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Posts for Vinson Massif from 12/2012

Vinson Massif: Rest and Recharge at Low Camp

Posted by: Dave Hahn, Seth Waterfall | December 10, 2012
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Vinson Massif
Elevation: 9,300'

A break in the action.  As planned, this became our rest and recharge day at Low Camp on Mount Vinson.  The mountain itself seemed in a mood as no views whatsoever were granted all day long.  Clouds sat just above us and blocked out the sun.  Sitting in tents wasn’t so uncomfortable, but hanging around outside wasn’t terribly rewarding.  So we ate a big breakfast and told each other a bunch of stories in the dining tent at midday and then did much the same thing in the evening.  In between we napped, read, listened to music, snacked and drank water.  The day was meant to prepare us for our move to high camp and assault on the summit.  We wanted to let our bodies catch up to the altitude and give tired backs and feet a break.  The team is healthy and in good spirits all around.  Our forecasts (transmitted via radio from Vinson Basecamp) don’t call for major changes in the next few days and we see that as a good thing since high camp and the summit were above the clouds and not too windy today.

Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn

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Vinson Massif: Team Carries to High Camp

Posted by: Dave Hahn, Seth Waterfall | December 09, 2012
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Vinson Massif
Elevation: 9,300'

Morning at Low Camp is a tough, tough thing.  The sun doesn’t hit camp until about 11:15 AM and until then, things are mighty cold in the shadow of Vinson.  It isn’t dark at night, since the sun doesn’t go below the horizon, but when it goes behind the mountain we burrow pretty deeply into our down sleeping bags. 

We rolled out this morning to find a lot more cloud than we expected.  But there didn’t seem to be any wind blowing on the high peaks and so we geared up to do our carry to high camp.  We set out bright and early at 1:45 PM.  It started snowing lightly as we approached the fixed ropes, but it wasn’t particularly cold.  The rope sections were a workout, for sure.  We climbed continuously steep snow slopes that averaged about 35 degrees for hour after hour.  Leaving the ropes we still had a final hour and a half of glacier climbing to reach high camp.  All in all it took us about 6 and a half hours to get there.  Views weren’t unlimited since the cloud and intermittent snows stayed with us, but we got glimpses of the giant mountains around us.  We cached supplies at high camp (12,300 ft) and then skedaddled on down reaching our tents and some good strong sunshine at 10:30 PM.  Dinner and hot drinks finished the day.  A fine and hard day of climbing, we all agreed. Now we look forward to a rest day at low camp. 

Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn

On The Map

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Vinson Massif: Smooth Sailing into Camp One

Posted by: Dave Hahn, Seth Waterfall | December 08, 2012
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Vinson Massif
Elevation: 9,300'

Moving up the mountain, bit by bit.  We seemed to make pretty quick work of the move from Vinson Base to Camp One today.  It didn’t hurt that we had another day of perfect, sunny and calm weather.  The team seems to be getting into the swing of things now and the climbing seems easy and familiar… marching along low angled glacier carrying heavy packs and hauling sleds full of gear and supplies.  But now, having established camp at 9,300 ft on the Branscomb Glacier, the approach is over and tomorrow the climb begins.  If all goes well we’ll tackle the steep fixed rope section and try to make a carry to high camp.

Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn

On The Map

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Vinson Massif: Adjusting to Antarctica

Posted by: Seth Waterfall, Dave Hahn | December 07, 2012
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Vinson Massif
Elevation: 7,200'

Hello from Vinson Base camp where the winds are calm and the midnight sun is in full force.  Today was our first full day of climbing!  We carried food and fuel mostly and cached it at camp one.

The sun doesn’t really go down here but when it goes behind the mountain it gets very cold.  Due to that we have had to alter our days slightly to take advantage of the warmer times.  It’s a little bit of an adjustment but it seems to have suited the group just fine.  Everyone did an awesome job today and if all goes well we’ll be moving our camp up the mountain tomorrow.

RMI Guide Seth Waterfall

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Vinson Massif: Team arrives at Vinson Base Camp

Posted by: Dave Hahn, Seth Waterfall | December 06, 2012
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Vinson Massif
Elevation: 7,200

Another important milestone, easily achieved.  We woke at Union Glacier in perfect weather, ate our breakfast and boarded two ski equipped Twin Otter airplanes bound for Vinson Basecamp.  Our flight through the Ellsworth Mountains was memorable as we passed hundreds of sharp and dramatic glaciated peaks.  A big right turn brought us into the valley of the Branscomb Glacier at the foot of Mount Vinson.  We landed while flying up a hill at a little over 7000 ft elevation.  The entire team set to work dragging duffels and building Basecamp.  We spent this perfect weather day reviewing roped climbing techniques and getting settled in.  An afternoon hike served to stretch legs and jog memories of mountaineering difficulties and pleasures.  We ate dinner in our newly built dining tent under the blazing evening sun, forgetting that the air temperature was likely hovering around zero degrees Fahrenheit.  We enjoyed seeing the climbers from the previous round on Vinson come into camp pleased with their summit of the mountain just yesterday and relieved to find airplanes waiting to take them away today. 
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn

On The Map

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Vinson Massif: Team Lands with Ease on the Union Glacier

Posted by: Dave Hahn, Seth Waterfall | December 05, 2012
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Vinson Massif

Greetings from Antarctica.  Today went about ten times smoother and easier than any previous attempt at getting onto the “last” continent.  Our logistics company (ALE) gave a call at the civilized hour of 6:30 AM and advised us to put on our boots and check out of our rooms.  We ate breakfast, got on a bus, cruised to the airport, breezed through security and boarded our transport plane.  The Ilyushin 76 went “wheels up” at 9:30 AM and we were on our way.  Just ahead of the 2:15 PM landing we got busy putting on warm clothes and glacier glasses.  The Russian crew brought the big plane in for the smoothest landing on an ice runway that the world has ever known.  A few minutes later we were standing out on the Union Glacier in brilliant sunshine and a brisk breeze, marveling at the new world and at the amazing machine we’d just flown in.

We were chauffeured back to camp in deluxe 4 wheel drive vans with giant tires.  A series of informative and essential briefings and feedings were attended over the following few hours.  The ALE staff took excellent care of us and Seth Waterfall and I felt we were attending a great reunion as we met all of the friends we’ve come to expect to see in the odd corners of the globe.  Weather was perfect around camp as we set up our tents.  There was the faintest of breezes and a big bright sun.  The plan is for our team to get on a Twin Otter sometime tomorrow morning for a flight to Vinson.  The sun isn’t setting tonight but the team will get tired anyway at some point, despite all the excitement at this new place and quiet conversations going on in a dozen different languages around camp.  We do need rest.  Tomorrow is another huge day.

Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn

On The Map

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Vinson Massif: Team Ready to Fly onto the Ice

Posted by: Dave Hahn, Seth Waterfall | December 05, 2012
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Vinson Massif

Hello Everyone,

A last day of packing and prepping in Punta. We got our gear weighed and carted off to go in the hold of the Ilyushin 76 transport plane that will soon take us to Antarctica.  David Rootes, one of the directors of ALE -our logistics company- gave a great slideshow and briefing to get our team excited and informed for a trip to the Ice.  We reviewed environmental concerns and procedures for minimizing our impact on the continent.  And we heard that Vinson, the mountain we are bound for, is presently giving the first climbers of the season a very hard time with persistent and powerful winds.  Far from being discouraged, we came away energized and determined.  Determined to have one more great dinner out on the town.

Tomorrow we fly (if we are lucky)

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

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Vinson Massif: The Antarctic Season Begins!

Posted by: Seth Waterfall, Dave Hahn | December 03, 2012
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Vinson Massif

This is Seth checking in from Punta Arenas.  The team has all arrived safe and sound.  We have also managed to arrive with all of our luggage!  Thank goodness.

We spent the day getting to know each other and prepping for the journey onto the ice.  We will be getting our final briefing with ALE in the morning and hopefully flying to Antarctica within the next few days.  As for now we are enjoying the wonderful restaurants in Punta.  We will update everyone tomorrow with the plan.

RMI Guide Seth Waterfall

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