Antarctica 2010: More Vinson Summits

Yesterday I posted a note on Alan Arnette's successful summit of Mt. Vinson in Antarctica. Alan reported great weather and fantastic conditions on the mountain, which allowed him, and plenty of other climbers, to make their summit bids. Today, ExWeb has a full report on the other teams climbing in Antarctica.

According to the post, the winds died down enough for teams to head to the summit, but it was extremely cold up there. ExWeb says temperatures were around -30ºF when the climbers approached the top. Amongst the teams that stood on the highest point on the continent were Latitude Expeditions, who were the first to top out, International Mountain Guides, the 7 Summits Club,  Adventure Consultants, and Alpine Ascents.

While Vinson doesn't ever get as crowded as say, Everest, that is still a healthy stream of climbers going up at the same time. It sounds like everyone had plenty of company at the summit, and despite the cold, they all report great weather for their climbs.

With this first round of summits out of the way, things will calm down a bit, but expect a steady stream of climbs on the mountain, and surrounding peaks as well, over the next few weeks. Vinson is not a very technical mountain to climb, but the logistics are a challenge, and the weather can be awful. Still, it is one of the Seven Summits, so it is a much coveted peak to have on the resume.