Vinson Massif: Hahn & Team Close, Will Try Again Tomorrow
We got close to the top today and we’re trying again tomorrow. A persistent 10 mph wind rattled the tents all night long and carried into the morning as well. That -combined with the cold- made gearing up and getting ready difficult. We hit the trail by 10 AM. At first, it was something of a hassle to keep glasses and goggles from fogging and our faces from freezing, but within about 90 minutes we’d left the wind behind and could just concentrate on good walking. The weather up on Vinson’s peak seemed perfect and we were growing steadily closer. At 3 PM we’d reached 14,800 ft (Vinson is just over 16,000 ft) when one of our climbers made the difficult decision to go no higher. Running the fuel tank dry anywhere is a hassle, but it can be life threatening on a high, cold, remote Antarctic peak. We needed to turn around and get back to high camp. We were down by five and the team immediately set to “work” resting and rehydrating. Four of us will go for it tomorrow while our teammate rests in high camp. The forecast is still looking good for tomorrow and of course we hope to get the job done.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
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