Mount Vinson

On the morning before your Antarctic flight, we will come to your hotel at your scheduled Luggage Pick-Up time. Be ready in the lobby with ALL of the luggage you will be taking to Antarctica including checked luggage and items that will be carried on. We will weigh everything and use these weights to calculate cargo totals for the ski aircraft flight to Vinson. We recommend wearing the boots and outer clothing you will need for your arrival in Antarctica to board the aircraft. The temperature on board the aircraft will be adjusted accordingly, so don’t worry about getting too hot.

If the weather is suitable for our flight, we will pick you up at your hotel within the hour. At the Punta Arenas airport, we board our chartered jet for the 4 hour flight to Antarctica. Our route crosses the Drake Passage, then follows the west side of the Antarctic Peninsula and the spine of the Ellsworth Mountains. We land on a naturally occurring blue-ice runway on Union Glacier where you will take your first steps on Antarctica.

Vinson Base Camp is situated at an elevation of 2140 m on the Branscomb Glacier and offers you a spectacular setting to relax and recover from your travels to Antarctica while you prepare for the climb ahead. Here you will meet our experienced mountain guides that will be climbing with you. On the first day, your guide will take your team on a short acclimatization hike which allows you to gain familiarity with the Antarctic environment and refine your clothing and equipment choices for the climb. We keep the team sizes small so our guides can assess individual strengths and challenges for each team member to develop a strategy that maximizes everyone’s chance for a successful ascent. The following day, you will pack your personal equipment as well as a small amount of food and fuel.

From Vinson Base Camp, you’ll follow the gradual rise of the Branscomb Glacier to Low Camp (2780 m). This gentle climb is ideal for pulling sleds, allowing you to lighten your pack load. The climb to Low Camp takes 4-6 hours and ascends 640 m where a large dining tent and cached sleeping tents await for your first night on the mountain. Low Camp is in the shade until the late morning and it is normal for people to stay in bed until the sun hits the tents. After a late breakfast, your guide will lead an excursion to a nearby viewpoint and you may visit the lower section of the fixed lines for some additional training and familiarization. Strong parties may wish to make an ascent of Knutzen Peak (3373m), a 5-6 hour round trip from Low Camp.

When conditions are suitable and the forecast indicates stable weather ahead, your team will leave the sleds at Low Camp and ascend to High Camp (3780 m) carrying all of your equipment in backpacks. Low Camp to High Camp is 1000 m of elevation gain and usually takes groups 6-8 hours to complete. The route takes you up the broad mixed spur at the northern end of Branscomb Ridge, offering fantastic views of Mount Shinn and the glaciers below. The hike to the start of the fixed ropes takes less than 1 hour. You’ll ascend fixed ropes on snow covered slopes up to 45°. Snow conditions can vary from soft to hard and wind-blown with icy patches. The ascent of the fixed ropes takes approximately 4-5 hours. There is a large ledge at the halfway point where you can stop for a rest and enjoy some food and drink. The hike from the top of the fixed lines to High Camp takes about 1.5 hours, ascending the gentle slopes of the summit glacier. This final section of the route can be very exposed to the wind, requiring care to prevent cold injury. The facilities at High Camp are more basic than those at Low Camp. Your guide will prepare simple meals in a cooking shelter and you can eat inside your tent or outside if the weather is calm. The next day is normally spent resting and acclimatizing at High Camp to give everyone the best chance of summiting.

Your team will make its summit attempt on the best weather day possible based on forecasts predicting good visibility and low winds. High Camp to Mount Vinson Summit is 1112 m of elevation gain and takes most teams 9-12 hours round-trip. The majority of the route is along the gently angled Vinson summit valley, with a short, steeper snow and ice slope leading to the spectacular, rocky, summit Ridge. Parts of the route are exposed and can be subject to high winds. The summit pyramid can be climbed via two routes. The easiest route is via the eastern ridge which is less steep than the western ridge. Many teams traverse the peak by climbing the western and descending the eastern route. Your guide will select the route that is most appropriate based on the weather conditions and the abilities of the team. The views from the summit are breathtaking. Mount Gardner, Tyree, Epperly, and Shinn dominate the foreground, surrounded by impressive peaks that rise from the vast ice sheet below. Here, at the top of Antarctica, the true scale and majesty of the continent are overwhelmingly apparent. Take time for photos and savor the experience before retracing your steps to High Camp.

The descent to Vinson Base Camp usually takes one day from High Camp, retracing your route down the fixed ropes and along the Branscomb Glacier. At Base Camp you’ll celebrate your summit with a hearty celebration meal and toast to your team!

Vinson Base Camp will stay in close contact with Union Glacier Camp to identify the best ‘weather window’ for your return flight. Depending on flights, you may have at least one day at the end of your expedition to explore more of Union Glacier. Enjoy a hot shower and celebrate your summit with your team! Here you will receive a certificate to commemorate your Mount Vinson Expedition.

When weather and runway conditions permit, our intercontinental aircraft will arrive at Union Glacier to transport you back to Chile. Our staff will meet you at the airport and transfer you back to your hotel.

We recommend booking your flight home one week after your return Antarctic flight. If you purchase a full-fare ticket, most airlines will allow you to move your departure date. It is important to give yourself buffer as delays are common in Antarctic travel. Our Punta Arenas team can provide a list of local tour operators and excursions if you wish to explore Chile before you return home. When it is time for your flight home, our staff will provide transportation from your hotel to the Punta Arenas airport.