It was another calm, sunny day on Mount Vinson.  We took full advantage, moving from Basecamp at 7000 ft to Low Camp at 9200 ft.  We managed it in just over five hours, which is plenty good for being about 6.5 miles.  Better still when you consider that we picked up extra weight at the halfway point (our cache from yesterday).  The route up the Branscomb seems to be in "normal" snowcover conditions.  Most of the yearly accumulation out here occurs below where we are now.   Snow accumulation is generally a good thing -it bridges the crevasses.  So our route today was pretty straightforward in terms of crevasse hazards... which is fine by me.   One could be tempted to think that in a land of massive glaciers,  that of course it must snow a lot.  But Antarctica is the highest and driest continent on earth.  Right at the moment, we're liking the dry.  This camp gets the sun until quite late -around 3AM.  The air is cold, maybe -15 F, but inside a tent in the sun, life is good.  Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn

On The Map