One of the Seven Summits

Mt Vinson

Elevation:  16,077 feet (4897 meters)

Mountain Range:  Ellsworth range

Country:  Antarctica

What separates Mt Vinson from all the other peaks of the Seven Summits is the isolation of the mountain and the continent of Antarctica.  The shear magnitude of the ice and snow continent of Antarctica encompasses 5.5 million square miles, or the size of two Australia’s, and makes this continent one of the last frontiers.  The landscape of Antarctica over the years, is unchanged due to the sorrowing effect of the wind, ice, snow and sub-zero temperatures on the frozen desert. Antarctica has very little precipitation and/or snow fall making it the driest place on earth.  Mount Vinson, Antarctica’s highest peak, lies in the Ellsworth mountain range some 600 miles from the South Pole.  Antarctica is said to be the land of extremes.  During the summer months, the sun shines 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with the temperature often reaching minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit.  During the winter months the sun never shines producing complete darkness on the continent with temperatures reaching minus 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

The lowest temperature on Earth was recorded at *Vostok research station on July 21, 1983.  The temperature was a minus 128.6 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Less than 1250 people have summitted Mt Vinson at this time.

Notes of Information

*Vostok research station is located near the south Geomagnetic Pole, at the center of the east Antaratic ice sheet, where the flux in the earth’s electromagnetic field is manifested(1).  Vostok is a Russian research station but scientists from all over the world conduct research here.

South Pole Station is located almost in the very center of Antarctica (90 degrees south) and was established in 1957 by the United States.  The station’s elevation is 9,300 feet (2,900 meters).  The type of scientific research at the station falls into seven general disciplines as follows:

                        1)  Upper-atmosphere physics

     2)  Meteorology

                        3)  Earth Sciences

                        4)  Geophysics

                        5)  Glaciology

                        6)  Biomedicine

                        7)  Astrophysics

(1) Antarctic Connection

See photos of Mt. Vinson

See pictures of South Pole reseach station.

See pictures of kite sailing in Antarctica.

See pitures of super snow sledding in Antarctica.

See picture of Marks surprise birthday cake at base camp.

See pictures of the abondoned Chilean research station at Patriot Hill.

See pictures of Patriiot Hills blue ice runway.

See pictures of snow carvings by mluscher at base camp.

See pictures of penguins