The mountain itself is not considered technically difficult, though factors such as extreme low temperatures and altitude make it a formidable climb. Applicants must have several years of mountaineering experience that includes peaks over 4268m (14,000ft) and should know the techniques of self arrest, belays, anchors, crampons and how to use an ice axe. A full climbing report and equipment list will be given to all participants.

 

At base camp, your guide will advise you on the current mountain conditions, of any places of concern on the mountain. The guide is required to have an Iridium satellite phone with him, sometimes there are radios used.

 

The time from Vinson base to the top varies from group to group. In the Antarctic mid-summer - December and January the weather is most likely to be a mixture of high winds and light snowfall. Taking into consideration aspects such as fitness, acclimatization, experience and weather, it has taken from as little as 2 days to as much as 2 weeks to reach the summit.

As an average we suggest 10 days from base back to base.

 

The normal route

There are some more technical routes, but most climbers use the normal route. The initial trek up Vinson Massif follows the narrow valley of the Branscomb Glacier from base camp at 2134m (7000ft) off the west side of the Ellsworth Mountains. The route has changed in 1993, now almost everybody uses the same camps: not the traditional C1, nor C2, they use a C1.5 then C3. The actual true summit of Vinson is not visible from anywhere on the route. The ridge very close to the summit is visible from BC and the early part of the route but not from C1 and certainly not from C1.5, 2 or 3.

 

Camp 2 is 300m (1000ft) higher into the mountain and then the route ascends through an ice fall to a broad col between Vinson Massif and Mount Shinn. Camp 3 is at 3650m (12,000ft) and after that the route to the summit rises approximately 760m (2500ft) in 5km (3 miles) before a hard snow and ice slope leads to the summit ridge and the top of the mountain, recognizable by the ski pole that was stuck upside down in the snow.

 

The time from Vinson Massif base camp to the summit varies from group to group. We take into consideration aspects such as fitness, acclimatisation, experience and weather. The climb has previously taken as little as two days and has stretched to as much as two weeks to reach the summit.

 

(Thanks to Damien Gildea for pointing out some errors in the previous version)