs Mt. Vinson! Stay tuned!!

 

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Mount Vinson team begins ascent after flight from Union Glacier

Hi, this is Garrett Madison calling in for the Antarctica, Mt. Vinson team. Today is Sunday, January 15th and today we flew from Union Glacier Camp to Mt. Vinson base camp. And then began our climb up Mt. Vinson to low camp, which is at 10,000ft. We had a great day, very lucky to fly out of Union Glacier Camp arrived at Vinson base camp mid-day and then roped up and carried our packs and sleds up to low camp. Took us about six hours to get here. Had beautiful conditions, sunny skies and a few clouds to keep us cool. Everyone is doing really well up here and we just had a big dinner and are tucking into bed. Looking forward to a great day tomorrow we are going to try to climb up to high camp tomorrow as long as the weather holds. All is well here on Vinson, we are doing well and we will check in tomorrow.

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Follow along with our friends at Polar Explorers for exciting news and photos as our team climbs Mt. Vinson! Stay tuned!!

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Antarctica expedition team returns to Union Glacier Camp

Hello, this is Garrett calling in with the Antarctica expedition. Today is Thursday, January 12th and today we flew from the South Pole back to Union Glacier Camp where we are going to spend a night rest up and prepare to head out to Mt Vinson for the next part of our adventure. Just had a great dinner here in Union Glacier Camp and we are looking forward to a good night of rest and hopefully tomorrow if the weather is good we will be able to fly by Twin Otter about 45 minutes out to Mt. Vinson base camp. We will check in soon.

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Follow along with our friends at Polar Explorers for exciting news and photos as our team continues to Mt. Vinson! Stay tuned!!

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Antarctica Expedition Team Reaches the South Pole!

Hi, this is Garrett Madison calling in for the Antarctica South Pole ski expedition. I’m calling in from the South Pole, we made it in here yesterday afternoon and had a wonderful celebratory dinner, toasted some champagne. Today had a tour of the United States – South Pole station. Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station. Now we are getting ready to fly by Twin Otter back to Union Glacier Camp where we are going to prepare for our next leg of the journey which is Mt. Vinson. We had a wonderful ski to the South Pole, 60 nautical miles about 110 kilometers everyone did great, beautiful weather. Now were are back to Union Glacier for the next part of our adventure.

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Antarctica South Pole Expedition 2017

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Antarctica South Pole Expedition 2017

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Antarctica South Pole Expedition 2017

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Antarctica South Pole expedition ski team at 89.52 degrees

Hello, this is Garrett Madison calling in with the Antarctica South Pole expedition ski team. Today is Tuesday, January 10th and we are at 89.52 degrees 36 seconds. So we’ve got about seven and three quarter nautical miles left to go to the South Pole. We are hoping to get there tomorrow, we can actually see some of the buildings the U.S. have as the research station at the South Pole from our camp here tonight. Everybody is doing great we had an easier day today, not quite as windy and not quite as cold, probably about -25 to -30. And we just had dinner and we are all tucked in for bed, looking forward to arriving at the pole tomorrow and having a little celebration. And then they will give us a tour of the U.S. science station. All is well here in Antarctica and we will check in soon.

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Follow along with our friends at Polar Explorers for exciting news and photos as our team reaches the South Pole! Stay tuned!!

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Antarctica South Pole

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South Pole expedition ski team reaches 89.436 degrees!

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the South Pole expedition ski team. Today is Monday, January 9th and we have reached 89.436 degrees. About 16 and three quarters nautical miles left to the South Pole. We are hoping to do it in two more days. Had a great day today, but it was a little cooler with a bit little wind. Temperatures were -35 to -40 celsius but we were able to stay warm with our warm clothing and equipment. Everyone is doing well we are in camp here we’ve had dinner and camp and are tucked in. We are just enjoying a little quite time in our tents before we go to sleep. We look forward to a fun day tomorrow. We will check in soon.

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Follow along with our friends at Polar Explorers for exciting news and photos as our team reaches the South Pole! Stay tuned!!

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