Vinson Massif
| Vinson Massif | |
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Mount Vinson from NW at Vinson Plateau
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 4,892 m (16,050 ft) |
| Prominence | 4,892 m (16,050 ft) Ranked 8th |
| Isolation | 4,911 kilometres (3,052 mi) |
| Listing |
Seven summits Ultra |
| Coordinates | 78°31′31.74″S 85°37′1.73″W / 78.5254833°S 85.6171472°WCoordinates: 78°31′31.74″S 85°37′1.73″W / 78.5254833°S 85.6171472°W |
| Geography | |
 Vinson Massif
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| Parent range | Sentinel Range |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 1966 by Nicholas Clinch and party |
| Easiest route | snow/ice climb |
Vinson Massif (/ˈvɪnsən mæˈsiːf/) is a large mountain massif that is 21 km (13 mi) long and 13 km (8.1 mi) wide and lies within the Sentinel Range of the Ellsworth Mountains. It overlooks the Ronne Ice Shelf near the base of the Antarctic Peninsula. The massif is located about 1,200 kilometres (750 mi) from the South Pole. Vinson Massif was discovered in January 1958 by U.S. Navy aircraft. In 1961, the Vinson Massif was named by USACAN, for Carl G. Vinson, United States congressman from the state of Georgia, for his support for Antarctic exploration. On Nov. 1, 2006, USACAN declared Mount Vinson and Vinson Massif to be separate entities.
Mount Vinson is the highest peak in Antarctica, at 4,892 metres (16,050 ft). It lies in the north part of Vinson Massif’s summit plateau in the south portion of the main ridge of the Sentinel Range about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) north of Hollister Peak. It was first climbed in 1966. An expedition in 2001 was the first to climb via the Eastern route, and also took GPS measurements of the height of the peak. As of February 2010, 1,400 climbers have attempted to reach the top of Mount Vinson.
The Vinson Massif extends between Goodge Col and Branscomb Glacier to the northwest, Nimitz Glacier and Gildea Glacier to the southwest and south, Dater Glacier and its tributary Hinkley Glacier to the east. The southeastern part of the massif ends at Hammer Col, which joins it to the Craddock Massif, of which the highest point is Mount Rutford (4,477 metres (14,688 ft)). The massif comprises both the high central Vinson Plateau with its few peaks rising to over 4,700 metres (15,400 ft), and several side ridges mostly trending southwest or northeast from the plateau.
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Wikipedia