Mt. Vinson is the highest mountain on the continent of Antarctica.
Overview
It is located 600 miles from the South Pole and 1,200 miles from the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. It is part of the Ellsworth Mountain range, which rises dramatically above the Ronne Ice Shelf. The combination of incomparable pristine beauty, its remote location, and the extreme environment make this expedition a unique and unparalleled trip of a lifetime!
Team members fly to Punta Arenas, Chile located on the southern tip of South America. Here we will spend two days organizing our gear and equipment in preparation for our flight to the Antarctic ice cap. Given the unpredictability of weather we will be prepared to fly on schedule or wait as long as several days for conditions to be right for the flight.
When the conditions are favorable we will board a Russian IL-76 for a 5-6 hour flight that will land us at Patriot Hills. From here we will unload and board a twin otter bound for Vinson Base Camp at 7,000 feet. This is a good spot to organize our expedition equipment and prepare to climb.
Our climb with consist of load carries to set in two camps at approximately 9500′ and 12,400′. We will utilize sleds in addition to our packs tocarry supplies to each camp and descend to the previous one before occupying our new camp on a second trip. This affords us the ability to acclimatize while carrying reasonable loads. After arriving safely to our high camp we will prepare for our summit bid when weather and conditions look favorable. There are several days built in to our itinerary so we can be ready for a good opportunity for a good summit attempt.
After our summit bid we return to High Camp. The following day we descend to Vinson Base Camp and prepare for our flight back to Patriot Hills then on to Punta Arenas, Chile.
Dates
Call SMI for more information
Cost
$42,500 per person minimum of 3 people
Included in trip cost: Professional guides, breakfasts and dinners while on the mountain, all group equipment (tents, stoves, fuel, cooking gear, shovels, climbing gear, and more).
Not included in trip cost: Chile entrance fee, hotels and Punta Arenas , meals in restaurants, airline tickets, airport taxes, and tips.
