Vinson Team One made the move up to High Camp on Mount Vinson yesterday. It was a nice climbing day from Low Camp to High Camp up the steep fixed ropes. The team is now enjoying some good weather. Everyone is happy, healthy, and doing well — not to mention super psyched to be getting ready for the summit push! Stay tuned…
In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:
We are at Low Camp on Mount Vinson, and our plan is to head up to High Camp (3536m/11,600ft) tomorrow if the weather is good. We’re about ready to get to bed here for a good night’s rest. And then, tomorrow, wake up, have breakfast, and take a look at the weather. If it’s good, we’ll head up to High Camp.
All’s well here on Vinson. Have a wonderful Christmas Day! We’ll check in soon.
In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:
https://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/IMG_4247-credit-Fon-Winsor-Clive.png10001334Garretthttps://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/logomm-300x138.jpgGarrett2021-12-26 02:40:112021-12-26 04:36:46Merry Christmas from the Slopes of Mount Vinson!
Our second Mount Vinson team arrived at the jump-off city of Punta Arenas, Chile, and are making their preparations, getting ready to fly to Union Glacier, Antarctica in a few days. Terray Sylvester provides the first expedition dispatch:
Hello, this is Terray calling in for the second Madison Mountaineering Mount Vinson expedition. The whole team arrived today here in Punta Arenas on the Strait of Magellan. It’s a beautiful Christmas day, a beautiful mid-summer warm Christmas day here, light until past 9 o’clock.
We had a nice dinner and we’ll be there for a few days while we wait for our flight to Antarctica. Merry Christmas!!
In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:
https://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/PHOTO-2021-12-25-16-50-05.jpg6711600Kurthttps://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/logomm-300x138.jpgKurt2021-12-26 00:54:372021-12-26 04:11:05Vinson Team Two Arrives Punta Arenas
Today our Mount Vinson team one moved into their Christmas location of Low Camp on Mount Vinson. Meanwhile, in Punta Arenas, Chile, our Mount Vinson team two arrived and will spend the next few days preparing for their flight to Union Glacier, Antarctica. Here’s Garrett via sat phone with the recap of the day on Mount Vinson:
Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Mount Vinson expedition team. It’s Christmas Eve, December 24th here and we climbed up from Vinson Base Camp to Low Camp today on Mount Vinson.
We left base camp mid-day after packing up and caching our gear. We climbed about eight hours up to Low Camp (or Camp 1) on Vinson. We had nice weather, it was a little blustery and snowy starting out for the first few hours and then the wind let up a little bit and we actually got a little sun up here at Low Camp and had a Christmas Eve dinner. We had some salmon, some mixed vegetables, some empanadas, and some mangos and chocolates for dessert. It was a fun evening. We’re glad to be up here at Low Camp. It was a long and tiring day but we’re feeling good and we’re looking forward to a rest day tomorrow on Christmas Day.
All’s well here at Low Camp on Mount Vinson. We’ll check in soon and happy Christmas Eve to everyone out there!
In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:
Our first Mount Vinson team of the season has flown from Union Glacier Camp to Mount Vinson Base Camp and made their carry towards Low Camp. Expedition leader Garrett Madison provides the day’s dispatch via satellite phone:
Hello. This is Garrett calling for the Mount Vinson expedition team. Today is Wednesday, December 22nd and we are in Vinson base camp.
We arrived late last night just before midnight on our flight from Union Glacier Camp and we set up tents and moved in. Today we got up, had breakfast, and did a carry up halfway to Camp 1. We carried up food and fuel and some other gear and cached it about halfway from base camp to Camp 1. We got back to base camp, had dinner, and are just getting tucked in for bed.
We’re doing well here. A little marginal weather at the moment, a bit stormy. But we’re hoping it will clear out in the next day or two and we can resume heading back up the mountain – hopefully, get up to low camp and focus on getting to high camp.
All’s well here at Vinson base camp and we’ll check in soon. Thanks!
In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:
https://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/IMG_1260.jpg10951280Garretthttps://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/logomm-300x138.jpgGarrett2021-12-23 00:22:582021-12-23 01:00:58Vinson Base Camp and Carry Completed
Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Mount Vinson expedition team.
Today is Monday December 20th and we are still at Union Glacier camp. No one is flying out of Union Glacier camp for a few days to Vinson because of the bad weather at Vinson base camp, but we’re doing well here. We’re eating lots of good food and resting and getting organized. Excited to fly over there to start climbing Vinson when the weather cooperates. But until then will just keep hanging out here eating well.
All is well and we’ll check in soon! Thanks!
In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:
https://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/IMG_0207-scaled.jpg25601920Garretthttps://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/logomm-300x138.jpgGarrett2021-12-21 02:06:242021-12-21 02:56:54Still Hanging at Union Glacier
The team for our first Mount Vinson expedition of the season has arrived at Union Glacier camp in Antarctica and is getting things ready for the flight to Mount Vinson base camp. Here’s Garrett with the details:
Hello. This is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Mount Vinson expedition. This is the first expedition on Mount Vinson for our season here in Antarctica and yesterday we flew in from Punta Arenas, Chile to Union Glacier camp in Antarctica.
Right now we are in Union Glacier camp, just had a nice dinner. Good day here organizing our gear, and we’re hoping to fly to Mount Vinson tomorrow if the weather is good. But we’re not quite sure. It’s a little foggy and cloudy over at Mount Vinson base camp. So not flying at the moment.
We’re hoping we’ll get an opportunity here in the next few days and be able to get over there and start climbing. We’re really happy to be here in Antarctica and having a good time here, just relaxing and enjoying the sites at Union Glacier camp and all is well.
So we’ll check in soon. Thanks!
In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:
https://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Aerial-View-of-UG-c-Russ-Hepburn.jpg498747Garretthttps://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/logomm-300x138.jpgGarrett2021-12-20 02:10:472021-12-21 03:03:25Vinson Team One at Union Glacier, Antarctica
Our first Mount Vinson expedition of the season is just boarding their flight to Antarctica from Punta Arenas, Chile. Here’s expedition leader Garrett Madison with the details:
Hey! This is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Vinson expedition – our first one of the season. We are flight to Antarctica! We just getting ready to board the Boeing 757 jet here in Punta Arenas. We are taking off in about a half an hour and we’ll fly for four and a half hours over the Drake Passage to Union Glacier camp in Antarctica, where we’ll spend a couple of nights and then fly over to Vinson base camp and start our climb.
So, we’re very excited that everything’s on schedule here – we’ve got good weather and we’re looking forward to getting to Vinson! All’s well here and we’ll check-in soon!
In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:
Our Mount Vinson season has kicked off with our first wave of climbers arriving in the historic jump-off city of Punta Arenas, Chile – the largest city south of 46 degrees south. Here’s expedition leader Garrett Madison with today’s expedition dispatch:
We’re getting ready for our flight on Saturday to Union Glacier Camp in Antarctica. After that, we’ve two more Mount Vinson expedition teams. Hoping for a great season with lots of good weather and great views of the Antarctic continent and Ellsworth mountain range.
Just looking forward to getting down to Antarctica after last year not being able to travel here due to the pandemic, so we’re very thankful and fortunate that we can be here and soon heading to Antarctica. So, we’ve been enjoying Punta Arenas, seeing the sites here in town, having some great meals, and looking forward to getting our expedition underway.
All’s well here in Punta Arenas, Chile. We’ll check in soon. Thanks!
Checking out the Mount Vinson route!
In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:
Today our second Mount Vinson expedition with guest-guide Conrad Anker flew to Antarctica arriving Union Glacier on the Illyshin 76 jet. Here’s Conrad with today’s kick-off expedition dispatch:
Hello folks, Conrad Anker here at Union Glacier with the Madison Mountaineering V4 team. We had a successful three days in Punta Arenas. We went out and had fine food and saw the sights and we’re on schedule – maybe even a little ahead of schedule. The weather’s good and the team’s all together.
It’s a real treat and an honor to be here with Garrett!
(photo: Madison Mountaineering archives)
By the way, it’s not too early to start making your plans to join us on Mount Vinson for the 2020/2021 season next December! Contact our office for details.
In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow the teams as they make their attempts to summit the highest mountain in Antarctica on:
