Vinson Massif

Feet : 16067,   Meters : 4897,  Location : Ellsworth Range, Antarctica

“The Great White Desert”, in the Sentinel Range, Ellsworth Mountains, is the highest mountain in Antarctica and reaches 4,892 meters (16,049 ft) which is on average, the coldest, driest and windiest of all the continents with the highest elevation. A frozen desert with little precipitation, temperatures have reached −89 °C (−129 °F) – cold enough to shatter steel – with wind that may reach over 50 knots. There are no permanent residents with only cold-adapted organisms able to survive. The extreme weather climate of Antarctica makes it’s climbing a serious challenge.

It can be unbelievably cold unforgiving environment when the weather changes. Distinct in being the planet’s last great wilderness and one of the most inaccessible ranges in the world; until recently, climbing Mount Vinson was logistically almost impossible. The danger associated with the climb comes from its isolation, combined with the extreme cold and unpredictable weather on the continent, which makes Vinson a very serious undertaking. Even a small accident there could be disastrous.

I reached the summit of Mount Vinson on December 2011. If you would like to challenge yourself, Mount Vinson is the one and unlike no other mountain, atop of Antarctica, the least explored continent on Earth. You should be prepared to climb 8 hours per day. Summit day is the most requiring part of the climb, involving about 8 hours for the ascent and 6 to7 hours for the descent. Generally you carry 30 pounds in a backpack and 20 pounds on a sled.