Hello from Low Camp on Mt. Vinson. We have been pretty busy since we landed last Saturday at Union Glacier.
With almost ideal weather for Antarctica, we have been in constant motion with carries to camps followed by a move the next day.
Since the sun never sets, doctor we have lost all track of a normal schedule – sometimes leaving camp in the mid afternoon only to return and have dinner after midnight.
Today, Thursday December 2 is a day off. Well after some work to build a snow wall around our tents. But another perfectly calm day.
The real work however started yesterday with a carry to High Camp at 13,000′.
A word on altitude in Antarctica. Because the barometric pressure is so low near both poles, the effective altitude is higher than the true altitude. In other words, the amount of oxygen available in each breath is lower than you would think for 13K.
For you scientists, my watch shows a pressure of 20.15 and an altitude of 9300′ but it feels a bit higher.
As for temperature,when the sun goes behind the mountains it drops fast and to -30F. Otherwise it hovers around -10F but the bright sun heats everything up with little activity. So we manage both the hot and the cold.
Anyway, the climb to High Camp involved climbing 3500′ up a snow slope ranging from 30 to 40 degrees.
Since we are only one of three small teams here, there is no trail broken in per se thus making it critical to obtain good footing or with the crampons on the smooth snow or ice.
Thank you Jim for ‘forcing’ me to new crampons!
We used both a fixed rope attached to the slope via pickets as well as climbing in teams of three or four roped together. So while not only safe, it was slow and methodical.
We arrived at High Camp about 7 hours after leaving Low Camp, dropped a cache of gear and returned. It was a long 11 hour day.
Next up is to move the entire camp, tents, stoves, fuel, pots, sleeping bags – everything to High Camp and then the summit.
We are at the mercy of the weather. So while it been ideal, we know a change is in the cards. We just don’t know when!
Our current position is S 78 30 087 W085 48 669
Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything
