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{{Short description|Largest mountain in Antarctica}} | |||
{{Infobox Mountain|Name=Vinson Massif|Photo=Vinson_Massif_from_space.jpg| | |||
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}} | |||
Caption=] image of Vinson Massif from space| | |||
{{Infobox mountain | |||
Elevation=4,892 metres (16,065 feet)| | |||
| name = Vinson Massif | |||
elevation=4892| | |||
| photo = Mount Vinson from NW at Vinson Plateau by Christian Stangl (flickr).jpg | |||
Location=] (on territory claimed by ]) | | |||
| photo_caption = Mount Vinson at ] | |||
Range=] | |||
| elevation_m = 4892 | |||
| Prominence = 4,892 m <small> ]</small> | |||
| elevation_ref = <ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160908223742/http://peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=12108 |date=8 September 2016 }} Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2011-10-26.</ref> | |||
| Coordinates = {{coor dm|78|35|S|85|25|W|type:mountain}} | |||
| prominence_m = 4892 | |||
|First ascent=1966 by ] and party | | |||
| prominence_ref = <ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304053322/http://www.peaklist.org/WWlists/ultras/antarctica.html |date=4 March 2016 }} peaklist.org. Retrieved 2011-10-26.</ref><br /><small>]</small> | |||
Easiest route=snow/ice climb | |||
| listing = ]<br />] | |||
| location = ] | |||
| range = ] | |||
| map = Antarctica | |||
| map_caption = | |||
| label = | |||
| map_size = 350 | |||
| label_position = top | |||
| coordinates = {{Wikidatacoord|Q163758|type:mountain_region:AQ_scale:100000|display=inline,title}} | |||
| range_coordinates = | |||
| coordinates_ref = <ref name=wp/> | |||
| first_ascent = 1966 by ] and party | |||
| easiest_route = snow/ice climb | |||
}} | }} | ||
] image of Vinson Massif from space]] | |||
'''Vinson Massif''' is the ] ] of ], located about 1,200 km (750 mi) from the ]. The mountain is about 21 ] (13 mi) long and 13 km (8 mi) wide. The southern end of the ] is capped by ] (4,650 m). | |||
], ] with Vinson Massif.]] | |||
'''Vinson Massif''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|v|ɪ|n|s|ən|_|m|æ|ˈ|s|iː|f}}) is a large mountain ] in ] that is {{cvt|21|km|mi}} long and {{cvt|13|km|mi|0}} wide and lies within the ] of the ]. It overlooks the ] near the base of the ]. The massif is located about {{convert|1200|km|mi}} from the ]. Vinson Massif was discovered in January 1958 by ] aircraft. In 1961, the Vinson Massif was named by the ] (US-ACAN), after ], ] ] from the state of ], for his support for ]. On November 1, 2006, US-ACAN declared Mount Vinson and Vinson Massif to be separate entities.<ref name=gnis/><ref name="Stewart2011a">Stewart, J. (2011) ''Antarctic An Encyclopedia'' McFarland & Company Inc, New York. 1776 pp. {{ISBN|9780786435906}}.</ref> Vinson Massif lies within the unrecognised ] under the ]. | |||
'''Mount Vinson''' is the highest peak in Antarctica, at {{convert|4892|m|ft|0}}.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Antarctica. In The Kingfisher Children's Encyclopedia |publisher=Kingfisher |year=2012 |location=New York, New York |pages=16}}</ref> It lies in the north part of Vinson Massif's summit plateau in the south portion of the main ridge of the Sentinel Range about {{convert|2|km|mi|frac=4}} north of ].<ref name="Stewart2011a"/> It was first climbed in 1966 by an American team led by ]. An expedition in 2001 was the first to climb via the Eastern route, and also took GPS measurements of the height of the peak.<ref name=nova/> As of February 2010, 1,400 climbers have attempted to reach the summit of Mount Vinson.<ref name=7summits/> Mount Vinson is ranked 6th by ]. | |||
It is in the ] of the ], which stand above the ] near the base of the ]. | |||
==Geography== | |||
The massif's existence was unsuspected until 1957, when it was spotted by ] aircraft. It was named after ] (also the namesake of an ]), a ] ] Congressman who was a key supporter of funding for Antarctic research. | |||
The Vinson Massif extends between ] and ] to the northwest, ] and ] to the southwest and south, and ] and its tributary ] to the east. The southeastern part of the ] ends at ], which joins it to the ], of which the highest point is ] ({{convert|4477|m|ft|0}}). The massif comprises both the high central ] with its few peaks rising to over {{convert|4700|m|ft}}, and several side ridges mostly trending southwest or northeast from the plateau. | |||
The current height ({{convert|4892|m|ft|0}}) of Mount Vinson was measured by a GPS survey that was conducted by the 2004 Omega Foundation team comprising ] of ] (leader) and Rodrigo Fica and Camilo Rada of ].<ref name=Gildea/> Since 1998 and continuing through 2007, the Omega Foundation has placed a GPS receiver on the summit for a suitable period of time to obtain accurate satellite readings.<ref name=Gildea/> | |||
In 1963, two groups within the ], one led by Charles Hollister and Samuel C. Silverstein, M.D., then in New York, and the other led by Peter Schoening of Seattle Washington, began lobbying the ] to support an expedition to climb Vinson. The two groups merged in spring 1966 at the urging of the National Science Foundation and the American Alpine Club, and Nicholas Clinch (Pasadena, CA) was recruited by the American Alpine Club to lead the merged expeditions. Named officially the American Antarctic Mountaineering Expedition 1966/67, the expedition was sponsored by the American Alpine Club and the National Geographic Society, and supported in the field by the U.S. Navy and the National Science Foundation Office of Antarctic Programs. the event, 10 scientists and mountaineers participated in AAME 1966/67. In addition to Clinch they were Barry Corbet (Jackson Hole, WY), John Evans (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN), Eiichi Fukushima (University of Washington, Seattle, WA), Charles Hollister, Ph.D. (Columbia University, New York, NY), William Long, Ph.D. (Alaska Methodist University, Anchorage, AK), Brian Marts (Seattle, WA), Peter Schoening (Seattle, WA), Samuel Silverstein, M.D. (Rockefeller University, New York, NY) and Richard Wahstrom (Seattle, WA). | |||
==Geology== | |||
In the months prior to its departure for Antarctica the expedition received considerable press attention, primarily because of the reports that ] was planning to fly in a Piper Apache piloted by Max Conrad, the "flying Grandfather, with four companions into the Sentinel Range to climb the Vinson Massif. Sayre had a reputation for problematic trips as a result of his unauthorized, unsuccessful, and nearly fatal attempt to climb Mt. Everest from the North in 1962. His unauthorized incursion into Tibet led China to file an official protest with the U.S. State Department. In the event, the purported race did not materialize. Conrad had difficulties with his plane. According to press reports, he and Sayre were still in Buenos Aires on the day the first four members of AAME 1966/67 reached Vinson's summit. | |||
Steeply inclined ] known as the Crashsite Group forms Vinson Massif. It consists of {{convert|3,000|m|ft|sp=us}} of shallow-water, mostly marine, tan, green, and red ]ose ]s (]s) and ]s. In ascending order, the Crashsite Group is subdivided into the Howard Nunataks Formation ({{convert|1,630|m|ft|sp=us}}), the Mount Liptak Formation ({{convert|1,070|m|ft|sp=us}}), and the Mount Wyatt Earp Formation ({{convert|300|m|ft|sp=us}}). Erosion-resistant and steeply inclined beds of the Mount Wyatt Earp Formation comprise the crest of the Vinson Massif, including Mount Vinson. The steeply inclined strata of the Crashsite Group are part of the western limb of a major ] that forms the core of the Sentinel Range within the Ellsworth Mountains. The Mount Wyatt Earp Formation contains ] ]s. The transition beds at the base of the Crashsite Group contain Late ] ]s. The intervening lower parts of the Crashsite Group likely include ] and ] strata.<ref name="FitzgeraldOthers1992a">Fitzgerald, P.G., Stump, E., Yoshida, Y., Kaminuma, K. and Shiraishi, K., 1992. ''Early Cretaceous uplift of the southern Sentinel Range, Ellsworth Mountains.'' in Yoshida, Y., Kaminuma, K., and Shiraishi, K., ''Recent Progress in Antarctic Earth Science.'' Tokyo, Japan, TERRAPUB, pp. 331-340</ref><ref name="SpörliOthers1992a">Spörli, K.B., 1992. ''Stratigraphy of the Crashsite Group, Ellsworth Mountains, West Antarctica''. in Webers, G. F., Craddock, C., and Splettstoesser, J. F., ''Geology and Paleontology of the Ellsworth Mountains, West Antarctica.'' Boulder, Colorado, Geological Society of America Memoir 170. pp.21-36.</ref> | |||
In December of 1966 the Navy transported the expedition and its supplies from Christ Church, New Zealand to the U.S. base at McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, and from there in a ski-equipped ] to the sentinel range. All members of the expedition reached the summit of the Vinson Massif. The first group of four climbers summited on ], ], four more on December 19, and the last three on December 20. The climb of Vinson offers little technical difficulty beyond the usual hazards of travel in Antarctica, and as one of the ], it has received much attention from well-heeled climbers in recent years; between 1985 and 2000, ] (the only organization that runs private expeditions to Vinson) has guided over 450 climbers to the summit. | |||
==Climate and glaciers== | |||
Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions (ALE) recently purchased Adventure Network International. ALE is now the only company offering flights to Vinson Massif. ALE, as well as several other companies, now guide clients up Vinson Massif. | |||
The climate on Mount Vinson is generally controlled by the polar ]'s ], creating predominantly stable conditions but, as in any ], high winds and snowfall are a possibility. Though the annual snowfall on Mount Vinson is low, high winds can cause ] accumulations up to {{convert|46|cm|in}} in a year. During the summer season, November through January, there are 24 hours of sunlight. While the average temperature during these months is {{cvt|-30|°C|°F|-1|lk=on}}, the intense sun will melt snow on dark objects.{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}} | |||
Over successive years, the limited amount of snow that falls on Vinson Massif compacts and is transformed into ice, forming glaciers. These glaciers follow the topography and flow down the mountain's valleys.<ref name=fr13/> The uppermost glacier occupies ] on the north face of Mount Vinson, and flows either into ] to the west or ] to the east. The Crosswell Glacier flows into the ] via ].<ref name=fr13/> The south face of Mount Vinson is drained by ], which flows westwards into Branscomb Glacier, with the latter leaving Vinson Massif to join ]. | |||
The new height (4,892 m) of Vinson Massif resulted from a GPS survey by the 2004 Omega Foundation team comprising Damien Gildea of Australia (leader), and Rodrigo Fica and Camilo Rada of Chile; it is 5 m lower than the previous figure. | |||
==History== | |||
== First ascent from East Face == | |||
A high mountain, provisionally known as "Vinson", was long suspected to be in this part of ],{{why|reason=The reasons for suspecting the presence of a high mountain are not clear|date=April 2019}}{{by whom|date=April 2019}} but it was not actually seen until January 1958, when it was spotted by ] aircraft from ]. It was named after ], a ] ] from ] who was a key supporter of funding for Antarctic research.<ref name=gnis/> The first measurement of the Vinson Massif was established in 1959 at the elevation of {{cvt|5140|m|ft|0}}.<ref name=gnis/> | |||
While the vast majority of prior climbs to the summit have used the western side of the massif from the ], the first ascent from the east side was successfully completed by an eight-person team sponsored by '']'' in January 2001. The team consisted of: | |||
* ] - expedition leader | |||
* ] - mountaineer and author | |||
* Dave Hahn - mountain guide with 19 ascents from the established route | |||
* Andrew Mclean - extreme skier | |||
* Dan Stone - ] | |||
* Lisel Clark - producer (who also became the first woman to make an ascent from this side) | |||
* John Armstrong - cameraman | |||
* Rob Raker - assistant cameraman and sound recording | |||
===First ascent=== | |||
The team not only made the first ascent from the east side but also performed scientific research into snow accumulation at different elevations as well as taking the first ground based ] reading from the summit. The GPS reading gave the elevation of the highest point in Antarctica as 4,897 metres (16,077 ft), eclipsing the earlier established heights recorded in 1959 and 1979. | |||
In 1963, two groups within the ] (AAC), one led by Charles D. Hollister and Samuel C. Silverstein, M.D., then in New York, and the other led by ] of ], began lobbying the ] to support an expedition to climb Mount Vinson. The two groups merged in spring 1966 at the urging of the National Science Foundation and the AAC and ] was recruited by the AAC to lead the merged expeditions. Officially named the American Antarctic Mountaineering Expedition (AAME) 1966/67, the expedition was sponsored by the AAC and the ], and supported in the field by the ] and the National Science Foundation Office of Antarctic Programs. Ten scientists and mountaineers participated in AAME 1966/67. In addition to Clinch they were Barry Corbet, John Evans (University of Minnesota), Eiichi Fukushima (University of Washington, Seattle), Charles Hollister, Ph.D. (Columbia University), William Long, (Alaska Methodist University), Brian Marts, ], Samuel Silverstein, (Rockefeller University) and Richard Wahlstrom. | |||
In the months prior to its departure for Antarctica, the expedition received considerable press attention, primarily because of reports that ] and four companions were planning to fly in a ] into the Sentinel Range to climb Mount Vinson. They would be piloted by ], the "flying Grandfather". Sayre had a reputation for problematic trips as a result of his unauthorized, unsuccessful, and nearly fatal attempt to climb ] from the North in 1962. His unauthorized incursion into Tibet led China to file an official protest with the U.S. State Department. In the end, the purported race did not materialize as Conrad had difficulties with his plane. According to press reports, he and Sayre were still in ] on the day the first four members of AAME 1966/67 reached Mount Vinson's summit. | |||
Another first was the successful aircraft landing of a ] on the Upper ] on the eastern slopes of Vinson Massif. | |||
In December 1966 the Navy transported the expedition and its supplies from ], ] to the U.S. base at ], Antarctica, and from there in a ski-equipped ] to the Sentinel Range. All members of the expedition reached the summit of Mount Vinson. The first group of four climbers summited on December 18, 1966, three more on December 19, and the last three on December 20. | |||
On August 17, 2006, from nomination by Damien Gildea of the Omega Foundation, US-ACAN approved naming the subsidiary peaks south of Mount Vinson for the AAME 1966/67 members Nicholas Clinch, Barry Corbet, Eiichi Fukushima, Charles Hollister, Brian Marts, Samuel Silverstein, Peter Schoening and Richard Wahlstrom. Other peaks in the Sentinel Range had previously been named for John Evans and William Long.<ref name=ExplorersWeb/> | |||
''Nova'' named the production "Mountain of Ice", which first aired on ] in February 2003. | |||
===Later ascents=== | |||
On nomination by Damien Gildea of the Omega Foundation, USGS Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (ACAN) on August 18th, 2006 approved naming the subsidiary peaklets south of Mt. Vinson for the AAME 1966/67 members Nicholas Clinch, Barry Corbet, Eiichi Fukushima, Charles Hollister, Brian Marts, Samuel Silverstein, Peter Schoening and Richard Wahlstrom. Other peaks in the Sentinel Range had previously been named for John Evans and William Long. | |||
] | |||
The climb of Vinson offers little technical difficulty beyond the usual hazards of travel in Antarctica, and as one of the ], it has received much attention from well-funded climbers in recent years.<ref name=7summits/> Multiple guide companies offer guided expeditions to Mount Vinson, at a typical cost of around ]$45,000 per person, including transportation to Antarctica from Chile.<ref>{{cite magazine |last= |first= |date=July 8, 2021 |title=How Much Does It Cost to Climb a Famous Mountain |url=https://globetrender.com/2021/07/08/price-climb-famous-mountain/ |magazine=Globetrender |location=] |publisher= |access-date=January 24, 2022 |archive-date=25 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220125015454/https://globetrender.com/2021/07/08/price-climb-famous-mountain/ |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
The skyrunner Fernanda Maciel did the fastest ascent of Vinson in 6h40min and round trip in 9h41min from base camp. | |||
===First ascent from east side=== | |||
==External links== | |||
While the vast majority of prior climbs to the summit have used the western side of the massif from the ], the first ascent from the east side was successfully completed by an eight-person team sponsored by '']'' in January 2001.<ref name=nova/> The team consisted of: | |||
* | |||
* ] – expedition leader | |||
* | |||
* ] – mountaineer and author | |||
* ] – mountain guide with 34 ascents, including ascents to ], and ]. | |||
* Andrew Mclean – extreme skier | |||
* Dan Stone – ] | |||
* Liesl Clark – producer | |||
* John Armstrong – cameraman | |||
* Rob Raker – assistant cameraman and sound recording | |||
The team not only made the first ascent from the east side but also performed scientific research into snow accumulation at different elevations as well as taking the first ground-based ] reading from the summit. The GPS reading gave the elevation of the highest point in Antarctica as {{cvt|16077|ft|m|0|order=flip}}, eclipsing the earlier established heights recorded in 1959 and 1979. | |||
{{Seven Summits}} | |||
Another first was the successful aircraft landing of a ] on the Upper ] on the eastern slopes of Mount Vinson. | |||
]] | |||
''NOVA'' named the production "Mountain of Ice", which first aired on ] in February 2003.<ref name=nova/> | |||
] | |||
] | |||
==See also== | |||
] | |||
* ] | |||
] | |||
* ] – highest volcano in Antarctica | |||
] | |||
* ] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
==Maps== | |||
] | |||
* Scale 1:250 000 topographic map. Reston, Virginia: US Geological Survey, 1988. | |||
] | |||
* D. Gildea and C. Rada. Vinson Massif and the Sentinel Range. Scale 1:50 000 topographic map. Omega Foundation, 2007. | |||
] | |||
* Scale 1:250000 topographic map of Antarctica. Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR). Since 1993, regularly updated. | |||
] | |||
] | |||
==References== | |||
{{Reflist|refs= | |||
<ref name=nova>{{cite web |publisher=] |author=NOVA |title=Mountain of Ice |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/vinson/ |access-date=2004-12-28 |author-link=Nova (American TV series) |archive-date=3 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170903161427/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/vinson/ |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
<ref name=wp>{{cite web |publisher=7 Summits |title=GPS waypoints for the Vinson Massif |url=http://7summits.com/vinson/waypoints.php |access-date=2007-01-29 |archive-date=16 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190516190420/http://7summits.com/vinson/waypoints.php |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
<ref name=7summits>{{cite web |publisher=7 Summits |title=Mount Vinson, the summit of Antarctica |url=http://7summits.com/vinson/vinson.htm |year=2008 |access-date=2008-09-20 |archive-date=1 October 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081001222744/http://7summits.com/vinson/vinson.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
<ref name=Gildea>{{Cite journal |last1=Gildea |first1=Damien |last2=Splettstoesser |first2=John |journal=10th International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Sciences (ISAES), 2007 |title=Craddock Massif and Vinson Massif remeasured |publication-date=2007-08-27 |url=http://isaes.confex.com/isaes/2007/techprogram/P1166.HTM |access-date=2008-09-20 |archive-date=3 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303174116/http://isaes.confex.com/isaes/2007/techprogram/P1166.HTM |url-status=dead}}</ref> | |||
<ref name=ExplorersWeb>{{cite web |author=ExplorersWeb Inc. |publisher=The Poles |title=Vinson Massif & The Sentinel Range: New map – new names |url=http://www.thepoles.com/news.php?id=14995 |access-date=2008-09-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090219234322/http://www.thepoles.com/news.php?id=14995 |archive-date=2009-02-19 |url-status=dead}}</ref> | |||
<ref name=gnis>{{cite gnis |id=16082 |type=antarid |name=Vinson Massif |access-date=2008-09-20}}</ref> | |||
<ref name=fr13>{{cite web |url=http://usarc.usgs.gov/drgs/dir1/c78082s1.jpg |title=Vinson Massif |publisher=United States Geological Survey |access-date=26 December 2010 |archive-date=19 February 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130219184244/http://usarc.usgs.gov/drgs/dir1/c78082s1.jpg |url-status=live }}</ref> }} | |||
==External links== | |||
{{sister project links}} | |||
* Explorers Dream | |||
* | |||
{{Seven Summits}} | |||
{{Authority control}} | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] |
Latest revision as of 13:58, 11 December 2024
Largest mountain in Antarctica
Vinson Massif | |
---|---|
Mount Vinson at Vinson Plateau | |
Highest point | |
Elevation | 4,892 m (16,050 ft) |
Prominence | 4,892 m (16,050 ft) Ranked 8th |
Listing | Seven summits Ultra |
Coordinates | 78°31′32″S 85°37′2″W / 78.52556°S 85.61722°W / -78.52556; -85.61722 |
Geography | |
Vinson MassifAntarctica | |
Parent range | Sentinel Range |
Climbing | |
First ascent | 1966 by Nicholas Clinch and party |
Easiest route | snow/ice climb |
Vinson Massif (/ˈvɪnsən mæˈsiːf/) is a large mountain massif in Antarctica that is 21 km (13 mi) long and 13 km (8 mi) wide and lies within the Sentinel Range of the Ellsworth Mountains. It overlooks the Ronne Ice Shelf near the base of the Antarctic Peninsula. The massif is located about 1,200 kilometres (750 mi) from the South Pole. Vinson Massif was discovered in January 1958 by U.S. Navy aircraft. In 1961, the Vinson Massif was named by the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names (US-ACAN), after Carl G. Vinson, United States congressman from the state of Georgia, for his support for Antarctic exploration. On November 1, 2006, US-ACAN declared Mount Vinson and Vinson Massif to be separate entities. Vinson Massif lies within the unrecognised Chilean claim under the Antarctic Treaty System.
Mount Vinson is the highest peak in Antarctica, at 4,892 metres (16,050 ft). It lies in the north part of Vinson Massif's summit plateau in the south portion of the main ridge of the Sentinel Range about 2 kilometres (1+1⁄4 mi) north of Hollister Peak. It was first climbed in 1966 by an American team led by Nicholas Clinch. An expedition in 2001 was the first to climb via the Eastern route, and also took GPS measurements of the height of the peak. As of February 2010, 1,400 climbers have attempted to reach the summit of Mount Vinson. Mount Vinson is ranked 6th by topographic isolation.
Geography
The Vinson Massif extends between Goodge Col and Branscomb Glacier to the northwest, Nimitz Glacier and Gildea Glacier to the southwest and south, and Dater Glacier and its tributary Hinkley Glacier to the east. The southeastern part of the massif ends at Hammer Col, which joins it to the Craddock Massif, of which the highest point is Mount Rutford (4,477 metres (14,688 ft)). The massif comprises both the high central Vinson Plateau with its few peaks rising to over 4,700 metres (15,400 ft), and several side ridges mostly trending southwest or northeast from the plateau.
The current height (4,892 metres (16,050 ft)) of Mount Vinson was measured by a GPS survey that was conducted by the 2004 Omega Foundation team comprising Damien Gildea of Australia (leader) and Rodrigo Fica and Camilo Rada of Chile. Since 1998 and continuing through 2007, the Omega Foundation has placed a GPS receiver on the summit for a suitable period of time to obtain accurate satellite readings.
Geology
Steeply inclined strata known as the Crashsite Group forms Vinson Massif. It consists of 3,000 meters (9,800 ft) of shallow-water, mostly marine, tan, green, and red quartzose sandstones (quartzites) and argillites. In ascending order, the Crashsite Group is subdivided into the Howard Nunataks Formation (1,630 meters (5,350 ft)), the Mount Liptak Formation (1,070 meters (3,510 ft)), and the Mount Wyatt Earp Formation (300 meters (980 ft)). Erosion-resistant and steeply inclined beds of the Mount Wyatt Earp Formation comprise the crest of the Vinson Massif, including Mount Vinson. The steeply inclined strata of the Crashsite Group are part of the western limb of a major syncline that forms the core of the Sentinel Range within the Ellsworth Mountains. The Mount Wyatt Earp Formation contains Devonian fossils. The transition beds at the base of the Crashsite Group contain Late Cambrian trilobites. The intervening lower parts of the Crashsite Group likely include Ordovician and Silurian strata.
Climate and glaciers
The climate on Mount Vinson is generally controlled by the polar ice cap's high-pressure system, creating predominantly stable conditions but, as in any polar climate, high winds and snowfall are a possibility. Though the annual snowfall on Mount Vinson is low, high winds can cause base camp accumulations up to 46 centimetres (18 in) in a year. During the summer season, November through January, there are 24 hours of sunlight. While the average temperature during these months is −30 °C (−20 °F), the intense sun will melt snow on dark objects.
Over successive years, the limited amount of snow that falls on Vinson Massif compacts and is transformed into ice, forming glaciers. These glaciers follow the topography and flow down the mountain's valleys. The uppermost glacier occupies Jacobsen Valley on the north face of Mount Vinson, and flows either into Branscomb Glacier to the west or Crosswell Glacier to the east. The Crosswell Glacier flows into the Rutford Ice Stream via Ellen Glacier. The south face of Mount Vinson is drained by Roché Glacier, which flows westwards into Branscomb Glacier, with the latter leaving Vinson Massif to join Nimitz Glacier.
History
A high mountain, provisionally known as "Vinson", was long suspected to be in this part of West Antarctica, but it was not actually seen until January 1958, when it was spotted by US Navy aircraft from Byrd Station. It was named after Carl Vinson, a United States Representative from Georgia who was a key supporter of funding for Antarctic research. The first measurement of the Vinson Massif was established in 1959 at the elevation of 5,140 m (16,864 ft).
First ascent
In 1963, two groups within the American Alpine Club (AAC), one led by Charles D. Hollister and Samuel C. Silverstein, M.D., then in New York, and the other led by Peter Schoening of Seattle, Washington, began lobbying the National Science Foundation to support an expedition to climb Mount Vinson. The two groups merged in spring 1966 at the urging of the National Science Foundation and the AAC and Nicholas Clinch was recruited by the AAC to lead the merged expeditions. Officially named the American Antarctic Mountaineering Expedition (AAME) 1966/67, the expedition was sponsored by the AAC and the National Geographic Society, and supported in the field by the U.S. Navy and the National Science Foundation Office of Antarctic Programs. Ten scientists and mountaineers participated in AAME 1966/67. In addition to Clinch they were Barry Corbet, John Evans (University of Minnesota), Eiichi Fukushima (University of Washington, Seattle), Charles Hollister, Ph.D. (Columbia University), William Long, (Alaska Methodist University), Brian Marts, Peter Schoening, Samuel Silverstein, (Rockefeller University) and Richard Wahlstrom.
In the months prior to its departure for Antarctica, the expedition received considerable press attention, primarily because of reports that Woodrow Wilson Sayre and four companions were planning to fly in a Piper Apache into the Sentinel Range to climb Mount Vinson. They would be piloted by Max Conrad, the "flying Grandfather". Sayre had a reputation for problematic trips as a result of his unauthorized, unsuccessful, and nearly fatal attempt to climb Mount Everest from the North in 1962. His unauthorized incursion into Tibet led China to file an official protest with the U.S. State Department. In the end, the purported race did not materialize as Conrad had difficulties with his plane. According to press reports, he and Sayre were still in Buenos Aires on the day the first four members of AAME 1966/67 reached Mount Vinson's summit.
In December 1966 the Navy transported the expedition and its supplies from Christchurch, New Zealand to the U.S. base at McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, and from there in a ski-equipped C-130 Hercules to the Sentinel Range. All members of the expedition reached the summit of Mount Vinson. The first group of four climbers summited on December 18, 1966, three more on December 19, and the last three on December 20.
On August 17, 2006, from nomination by Damien Gildea of the Omega Foundation, US-ACAN approved naming the subsidiary peaks south of Mount Vinson for the AAME 1966/67 members Nicholas Clinch, Barry Corbet, Eiichi Fukushima, Charles Hollister, Brian Marts, Samuel Silverstein, Peter Schoening and Richard Wahlstrom. Other peaks in the Sentinel Range had previously been named for John Evans and William Long.
Later ascents
The climb of Vinson offers little technical difficulty beyond the usual hazards of travel in Antarctica, and as one of the Seven Summits, it has received much attention from well-funded climbers in recent years. Multiple guide companies offer guided expeditions to Mount Vinson, at a typical cost of around US$45,000 per person, including transportation to Antarctica from Chile. The skyrunner Fernanda Maciel did the fastest ascent of Vinson in 6h40min and round trip in 9h41min from base camp.
First ascent from east side
While the vast majority of prior climbs to the summit have used the western side of the massif from the Branscomb Glacier, the first ascent from the east side was successfully completed by an eight-person team sponsored by NOVA in January 2001. The team consisted of:
- Conrad Anker – expedition leader
- Jon Krakauer – mountaineer and author
- Dave Hahn – mountain guide with 34 ascents, including ascents to Gardner, and Shinn.
- Andrew Mclean – extreme skier
- Dan Stone – glaciologist
- Liesl Clark – producer
- John Armstrong – cameraman
- Rob Raker – assistant cameraman and sound recording
The team not only made the first ascent from the east side but also performed scientific research into snow accumulation at different elevations as well as taking the first ground-based GPS reading from the summit. The GPS reading gave the elevation of the highest point in Antarctica as 4,900 m (16,077 ft), eclipsing the earlier established heights recorded in 1959 and 1979.
Another first was the successful aircraft landing of a Twin Otter on the Upper Dater Glacier on the eastern slopes of Mount Vinson.
NOVA named the production "Mountain of Ice", which first aired on PBS in February 2003.
See also
- Vinson Plateau
- Mount Sidley – highest volcano in Antarctica
- Seven Summits
Maps
- Vinson Massif. Scale 1:250 000 topographic map. Reston, Virginia: US Geological Survey, 1988.
- D. Gildea and C. Rada. Vinson Massif and the Sentinel Range. Scale 1:50 000 topographic map. Omega Foundation, 2007.
- Antarctic Digital Database (ADD). Scale 1:250000 topographic map of Antarctica. Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR). Since 1993, regularly updated.
References
- "Vinson Massif" Archived 8 September 2016 at the Wayback Machine Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2011-10-26.
- "Antarctica – Ultra Prominences" Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine peaklist.org. Retrieved 2011-10-26.
- "GPS waypoints for the Vinson Massif". 7 Summits. Archived from the original on 16 May 2019. Retrieved 29 January 2007.
- ^ "Vinson Massif". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 20 September 2008.
- ^ Stewart, J. (2011) Antarctic An Encyclopedia McFarland & Company Inc, New York. 1776 pp. ISBN 9780786435906.
- Antarctica. In The Kingfisher Children's Encyclopedia. New York, New York: Kingfisher. 2012. p. 16.
- ^ NOVA. "Mountain of Ice". WGBH. Archived from the original on 3 September 2017. Retrieved 28 December 2004.
- ^ "Mount Vinson, the summit of Antarctica". 7 Summits. 2008. Archived from the original on 1 October 2008. Retrieved 20 September 2008.
- ^ Gildea, Damien; Splettstoesser, John (27 August 2007). "Craddock Massif and Vinson Massif remeasured". 10th International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Sciences (ISAES), 2007. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2008.
- Fitzgerald, P.G., Stump, E., Yoshida, Y., Kaminuma, K. and Shiraishi, K., 1992. Early Cretaceous uplift of the southern Sentinel Range, Ellsworth Mountains. in Yoshida, Y., Kaminuma, K., and Shiraishi, K., Recent Progress in Antarctic Earth Science. Tokyo, Japan, TERRAPUB, pp. 331-340
- Spörli, K.B., 1992. Stratigraphy of the Crashsite Group, Ellsworth Mountains, West Antarctica. in Webers, G. F., Craddock, C., and Splettstoesser, J. F., Geology and Paleontology of the Ellsworth Mountains, West Antarctica. Boulder, Colorado, Geological Society of America Memoir 170. pp.21-36.
- ^ "Vinson Massif". United States Geological Survey. Archived from the original on 19 February 2013. Retrieved 26 December 2010.
- ExplorersWeb Inc. "Vinson Massif & The Sentinel Range: New map – new names". The Poles. Archived from the original on 19 February 2009. Retrieved 20 September 2008.
- "How Much Does It Cost to Climb a Famous Mountain". Globetrender. London, England. 8 July 2021. Archived from the original on 25 January 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
External links
- The Vinson Massif. Explorers Dream
- French Alpine Magazine
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