Antarctica 2010: Alan Begins Summit Bid On Vinson

The weather has improved dramatically on Mt. Vinson, and that means it is time for the climbers gathered there to being their summit bids, including Alan Arnette, who is attempting the first of his Seven Summits for Alzheimer's climbs.

In an audio dispatch to his blog today, Alan reports in from Base Camp with the news on the much improved weather that includes clear skies and calm winds. When he made the dispatch, the team was packing up their gear and preparing to start up the mountain, with a planned stop at high camp for a brief rest. Alan estimates that they would spend 12-hours or so in High Camp before proceed up to the summit. If all goes according to schedule, he and the other members of his team should be on top sometime tomorrow morning.

At 16,050 feet, Vinson is the tallest mountain in Antarctica. While that altitude doesn't sound all that intimidating when compared to some of the other Seven Summits, the very low barometric pressure near the Poles makes it feel like the altitude is much higher. Throw in some of the most inhospitable weather, not to mention frigid temperatures, found anywhere on the planet, and you'll understand why this can be a very challenging climb indeed.

With any luck, I'll post a full Antarctic update tomorrow that will include word of Alan's success on the first of his Seven Summits. He hopes to complete all of them in less than a year's time, while raising $1 million for Alzheimer's research in the process.

Good luck Alan!