Seven Summits : Mount Vinson (4,892 m), or how to turn your head upside down
30 May 2023Seven Summits, Polar regions, Mountaineering
Climbing the Seven Summits. Seven summits for seven ‘continents’. North America with its Mount Denali (6,190 m) and South America (Mount Aconcagua 6,962 m) have been elevated to the rank of continents in their own right. Fair enough. But the contenders will first have to contend with two extremes: the meters of altitude (Everest 8,848 m) and the budget. For a long time, climbing Mount Vinson in Antarctica was primarily a matter of finance. Here's a look back at the development of mountaineering on the frozen continent and the history of the Seven Summits, a speciality of Expeditions Unlimited.
Discovered in November 1935 by American aviator Lincoln Ellsworth, the eponymous mountain range comprises the highest peaks on the Antarctic continent. Ellsworth named the northern part of the range Sentinel Range. In 1960, the first measurements established the altitude of the highest peak: Mount Vinson at 5,140 meters of altitude. But in 2004, further GPS measurements corrected this altitude to 4,892 metres. It was not until 1966 that the first expedition, sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the American Alpine Club, set out to conquer it. A heavy British army C130 Hercules, which had set off from Christchurch in New Zealand, achieved the feat of landing on the ice. Apart from the cold and isolation, the ascent presented few difficulties and the ten members of the expedition climbed to the summit in a fortnight from their remote base camp.
The birth of Adventure Network International and Antarctic Air
The Ellsworth Mountains are located in a disputed area of the Antarctic Treaty. Since 1948, the Chilean state has been trying to assert its rights over this part of the frozen continent. Between 1973 and 1980, the government of the infamous dictator General Pinochet wanted to develop access to the Ellsworth Mountains in order to claim ownership.
To achieve this, an international company was set up: Adventure Network International. Giles Kershaw, an experienced British pilot who had been flying over Antarctica for the British Antarctic Survey since 1976, became the centrepiece of ANI and of the first private aviation company to operate in Antarctica: Antarctic Air.
The heavy and expensive C 130 Hercules gave way to the Douglas DC-6, an old four-engined aircraft originally built for the American army. At the controls of this aircraft, Giles Kershaw made several flights to Antarctica from the small town of Punta Arenas, at the southern tip of Chile. In 1987, he found a suitable landing spot just 200 kilometres from Mount Vinson: Patriot Hills would henceforth host all the expeditions. It was a rudimentary base, used exclusively during the three months of the austral summer. Later, a small, single-engine Cessna will be stored there all year round to fly from Patriot Hills to the foot of Mount Vinson itself.
In 1985 Dick Bass and Frank Wells invented the concept of the seven summits
Two millionaires, Dick Bass, an American businessman and owner of Snowbird, a famous ski resort in Utah, and Frank Wells, an executive at Walt Disney, set out to climb the highest peaks on each continent.
In 1983, Dick Bass organised the first private expedition to Mount Vinson, at a total cost of $125,000! He called on Chris Bonington, the most prestigious mountaineer of the time. Reinhold Messner had been approached, but having already succeeded on Everest, he would have been a better choice than Dick Bass, who rejected his application.
Chris Bonington: ‘Frank and Dick were complete novices, so it was up to me to guide them. On the last day, it was very cold and windy. Frank's nose froze and he had to turn back to the upper camp. We were only an hour from the summit, so I asked for permission to climb the summit to at least ensure the success of the expedition. So I ended up on the summit of Mount Vinson, alone.
A few hours later, Dick Bass and Frank Wells made another attempt to reach the summit.
Deux ans plus tard, le 30 avril 1985, à 55 ans, Dick Bass devient l’homme le plus âgé à avoir gravi le mont Everest et le seul à avoir atteint la cime des septs sommets. Frank Wells devait renoncer au sommet, quelques jours plus tard, en raison des conditions météorologiques.
Perhaps vexed at not having been selected, Messner took a roundabout way of disputing Dick Bass's success. On the Oceanic continent, Bass had climbed Mount Kosciuszko (2,228 metres of altitude) in Australia, but for the prestigious Tyrolean climber he should have climbed Puncak Jaya (Carstensz Pyramid) at 4,884 metres of altitude in Indonesian New Guinea!
Pat Morrow, first official winner
Canadian photographer Pat Morrow became the first person to climb the Seven Summits according to the Messner list: 1977 - Denali (6,190 m) in Alaska; 1981- Aconcagua (6,962 m) in Argentina; 1982 - Everest (8,848 m) in Nepal; 1983 - Elbrus (5,646 m) in Russia; Kilimanjaro (5,894 m) in Tanzania; 1985 - Mount Vinson (4,892 m) in Antarctica; 1986 - Puncak Jaya (4,884 m) in Indonesian Papua. All of which earned him a place in the Guinness Book of Records.
Jean Pierre Frachon, first Frenchman to succeed in the challenge
On 26 September 1988, guide Jean-Pierre Frachon became the fourth Frenchman to stand on the summit of Everest. On his return, the idea of completing the brand new Seven Summits challenge was quickly born.
In January 1991, accompanied by mountain photographer Jean-Luc Rigaux, they set off on their adventure. An express ascent completed in three days from the base of the Cessna. Other expeditions, including that of Japan's Junko Tabei (the first woman to climb Everest), took several days to complete the ascent.
Jean-Pierre Frachon et Jean-Luc Rigaux au sommet du mont Vinson en Janvier 1991
La même année, Jean-Pierre et Jean-Luc gravissent la « pyramide de Carstensz ». Jean-Pierre Frachon devient le premier Français à boucler le challenge des « Seven Summits ».
From Adventure Network International to Adventure Logistics & Expeditions
Giles Kershaw, the pioneer of private flights to Antarctica, and Adventure Network International have paved the way for many expeditions. Sadly, Kershaw was fatally injured during a flight while filming in Antarctica for the prestigious National Geographic magazine. In 2003, his widow, Anne Kershaw, Managing Director of ANI, sold her shares and ANI became Adventure Logistics & Expeditions. With 30 years' experience behind it, ANI is now the company to call if you're planning an expedition to Antarctica, Mount Vinson or, why not, one of the many virgin peaks in the Ellsworth Mountains.
Mount Vinson, one of many peaks in the 350 km long Ellsworth range
Mount Vinson at 4892 meters is the highest peak in Antarctica and one of the coveted Seven Summits. Majestic, snow-capped peaks protect vast glaciers below and in the distance, snow meets the sky…
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The Patriot Hills base
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