Tag Archive for: Vinson Massif

Good Times in Antarctica!

Photo pulled from Madison Mountaineering Archive. Photo: Terray Sylvester

The second of the Madison Mountaineering Mount Vinson expeditions is underway in Antarctica! The team wasted no time going out to play after they settled into their camp, dawning their skis and going out for a tour of the surrounding area. The team is strong, and is enjoying blue skies and delicious food as they continue their ascent of Mount Vinson. Guide, Conrad Anker, checks in with this dispatch from Low Camp:

Greetings folks! Conrad Anker checking in from Low Camp (2774m/9,100ft) on Vinson (4892m/16,050ft).

Garrett and I are having a great time. Our team is moving up with strength and confidence! The weather seems to be good. We’re eating lots of yummy food. It doesn’t get dark, so we don’t have head lamps!

We’re thinking of you – join us for a trip! Take care.

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:

– Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

  • Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear our daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions.  Just say, “Alexa, play my flash briefing.“

– Instagram:

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Back in Vinson Base Camp!

Photo pulled from Madison Mountaineering Archive. Photo: Ted Hesser

The team has arrived back in the comforts of Vinson Base Camp! After another safe and successful climb on the tallest mountain in Antarctica, the team is looking forward to their flight back to Union Glacier and the celebration ahead. As the sun sets on this expedition, another one is on the horizon! Stay tuned for more… Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with todays dispatch from Antarctica:

Hello! This is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Mount Vinson (4892m/16,050ft) expedition team – today is January 4th and we have arrived back in Vinson Base Camp (2140m/7,020ft).

We had a great climb of Mount Vinson yesterday – perfect weather, great views all around, the whole team made it to the summit! Today, we’ve arrived back down in Vinson Base Camp and the team is just looking forward to a flight tomorrow or the next day back to Union Glacier Camp (700m/2,297ft), and onwards back home. It’s been a wonderful expedition and I’m very happy that we had great weather and route conditions, and a great team all around!

We’re looking forward to the next climb – should be starting soon! Another trip on Mount Vinson coming up shortly… Stay tuned!

Photo pulled from Madison Mountaineering Archive. Photo: Ted Hesser

Photo pulled from Madison Mountaineering Archive. Photo: Ted Hesser

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:

– Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

  • Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear our daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions.  Just say, “Alexa, play my flash briefing.“

– Instagram:

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Summit Success on Mount Vinson!

Photo pulled from Madison Mountaineering Archive.

We’ve received word from the Madison Mountaineering Mount Vinson expedition team that everyone has reached the summit! After taking in the views and some sunshine from the roof of Antarctica, the team safely descended to High Camp for the night, and plans to continue their descent to Vinson Base Camp tomorrow. Congratulations to the entire team! Here’s expedition leader, Garrett Madison, with todays dispatch from High Camp:

Hello! This is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Mount Vinson (4892m/16,050ft) expedition climb – today’s January third  and we reach the summit of Mount Vinson today! It was a beautiful day, couldn’t have asked for better weather – clear skies, calm winds, warm temperatures, and just great views all around! The whole team made it to the summit this afternoon and we made our way back down to High Camp (3536m/11,600ft), just had dinner, and tucking in for bed!

Tomorrow, we’re going to pack up High Camp and head down to Base Camp (2140m/7,020ft). All is 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:

– Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

  • Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear our daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions.  Just say, “Alexa, play my flash briefing.“

– Instagram:

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Summit Push on the Way!

Photo pulled from Madison Mountaineering Archive. Photo: Ted Hesser

The Madison Mountaineering Mount Vinson expedition team arrived in High Camp today under more beautiful weather. The team ascended the fixed ropes between Low Camp and where they currently are settled into camp, primed to make their summit push! With good weather in the forecast, the team plans to go for the summit in the next few days. Expedition leader, Garrett Madison, checks in with todays dispatch from High Camp on Mount Vinson:

Hello! This is Garrett calling in for the Mount Vinson (4892m/16,050ft) expedition team – we are up at High Camp (3536m/11,600ft) on Mount Vinson. Today we left Low Camp (2774m/9,100ft) and ascended up fixed ropes. It was a beautiful day – great views all around, the team did awesome. We got up to High Camp here late in the day, set up our camp, started cooking, had dinner and now we’re tucked in and heading to bed.

We’re gonna see how it looks tomorrow – potentially we could go for the summit or maybe wait for the next day! But, everyone’s doing great and the weather looks good. So, we’re happy to be up here and all is well on Mount Vinson. 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:

– Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

  • Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear our daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions.  Just say, “Alexa, play my flash briefing.“

– Instagram:

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New Years on Mount Vinson!

Photo pulled from Madison Mountaineering Archive. Photo: Ted Hesser

Happy New Year from the Madison Mountaineering Mount Vinson team! The team brought in the New Year by ascending to Low Camp under blue-bird conditions, followed by a celebration with other teams and climbers on the mountain. Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this update from Antarctica:

Hello and happy New Year from Mount Vinson! This is Garrett calling in for the Mount Vinson (4892m/16,050ft) expedition team and we are up at Low Camp (2774m/9,100ft). We moved up from Base Camp (2140m/7,020ft) today to Low Camp – perfect weather today, beautiful views in all directions! We set up our camp, had dinner, and had a New Year celebration with some of the other teams up here; it was a really fun occasion and we’re so happy to be up here and on schedule!

We’re gonna take a rest day tomorrow, do some fix line training, organize gear, and then get ready to move to High Camp (3536m/11,600ft) the following day.

So, all is well here on Mount Vinson! The team’s doing great, everyone’s feeling strong and healthy, and just so happy to be here in Antarctica – it’s a very magical place! We’re looking forward to some good times ahead.

We’ll check in soon and happy New Year! What a way to bring in 2023.

 

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:

– Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

  • Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear our daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions.  Just say, “Alexa, play my flash briefing.“

– Instagram:

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Onward to Low Camp!

Photo pulled from Madison Mountaineering Archive. Photo: Terray Sylvester

Under beautiful, clear-blue skies our team is moving up to Low Camp today at 9,100 feet! Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with a brief message before the teams departure from Vinson Base Camp:

Heading up to low camp (2774m/9,100ft) today, nice weather here!

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:

– Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

  • Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear our daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions.  Just say, “Alexa, play my flash briefing.“

– Instagram:

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Primed to Start the Climb!

Photo pulled from Madison Mountaineering Archive. Photo: Terray Sylvester

After settling into Vinson Base Camp in the day prior, the Madison Mountaineering Mount Vinson expedition team wasted no time as they continue their preparation to move higher up Antarctica’s tallest peak! The team spent today sorting gear, resting up, and reviewing rope travel, ice axe arrest, and crevasse rescue techniques. Everyone is in good spirits and is itching to start the climb tomorrow! Expedition leader, Garrett Madison, checks in via Garmin inReach Mini with a brief update from Vinson Base Camp:

Nice day resting, sorting gear, and training in Vinson base camp (2140m/7,020ft)..

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:

– Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

  • Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear our daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions.  Just say, “Alexa, play my flash briefing.“

– Instagram:

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Arrived in Vinson Base Camp!

Photo pulled from Madison Mountaineering Archive. (Photo: Ted Hesser)

After a week full of travel, our team has finally arrived in Mount Vinson Base Camp (VBC)! With the team settled into their camp, expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this brief update from VBC:

Hello! This is Garrett checking in for the Madison Mountaineering Mount Vinson (4892m/16,050ft) expedition team. We made it to Vinson base camp (2140m/7,020ft) and are all settled in! The team is doing great!

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:

– Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

  • Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear our daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions.  Just say, “Alexa, play my flash briefing.“

– Instagram:

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Standing by for flight to Antarctica

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 know: Mount Vinson is named for Georgia Congressman Carl Vinson, the former Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.

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Heading to Antarctica!

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) 

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