After a quick Twin Otter flight back to Union Glacier Camp, the Mount Vinson team took off on the Russian Ilushyn 76 for Punta Arenas, Chile. Congratulations to our climbers for reaching the highest point in Antarctica at 4,892m / 16,050ft!
Garrett will remain at Union Glacier Camp until the following team arrives from a ski trip to the South Pole. All is well on the ice and we will check in soon!
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Audio dispatch from Garrett Madison
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On January 7th at around 3pm our Antarctica expedition team summited Mount Vinson! Garrett reported clear skies, hardly any wind and nice temperatures. The whole team had the summit to themselves on this special summit day. Now our team will rest and recover at high camp before making the descent to base camp. Everyone is doing well and looking forward to their return flight back to Union Glacier Camp. Team photos and video will be shared soon!
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Audio dispatch from Garrett Madison
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Looking out over the Ellsworth Mountains 🙂
On January 7th at around 3pm our Antarctica expedition team summited Mount Vinson! Garrett reported clear skies, hardly any wind and nice temperatures. The whole team had the summit to themselves on this special summit day. Now our team will rest and recover at high camp before making the descent to base camp. Everyone is doing well and looking forward to their return flight back to Union Glacier Camp. Team photos and video will be shared soon!
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Audio dispatch from Garrett Madison
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Looking out over the Ellsworth Mountains 🙂
Garrett Madison checks in from high camp in Antarctica before our climbing team makes their Mount Vinson summit push! The plan is to leave high camp at around 9am and reach the summit by early afternoon. This final day to the top involves climbing the summit ridge with breathtaking views of the surrounding peaks as well as looking to the horizon of ice as far as the eye can see. Mount Vinson is the highest peak in Antarctica, at 4,892 meters (16,050 ft). Weather report is looking favorable with light cloud cover and low winds, stay tuned!
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Audio dispatch from Garrett Madison:
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After a successful move up to high camp our Mount Vinson team settled into their tents to rest. Beautiful sunny weather being reported with views looking out over the Sentinel Range within the Ellsworth Mountains. The plan is to push for the summit in the next 1-2 days after a rest day for our climbers. Everyone is doing well and excited to make a summit attempt toward the top of Antarctica!
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Audio dispatch by Garrett Madison
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Today our Mount Vinson climbers completed a carry up to high camp where they cached food fuel and equipment for the days to come. Now back at low camp, our team will rest up and prepare to make a full transition to high camp to put themselves in position for a summit attempt. With 24 hours of daylight the amazing views can be seen at any point in the day. Our team is doing great and enjoying their time on the mountain together!
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Audio dispatch by Garrett Madison
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Our Mount Vinson team enjoyed a relaxing rest day today at camp 1 while reviewing the technical climbing skills necessary to move up higher toward the summit. Garrett checks in below via satellite phone (brief disconnection in audio). The weather report is clear skies and low wind across the extreme polar climate of Antarctica. Stay tuned as our climbers prepare for their summit push!
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Audio dispatch from Garrett Madison
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Our Aconcagua team reached the summit and have now returned safely off of the mountain, congrats to them in achieving a safe and successful climb on the highest peak in the Western and Southern Hemispheres at 6,961m / 22,837ft! They reported cold and windy conditions up high and on summit day, but still managed to succeed and had a beautiful day on top! Below are some select photos from the climb. Merry Christmas! Enjoy!
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Today our Aconcagua climbers finished their first carry up to Camp 1 at an elevation of 16,100′, spending 5 hours on the way up and 3 back down towards base camp. The conditions have been beautiful with blue skies as our team moved gear and food up the mountain.
The plan is to climb to Camp 1 and sleep there tonight and then carry a load tomorrow to Camp 2. The following day we plan to move to Camp 2 and then evaluate the weather forecast. If all looks good we will carry a load to camp 3, then climb to camp 3 and sleep, going for the summit the following day.
To see our teams detailed itinerary for getting to the top visit our page here!
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After a nice trek up the Vacas Valley, our climbers have arrived at Plaza Argentina base camp. The weather has been perfect on our trek toward Aconcagua. Last night our team enjoyed a traditional open fire barbecue with chicken, steak, fresh salad and vegetables along the riverside. After a relaxing nights rest at Pampa de Lena camp (9,200′) our team woke up early to cross the river (with river shoes or by mule) through the Relinchos Valley to Plaza Argentina base camp (13,900′).
This will be our team’s third day of trekking and they will be greeted shortly with a warm dinner celebrating their arrival to Aconcagua. Tomorrow our team will rest at base camp and begin to organize the loads of gear to be moved to higher camps on Aconcagua.
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