Today is an auspicious day for our Ecuador team. Helmut Linzbichler is being awarded the lifetime honorary title of “Professor” back home in Austria, and award being presented to him by the President of his country. Helmut is unable to accept the award in person, however, as he is standing on the top of Cotopaxi,…
DetailsThe team had a good night last night and awoke to clear skies. Everyone is feeling great, so they packed up and are headed to the summit of Antarctica!!!
Here’s Jacob:
Our second Mount Vinson expedition of the season is assembling in Punta Arenas, Chile, finalizing their preparations for an attempt to climb the highest peak in Antarctica. Lloyd Hudson is joining us from South Africa. Atanas Skatov is joining us from Bulgaria. Jacob Schmitz will meet the climbers at the Union Glacier airstrip and lead…
Tashi Malik called in from high camp on Mount Vinson! The team climbed up over 2,000′ of pretty steep terrain in order to get themselves established at high camp. Everyone did well and they moved up in good time. The day was relatively temperate by Antarctic standards, with temperatures just below freezing, but it still…
Jacob called to let us know that the team couldn’t move up the route to high camp today, as the upper mountain was buffeted by high winds. The team enjoyed a relatively warm day in the sun, but they could see the wind howling up above. A couple of climbers did push up and radioed…
Sebastian called, and speaking with a raspy voice, related the long night of climbing on Chimborazo. The team has been bothered by stomach and respiratory challenges, but yesterday evening looked clear, so they went to bed early in order to head out for the summit before midnight. En route, two of the team were feeling…
The team spent the day at Low Camp, reviewing some skills that they’ll need to employ as they head high tomorrow, and letting their bodies acclimatize to the thinning air of over 3000 meters. Tomorrow will be a big day, and the team will climb over 2000 feet up the steepest terrain of the route. …
The team is at the Whymper Hut on the flank of Chimborazo. The weather is clear and they are excited to attempt the summit tonight! Here is Seba, calling in from the hut: recording At 20,564′ (6268m), Chimborazo was long thought to be the highest peak on the planet. The summit is actually the…
The team wasted no time to move up glacier and set up camp at what is known as “Low Camp.” They hiked up the Branscomb Glacier and set up their tents at just about 10,000′ (3050m) below the steep slope that will take them to their next camp on Mount Vinson. They had a clear…
Chris Jentz called in the report tonight with the good news that the team was able to take advantage of a break in the weather, and they are now at Vinson Base Camp. They arrived at Base Camp quite early this morning, spent about an hour setting up camp, and then got some shut eye.…