
Antarctica is the most remote, coldest, with the lowest precipitation, windiest and least developed - in short, the most extreme continent of earth. The Antarctic continent covers a surface area of about 14 million square kilometres, which is approximately a tenth of the entire land mass of earth. 98% of the surface of the Antarctica is hidden underneath a sheet of ice that has an average thickness of 2,000 m. Mount Vinson, with its 4,892 m, is the highest mountain of the Antarctica and thus it is one of the Seven Summits. Mount Vinson is located in the Sentinel Range, a mountain range in the west of Antarctica. The mountain range has a north west to south east orientation, it is about 185 km long, 50 km wide, it is surrounded by massive glaciers and it contains the five highest mountains of the Antarctica. The Mount Vinson was only discovered in 1957 during a flight of the US-Air Force over the Sentinel Range. The first ascent followed nine years later on 17 December 1966 and this makes the Mount Vinson the last of the Seven Summits to be ascended. The difficulties of the ascent are not primarily due to technical difficulties, but they are mainly due to the very remote location (it is only 1,200 km away from the South Pole) combined with the sometimes extreme cold and possible storms. The starting point of „all“ expeditions to the Mount Vinson is the approx. 80 km far away Union Glacier Base Camp. The camp is established every year for the duration of the short, 4 months long, Antarctica Season. The camp is located approximately 3,030 km far away from the South American continent and it is located at the foot of the Siefker Ridge, a rutted, eleven kilometres long mountain ridge.
Day 1 - Day 2: Flight to Punta Arenas Flight over Santiago to Punta Arenas, the most southern city of Chile. To travel from Europe to Punta Arenas takes about 24 - 30 hours. In order to seriously prepare the expedition, the leading mountain guide travels to Punta Arenas a few days beforehand. The guide will wait for us at the airport and the group then drives together to a good and centrally located hotel in the most southern city of Chile. Day 3: Punta Arenas This day serves the last preparations. Additionally, we have the briefing today that will prepare us for the peculiarities of the flight to the Antarctica. The interesting information prepares us ideally for the conditions we can expect. Day 4: Flight to the Union Glacier Now the „real deal“ begins! We board an Ilyushin that brings us to the Union Glacier Camp via a flight of about 5 hours. The flight alone, and especially the additional landing on ice, is world wide unique and very spectacular. The Union Glacier Camp is located at approximately 800 metres above sea level. The camp is one of the three bases on the Antarctica that are not located at the coast, the other two are the American Amundsen-Scott Station at the South Pole and the Russian Wostock Station at the cold pole. From this point onward we won’t experience any nights, we are under the spell of the midnight sun! Day 5: Union Glacier - Vinson Massif From the Union Glacier Camp we continue our journey with a Twin Otter or a Cessna to the Vinson Base Camp via an about 40 minutes long flight to the Vinson Base Camp that is located at 2,134 m. During the flight we have a wonderful view on the entire Vinson Massif that sprawls for over 13 km. Day 6 - Day 14: Mount Vinson During the following nine days we have time to ascend the Mount Vinson. For this ascent we have to establish two high camps. The first camp is established at approximately 2,800 m, the second camp is established at about 3,780 m, at least this is the plan. The crux of the ascent is located between the two high camps, where the ascent takes us over a pillar that is secured with fixed ropes. During the entire ascent we are surrounded by the grandiose mountain scenery of the Ellsworth Mountains. This is the latest point in time when everybody realises the absolute uniqueness of the expedition. Depending on the required „days“ the return to the Glacier Union Base Camp can take place somewhat earlier or later. Day 15: Flight to Punta Arenas Today is the return journey to civilisation. The Ilyushin brings us back to Punta Arenas. After all the hardships of the Antarctic we enjoy the hotel and all of its amenities. The following supper will be a feast... Day 16 - Day 17: Punta Arenas (Spare Days) The flight to and from the Union Glacier Camp is dependant on the weather and for this reason spare days are a necessity. In case the return flight from the Antarctic back to Punta Arenas takes place according to plan we have the option to go on many interesting excursions, like for example the visit to the nearby located penguinery or a visit to the Paine National Park. Day 18 - Day 19: Return Flight from Punta Arenas The flight back home from Punta Arenas has to be undertaken individually. Our mountain guide stays behind in Punta Arenas in order to re-establish the equipment. On the 19th day we stand once again on familiar ground back home, with the knowledge that we have experienced something very special.
- Organisation of the entire expedition
- Information meeting at Bächli Bergsport including 10%-voucher for equipment purchase
- Flight Punta Arenas - Union Glacier and back
- Flight Union Glacier - Vinson Base Camp and back
- All formalities, fees and permits
- All transfers; bus and jeep rides on site according to the programme
- Overnight stays in **** hotel in Punta Arenas in double rooms (2 nights before the departure flight)
- Accommodation in 2-person tents (type North Face VE25)
- Half board during the 2 days in Punta Arenas (before the flight to Antarctica)
- Full board during the time in Antarctica (Union Glacier Camp and Vinson Base Camp with fresh food and special high camp rations in the camps)
- Quality fresh food in the Vinson Base Camp
- Large, owned by Kobler & Partner, group tent in the Vinson Base Camp
- Powerful Colemann cooker and cookware for Vinson Base Camp
- High altitude cooker and cookware (MSR petrol cooker) for the high camp
- Necessary group equipment such as sledges, firn anchors, security material...
- Necessary fixed ropes
- Shovels, snow saws, probes ... for the establishment of camps
- Large pharmacy with pulse oximeter in the Base Camp
- Emergency pharmacy in the high camps
- (emergency) medicinal support in the Union Glacier Camp
- Special, powerful radios (1 radio per roped party)
- Satellite phone, excluding taxes
- Experienced nationally certified expedition mountain guide
- Flight to Punta Arenas and back (flights from Europe can be booked via Kobler & Partner)
- Insurances (look at „Insurances“)
- Individual beverages in Punta Arenas
- Additional overnight stays in Punta Arenas due to weather conditions
- Personal medication (look at leaflet)
- Surcharges that may arise due to changes being made to the planned travel programme
- Personal, for Antarctica travels absolutely necessary, emergency insurance (with a minimum value of USD 150,000)