Vinson Massif

Antarctica is truly the last frontier. This continent, a mass of rock and ice covering 5,405,400 square miles (14 million sq km) of area, including the South Pole, is larger than Europe. Antarctica has no government, no permanent population, is not ruled by any one country, and is the only continent without an indigenous population. The landmass is controlled under the Antarctic Treaty, signed in 1959 and in force as of 1962. Antarctica is a desert that mainly consists of ice. It also has the distinction of being the highest continent, as defined by overall average height of the surface, due to the thick ice layer covering all land except for the tallest mountain ranges. It, of course, is the coldest continent on Earth.

Vinson Massif is one of the great mountains of the world. It is the highest mountain in Antarctica and likely the coldest on earth. It lies deep in the heart of the mighty Ellsworth mountain range, one of the southern-most on the planet. Until recently this was a logistical nightmare to climb Mt. Vinson and mostly inaccessible. Only for the last few decades have commercial guided clients been able to climb it. This is why fewer people have summited Vinson then Mt. Everest. It is truly an otherworldly experience and not soon forget. When people ask me what my favorite climb of the Seven Summits is I say hands-down Vinson. From flying to the “ice” in a Russian cargo plane to looking out over the sea of ice, it is like no other experience on earth.

We begin our expedition in the small Chilean city of Punta Arenas where we do final gear checks before flying to Antarctica. Here we will transfer to a smaller plane for the flight to base camp before ascending the peak. Our route consists of low angle glacier walking down low with some moderately steep fixed rope and ridge walking up high. Overall the climbing is incredibly enjoyable, albeit cold, and very “do-able.”

Climbing the Seven Summits is committed to providing the highest quality Vinson expedition.  You can be assured that it will be both challenging and fun, a true once in a lifetime. Rest assured that our professional priorities are first and foremost “Safety” and “Success” which we achieve by outfitting our teams with the best logistics and the most capable, qualified and seasoned guides in the world.

Mike is pleased to boast a 100% expedition success rate on Vinson of the expeditions he has led. Who you choose as the leader of your Vinson expedition will be one of the most important decisions you’ll make. Sound leadership is the difference between a great expedition and a miserable experience. Vinson is a potentially dangerous mountain and climbing at such extreme temperatures is very serious.

This expedition will be organized and led by Mike Hamill, Owner of Climbing the Seven Summits. Mike has personally guided nearly 20 Vinson expeditions, 10 Mt. Everest expeditions, 23 X 8,000m expeditions, has 6 Everest summits, currently holds the record for most non-Sherpa summits of Cho Oyu, and has written the guide book to “Climbing the Seven Summits,” making him one of the most experienced guides on the mountain. Well over 100 summits have been notched on Vinson under Mike’s direct leadership. Climbing the Seven Summits expeditions are meticulously organized with the best logistics.

We feel that our guides are an incredibly important to our success. CTSS employs only world-class leaders who are known for their focus on client care and experience.

Vinson is a serious undertaking meant for climbers with prior experience in the cold and some climbing skills. Guides will work with clients throughout the expedition to provide logistics, guidance, and information to best ensure the clients summit success.

Vinson Climb Difficulty: Advanced Beginner to Intermediate

Climbing Vinson requires serious fitness, an ability to perform well at altitude, the mindset to be away from home for 3 weeks, and a desire for rugged adventure travel. Antarctica is a very remote and rugged place with few of the creature comforts we have come to expect. We try to give our climbers all of the creature comforts that we can but at the end of the day this is true adventure travel!

Climbers need solid cramponing skill and knowledge of self-arrest technique and ice axe use are valuable but not a pre-requisite. If you want to join this expedition but don’t have these skills we can work with you to get you up to speed prior to the climbs. Please let us know how we can help!

This itinerary is only a rough estimate and will be determined by weather and acclimatization. This is adventure travel meaning things rarely go as planned and this schedule will likely change. Climbers need to be adaptable and positive. We always recommend climbers arrive in Punta Arenas one day early to avoid travel delays or issues with lost baggage. Added expenses (hotel/food/sightseeing) of this extra day are the clients responsibility. Please let us know if you want us to arrange logistics for early arrivals or for a single rooming option.

This detailed gear list is provided for your reference. Each item has been selected over many expeditions to Vinson. Please follow these guidelines carefully. Every item on the list is mandatory and if you arrive in Punta Arenas missing some of them you will be required to track them down in town prior to the climb at your own expense, which can be difficult and costly. Please make sure you are fully prepared so that your trip and the trips of your teammates goes smoothly. If you have any questions about the gear, please give us a call and we can discuss it: we’re here to help!

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