After sitting around Punta Arenas for 5 days we finally got the call. The winds, which have been as high as 65km/h+ are finally dropping on Union Glacier Antarctica and we’ll be flying on this morning!
The aim here is to climb Vinson, which are 4892m is the highest mountain in Antarctica. As it is the coldest, windiest, driest continent in the world we have all our polar kit packed for this one.
If all goes well we’ll be changing planes from a 757 landing on Union Glacier above to flying a twin prop otter fitted with skis onto Branscombe glacier near Vinson base camp tonight.
Weather permitting, we won’t be aiming to spend more than a couple of hours on Union Glacier. We’ll be hoping to catch a second flight straight away on a twin prop otter fitted with skis onto the Branscombe glacier and from there we’ll be looking to get to Vinson base camp for tomorrow night at circa 2140m. Mount Vinson, first summited in 1966, lies in the aptly named Sentinel Range of the Ellsworth Mountains, deep in the interior of Antarctica. This climb will typically take between 5 to 8 days typically depending on weather conditions and we’ll be travelling roped together throughout the lower extremes due to crevasse hazard. First we’ll be trekking with a heavy pack and pulling a sled through to Camp 1 at 2780m and then we’ll be climbing with just the backpack up steep snow and ice slops to high camp at 3780m. From high camp to summit will be another 9-12 hrs for most teams with some spectacular exposed ridges to greet us on the way.
Time is arbitrary in Antarctica and we’ll be living in 24hr daylight, however we’ll keep to Chilean time on our watches. Whilst it is 24hr daylight the sun will not be directly above us as it would on the south pole so we will be focusing our timing for certain elements of our climb purely on the basis of being in the sun and not the shadows given the vast difference in temperatures.
The wind high up on Vinson has been raging at 60k/h+ over last week with temperatures reaching -56oC but it’s started to improve. We’ll be the first climbing team on the mountain this season – which typically runs from early December to end of January before the weather becomes too inhospitable all over again.
Keep an eye out for my next article on return from the icy south. You can follow me on https://share.garmin.com/RoryAntarctica
Am again trying to raise money for Child Rescue Nepal and in particular this time some money to add taps and toilets for some schools in tough areas. Have a working toilet and a working tap makes a huge different to attendance of these schools so this really is the gift of education
Please help me here on www.justgiving.com/fundraising/rory-mchugh1
Its been a crazy busy time and if we hadn’t been delayed I would never have made it around to posting this or linking up with Child Rescue Nepal so I hope you all enjoy!
See below the current weather on Vinson:
