Mount Vinson (4.897m, peak 5.140m), located 600 miles from the South Pole and 1200 miles from the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, has the following coordinates: Latitude 78° 35' S, Longitude 85° 25' W. It is the highest peak on the Antarctic continent. Vinson is a part of the Ellsworth Mountains.
During the summer season, November through January, we have 24 hours of sunlight. Although the average temperature during these months is -28oC, the intense sun will melt snow on dark objects. Although annual snowfall on Vinson is low, high winds may cause base camp accumulations to 18 inches in a year. The temperature Low is -40°C, with average of -27°C.
The neighboring peaks are: MountTyree (5852m), MountShinn (4667m), MountGardner (4587m), MountEpperly (4520m).
It was nearly 200 years after James Cook circumnavigated Antarctica that the summit of Mt. Vinson was reached on December 17, 1966, by the team led by Nicholas B. Clinch. Vinson was named for Congressman Carl G. Vinson of Georgia, who was influential in promoting Antarctic exploration from 1935-1961. Lincoln Ellsworth, who made a number of flights across Antarctica between 1934-1939, named the Ellsworth Range, discovered on November 23, 1935. Best climbing months are December, January, February. |