Vinson - General Archive
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Vinson - General Archive |
Mount Vinson - General January 13, 2005 Thank you for visiting the Vinson - General Archvie page of the Stray Dogs site. This page includes news from Marshall's attempt to summit Mount Vinson Massif (16,067 feet) in Antarctica.
Select the following link to return to the Mountain News page. There are also links to all of the updates from Marshall's successful Everest climb in April/May 2004, including summit day on Everest, with photos from the top of the world! There is also a link to news from Marshall's successful summit of Mount Elbrus in June 2004. See the Mountaineering page for general information about Marshall's Quest for the Seven Summits. See the Clothing page for ordering information for all Stray Dogs clothing, including Everest '04 hats and T-shirts.
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Summit of Mount Vinson! by Heather Ulrich It's Thursday morning, January 13 and I just heard from Marshall. Yesterday..
January 12, 2005 the Antarctic
Stray Dogs reached the 16,067-foot summit
Check the Alpine Ascents cybercast page for the official news from Vern Tejas! Marshall reported that the entire team reached the summit about 6:00 p.m. He said that is was "absolutely fantastic" although it was "bitterly cold and windy." Below are a few pictures showing what the approach to the summit, and the summit view, may have been like for the team. After reaching the summit, the team returned to the 12,814-foot high camp about 10:00 p.m. They will head down the mountain today, hopefully reaching Base Camp. Although weather is good today, Marshall was doubtful if the team could get all the way to Base Camp and get a flight over to Patriot Hills yet today. More likely, if the weather holds, the team will fly from Base Camp to Patriot Hills tomorrow, January 14. Then, they will fly from Patriot Hills back to Punta Arenas, Chile...when weather permits. Mount
Vinson is Marshall's sixth of the Seven Summits!!!
Come
back to the Mountain News page of the Team Stray Dogs Web site
Vinson Summit Ridge Approach to Vinson Summit Photo Credit: Rob Milne from 7Summits Web site Photo Credit: Rob Milne from 7Summits Web site
Approach to Vinson Summit Photo Credit: Alpine Ascents Web site
Summit View - Vinson to Shinn Photo Credit: Rob Milne from 7Summits Web site
Quest for the Seven Summits With his successful summit of 16,067-foot Mount Vinson in Antarctica, Marshall has now reached the summit of SIX of the Seven Summits! Amazingly, all on first attempts. The "mountain gods" have looked favorably upon his Quest...for which he is extremely grateful. In date order, Marshall has now reached the summit of the following peaks - the highest points on six of the seven continents.
See the Mountaineering page for more information on all of the summits. See the archived news pages (see additional links at the bottom of this page) for Marshall's journal entries from his Everest and Elbrus summits. According to the statistics on the Seven Summits Web site, only 91 people in the world have completed the Seven Summits - including 7,310-foot Mount Kosciuszko in Australia as the seventh summit. Marshall hopes to travel to Australia in March 2005 and be one of less than 100 people in the world to have completed the Quest for the Seven Summits!
Sponsor Thanks! Marshall would like to thank all of his sponsors for all of their support and for providing him with the best equipment available! Without his sponsors, Marshall would not have been successful in his Quest! In particular, is sincere thanks to The North Face - a long time sponsor of Team Stray Dogs and a major sponsor of his Quest for the Seven Summits!
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Thanks...and Come Back!
Again
...remember
to
THANK YOU for following along, and for all of your support!
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New Alpine Ascents Cybercast Postings – Copied here on January 12, 2005 by Heather Ulrich The the Alpine Ascents cybercast page had the following postings for January 11, 2005. It appears that January 11 was a rest day for the the Antarctic Stray Dogs and the Japanese team, meaning.. Today may be the day the Antarctic Stray Dogs make their summit attempt!!! Keep both teams, and all of those on the mountain, in your thoughts and prayers. May they all return safely to those that love and support them at home. Keep watching here, and on the Alpine Ascents cybercast page, for the latest!
Alpine Ascents Cybercasts – January 11, 2005 by Vern Tejas and Todd Passey Note from Heather Ulrich: I have copied the original cybercasts made by Vern Tejas and Todd Passey here. Please visit the Alpine Ascents site for more information on the company and climbing opportunities.
The Antarctic Stray Dogs January 11, 2005 Hello there friends, family and loved ones, this is The Stray Dogs at High Camp on Mount Vinson, Down in Antarctica. And what a full day we've had today. We've been snoring, we've been sleeping, we've been lounging, we've been stretching, we've been reading, and let's see, oh, playing music, another chord today for Danielle, and two new songs, playing harmonica, eating, sleeping, did I mention a lot of resting? Anyway it's been a rest day today, so we are all very stoked, very rested up and have high hopes that tomorrow the weather will be nice and everyone will be in good health and we'll be able to take off. Spirits are high, team morale is good and we are in a holding pattern in shooting for the summit tomorrow, so keep your fingers crossed and send those prayers our way and hopefully the next time we talk to you it will be from the top of Antarctica!
Climbing the headwall to Camp 3 Tents at Camp 3 Photo Credit: Everest News Web site Photo Credit: Alpine Ascents Web site
The Japanese Team January 11, 2005 Hello this is Todd calling from High Camp on Mount Vinson. Team Nankyoku Nigo took a well-deserved rest day today. So we spent the day lounging around, drinking hot drinks and telling stories. Which was actually great timing since the storm that I spoke about on the last cybercast, raged on throughout the afternoon. The winds were high and the temperatures were cold. But as the day wore on into the evening, the skies began to clear, and the wind has now all but quit, so we are hoping that this trend continues tomorrow and we will have a beautiful summit day on our planned summit day for tomorrow. This evening for dinner Yoshida decided he wanted to cook a traditional Japanese meal, so we looked through our food cache here and dug out what we could that would simulate Japanese food and he picked it out and decided what we were going to cook. Actually it ended up being Hiro and myself doing all the cooking and Yoshida was the technical director, but it turned out great and we all enjoyed a somewhat traditional Japanese meal with the ingredients that we had here, so we are all satiated and fueled for tomorrow. (transmission garbled) 7:00, that's much earlier than we've gotten out of bed, this whole trip, so it will be a little shocker to us, but we've rested well today so we'll be ready for tomorrow. Hopefully tomorrow night when we return, I'll be able to give you a positive report of our summit climb. We'll see you when we're looking at you.
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New Alpine Ascents Cybercast Postings – Copied here on January 11, 2005 by Heather Ulrich The the Alpine Ascents cybercast page had the following postings for January 10 and 11, 2005. It appears that Antarctic Stray Dogs moved up to, and are at, the high camp at 12,814 feet (I think this posting, although dated January 11 was actually for the movement up to this camp on January 10). Plans look to be for the team to have rest day tomorrow, January 11. So, weather permitting (and the antarctic continent is apparently kicking up some more typical weather, including wind and cold temperatures!) the Stray Dogs may make a summit attempt on January 12. Keep watching here, and on the Alpine Ascents cybercast page, for the latest!
Alpine Ascents Cybercasts – January 10 and 11, 2005 by Vern Tejas and Todd Passey Note from Heather Ulrich: I have copied the original cybercasts made by Vern Tejas and Todd Passey here. Please visit the Alpine Ascents site for more information on the company and climbing opportunities. The Antarctic Stray Dogs January 11, 2005 Hey there cybernauts, this is Vernie and Strange Dogs. Say we're up here at High Camp now we are very fortunate to be able to push up in the nasty wind that we got. Remember that Windless Corner, well it; changed it's name, it is now Very Windy Corner, and that Windless Valley, it's now very Windy Valley. We pushed up and had to set Camp here at 12,814.3 feet above sea level, that's an approximation of course. However, as we set camp, the wind has tended to drop a little bit we are hoping that tomorrow is going to be clear so that we can enjoy our day off. So thanks for tuning in with us and just know that we are thinking of you and we are all in good spirits, ciao for now.
The Japanese Team January 10, 2005 Well it happened, the weather finally changed and we are experiencing Antarctica as it is famed to be: Cold and Windy. We arrived here at camp at around 6:00 and it was cold and it was windy. But Team Nankyoku Nigo did well, they banded together, and Hiro, Yoshida, Saito, and Oichan all got the tents set up while I dug in the Posh and the cook tent and got hot water going and we made quick work of it, these guys make a great team and their experience in the mountains shows. We were in the tent eating dinner within less than 2 hours of arriving in camp, which is pretty good considering the conditions that we had to deal with. It's kind of funny because Yoshida and Saito were complaining that they brought their down suits, just last night saying that it's just extra weight, we're going to experience only warm weather here, and I think they jinxed us, because it is blowing out now, and pretty cold. But it's a good thing to experience, you can't come down here to Antarctica and have all warm weather and go home happy. So we're satisfied with our day and we're all hunkered down in our bags now and we're going to have a nice sleep tonight and looking forward to our day of rest tomorrow. We're sending out our love to everybody and thank everybody for watching and paying attention to our goings on here on Mount Vinson . So we'll see you when we're looking at you.
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New Alpine Ascents Cybercast Postings – Copied here on January 10, 2005 by Heather Ulrich The the Alpine Ascents cybercast page had the following postings for January 8 and 9, 2005. It appears that they have divided into two teams:
Alpine Ascents Cybercasts – January 8 and 9, 2005 by Vern Tejas and Todd Passey Note from Heather Ulrich: I have copied the original cybercasts made by Vern Tejas and Todd Passey here. Please visit the Alpine Ascents site for more information on the company and climbing opportunities. The Antarctic Stray Dogs January 9, 2005 Hey there cybernauts, friends, family and loved ones, this is The Antarctic Stray Dogs, checking in from Camp II . We had a fabulous day today, it was all sun and blue, goodness gracious, calm too, can you believe that? We went around Windy Corner and there was no wind, so we renamed it Windless Corner, and the we went up the valley of wind, which is now called the Valley of Calm and topped out in the Windy Col which is Windless as well and we are all very happy about this. We moved food and fuel up to 12,814.3 feet above sea level, that's an approximation mind you, and everybody seems to be pleasantly fatigued, begging for water, it's only what, 3:00 in the morning right now, we're trying to put 'em to bed with some hot water and I just want to mention that Dave Morton has whipped out a fabulous meal of fried chicken and corn on the cob, and everybody has got grease form stem to stern. So with that, just as the Eskimos, muktuk is good. SO with that we are off to bed and just want to tell you that we are alive, well, kicking and everyone is a happy camper. Not to mention Danielle has learned a new chord. So ciao for now, until later. January 8, 2005 Vern Tejas with the Stray Dogs here, Camp II . It's been a wonderful, beautiful day, people are fat and sassy, just digesting our steak and potato dinners here at 9,143 feet above sea level, we're having a great time here. We're practicing our clip throughs, and enjoying the wonderful clear and calm weather. It's probably in our double Posh Houses here, I'm guessing our temperature is up to about 50 degrees here. So we're digging it, you can barely see your breath. Well some people have bigger breaths than others of course. Anyway, please stay tuned for the action tomorrow when we go up the notorious headwall. Again stay tuned for the further adventures of the Stray Dogs, ciao for now. Note from Heather: Based on the cybercasts, it appears that the Stray Dogs team has done the following.
Note that on the original itinerary the camps were called:
Confused? I am! My apologies. But, sometimes different people use different terminology for camps along a climbing route. But, at least we're getting some information from the bottom of the world! For now, it looks like Marshall's "good luck" with weather has held. He has been able to summit the previous five of the Seven Summits (Everest, Aconcagua, Denali, Kilimanjaro, and Elbrus) all on first attempts. May "the mountain gods" continue to look favorably upon his attempt...and on all members of both teams!! A respect for the mountain, the place, and the weather are always in the forefront of Marshall's mind. Nothing is ever taken for granted! May the entire team stay safe and return to those that love them. Based on Marshall's phone message from January 9, if their exceptionally good weather holds, today (January 10) the team *should* have moved from the 9,100 foot camp to the camp where they dropped equipment at 12,814 feet. The original itinerary had called for a rest day at this high camp but...as Marshall had reported ...January 11 may be the day for their summit attempt. Guess we'll all just have to wait and see! Thanks again for following along!
The Japanese Team January 9, 2005 Hi this is Todd calling in for Team Nankyoku Nigo, the Japanese Team with Alpine Ascents. It was a beautiful day today, one of the warmest I've seen in the month I've been here in Antarctica . We did our carry today, left at about 2:00 in the afternoon, carried on up the headwall, up to our high camp, dug it in a little bit to get our camp started for tomorrow when we move up. We made great time, up in just about 6 hours, round trip in about 7 hours and 20 minutes. So this is a strong team. They should be, all of them just got off of Cho-Oyu a few months ago, so they may have a little residual acclimatization there, but at least some altitude experience behind them. We came back and had a nice dinner of pork chops and mashed potatoes, and celebrated our success for the day. We're all hunkered in our bags now and trying to stay warm for the night, the sun is getting ready to go behind the mountain again and put us in a shadow and it drops the temperature significantly. We send our love out to family and friends and ask for their best wishes as we move on up tomorrow, so we'll talk to you then, hopefully from High Camp. Signing off for now. January 8, 2005 Hi this is Todd calling in from Camp I on a beautiful evening here in Antarctica . We're all looking up at the peaks of Shinn and Epperly and just taking in the beautiful views we have here. Since we did our last report in, we moved up, we are doing things a little differently now, here than we did with the last group. We did a .5 Camp and Camp I. We do this to avoid the long day of the back carry and still get some acclimatization in. The Japanese Team came up with a team name which we will be going by from now on. Nankyoku Nigo. Team Nankyoku Nigo, it means Team Antarctica Second. He said that the Japanese would understand. So that will be the name we are going by. Tomorrow we are going to take on our first big day here. We are going to be moving on up the headwall, and on to High Camp. We are going to do a carry, mainly for acclimatization, but also to transport some food and fuel and a few extra pieces of gear up there. And then we will come back down here to Camp I for one more night before we move on up. The weather thus far has been spectacular and we hope it stays the same. We send our love and wishes out to all of you and hope you send them back. Signing off from Antarctica.
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Call from Marshall: Carry to Camp 2 – January 9, 2005 by Heather Ulrich I just received a message from Marshall! He reports that, "Everything is cool. Everyone is doing really well." Unfortunately, I was out blowing the new-fallen snow off the driveway, and missed his call, so did not get a lot of details. He did say that the team is "at Camp 1 which is almost at 10,000 feet" (actual elevation of Camp 1 as reported on other Web sites is 9,100 feet), just a bit below the elevation of our home at 10,400 feet here in Colorado. So, the team must have traveled from Base Camp to Camp 1 on January 8. Marshall reported that today the team is going to carry needed gear and food up to Camp 2 and do a "drop." They will go back down to Camp 1 and sleep there tonight. Then tomorrow, January 10, they will go to Camp 2. Marshall further reported that the following day, January 11, may be their summit attempt ...although if that's the case, I don't know what happened to Camp 3??? as the itinerary as posted on the Alpine Ascents Web site is as follows:
Missing a call can lead to confusion! My apologizes. To get the real scoop, please check the Alpine Ascents cybercast site for the latest news. Thanks again for following along! And, as always, please keep the entire team in your thoughts and prayers.
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Possible Move to Camp 2– January 9, 2005 by Heather Ulrich Still no word directly from Marshall, and no new cybercasts on the Alpine Ascents site. Not to worry! I'm sure the satellite phone is just unable to get a message out...and/or the Web folks at Alpine Ascents are actually taking the weekend off. Couldn't blame them for that! As Alpine Ascents states on their Web site, "The lack of a recent cybercast is not an indication of a problem with the trip." So, we can only hope that the team is "on schedule." Of course, as we all know, keeping a "schedule" on a mountain is not always possible! The mountain, and the weather, must dictate when and if the team moves...something that must be respected by all of those wishing to climb. However, if the weather is good, and the team has been able to move on the mountain (from Base Camp to Camp 1 yesterday), they may be moving from Camp 1 to Camp 2 today. From Camp I at 9,100 feet, they will ascend for 3 miles through an ice fall, gaining 1,000 feet, to the foot of a large headwall and establish Camp 2 at 10,100 feet. Camp 2 is situated on a broad col between Vinson Massif and Mount Shinn.
Tents at Camp 2 Photo Credit: Adventure Consultants Web site
So...until we "meet" again, a parting thought:
"It's not the mountains we conquer, but ourselves" – Sir Edmund Hillary
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Possible Move to Camp 1– January 8, 2005 by Heather Ulrich I haven't heard anything new from Marshall, and have not seen anything new on the Alpine Ascents cybercast site. However, if weather permits, the team may be heading to Camp 1 today. While we're all waiting for more news, thought I'd provide a bit more background information and some additional photos. Quest for the Seven Summits If (and we certainly never take anything for granted!) Marshall is successful in reaching the summit of 16,067-foot Mount Vinson in Antarctica, this will be his sixth of the Seven Summits! As described in more detail on the Mountaineering page, Marshall has already summited (in order of altitude) the following summits.
According to the statistics on the Seven Summits Web site, only 91 people in the world have completed the Seven Summits - including 7,310-foot Mount Kosciuszko in Australia as the seventh summit. Dick Bass was the first person to complete the Quest on April 30, 1985. Only 34 Americans have reached the summits of the seven highest peaks on each of the continents, including four American women. Again, if Marshall is successful on Mount Vinson, he hopes to travel to Australia in March 2005...and be one of less than 100 people in the world to have completed the Quest for the Seven Summits! Triple Crown of Extreme Events Marshall is a veteran of over 110 ultra-marathons and adventure races averaging over 100 miles each. Along the way, he has raised more than $210,000 for various charities, including the Religious Teachers Filippini. He has crossed Death Valley a record 17 times including a solo and quad crossing, and is a 4-time winner of the Badwater 146-mile race from minus 282 feet to the 14,494-foot summit of Mount Whitney. In 1989, he was the first person to complete six 100-mile trail races in the same year. With a personal best of 142 miles, he is a two time silver medallist in the national 24-hour championship. Marshall is one of three people in the world to have competed in all 9 Eco Challenges, and has competed in 7 other expedition-length adventure races. If Marshall is successful in his Quest for the Seven Summits he will be the first person in the world to complete the “Triple Crown of Extreme Events” – ultra running, adventure racing, and mountaineering.
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World-class ultra runner Record setting adventure racer Marshall running in the Badwater Ultra Marshall in the 1999 Eco Challenge Argentina
Mountaineer
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More on Mount Vinson After talking to Marshall a few days ago, I realized I had inadvertently posted a photo of a prop - rather than the correct jet - plane that the team flew on from Punta Arenas, Chile, to Patriot Hills, Antarctica. I believe the photo below is more accurate. Given the size of the Illuyshin Russian jet...no wonder they call it "the beast."
The Jet at Patriot Hills Photo credit: http://www.everestnews2004.com/2004news/vinsonpictures2004.htm I was also able to find another map showing the route of the flight, as well as the location of Mount Vinson.
Map: Flight from Punta Arenas to Patriot Hills Map from the 7 Summits Web site, by Adventure Network International
I can only imagine the unique beauty of the snowy continent at the bottom of the world! While the photos are beautiful, including the view from Base Camp and the midnight sun, to actually be there... Marshall
is very grateful to have this opportunity to visit Antarctica,
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When the team is ready to depart Base Camp at 7,000 feet on the lower part of the Branscomb Glacier on the west side of the Ellsworth Mountains, they will hike for about 6 miles along the glacier. There is some minor crevassing, making the training they received from their Alpine Ascents guides critical to their safety. They will gain 2,100 feet to reach Camp 1 at 9,100 feet. From Camp 1 the summit is clearly visible and the neighboring peaks of Mount Shinn and Mount Gardner can also be seen..when the weather is clear!
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I will post another update when I hear from the team. Thank you again for your interest and support of Marshall - and the entire team - as he attempts to reach the highest point on the Antarctic continent: 16,067-foot Mount Vinson Massif!
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Alpine Ascents Cybercast –January 7, 2005 by Vern Tejas Note from Heather Ulrich: I have copied the original cybercast made by Vern Tejas here. Please visit the Alpine Ascents site for more information on the company and climbing opportunities. Looks like the team spent the day practicing important skills to keep them safe! January 7, 2005 Hey there cybernauts and all you cybercats, this is Vern Tejas reporting in from Vinson Base Camp for the January Trip, Name to be announced. We had a wonderful day today, practicing all those wonderful glacier skills that make us safe and confident. We learned how to tie some knots, we rigged our prussiks...(Transmission Fails).
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At Vinson Base Camp– January 6, 2005 by Heather Ulrich I received a brief call from Marshall close to midnight last night. The team had flown to Patriot Hills, then immediately over to Vinson Base Camp! They are very fortunate that the weather held for both flights. It was almost four in the morning on the icy continent, and the team had just finished setting up camp. Remember...there's 24 hours of sunlight in Antarctica this time of year, so the team can complete tasks at any time.
Mount
Vinson Base Camp
Go to the Alpine Ascents Vinson page and select the orange Slide Show button (in the upper right hand side of the page) for some beautiful pictures of Punta Arenas, Patriot Hills (and the planes used for transportation), Base Camp, and the mountain. Marshall guessed that the team would settle in and rest at Base Camp today. Although...if the weather is nice, they may take advantage of a good day and do a carry (splitting their loads between back packs and sleds) from Base Camp, at 7,000 feet on the lower part of the Branscomb Glacier on the west side of the Ellsworth Mountains, and ascend the Branscomb Glacier for 6 miles, gaining 2,100 feet, to establish Camp I at 9,100 feet. Keep an eye on the Alpine Ascents cybercast page for updates from Vern. Thanks again for your interest and support! It is greatly apprecated. If you'd like for me to pass a personal message to Marshall next time I talk to him, feel free to send me an e-mail.
Alpine Ascents Cybercast –January 6, 2005 by Vern Tejas Note from Heather Ulrich: I have copied the original cybercast made by Vern Tejas here. Please visit the Alpine Ascents site for more information on the company and climbing opportunities. January 6, 2005 Hello there friends families and loved ones, this is The January Trip. We are now, we've already flown all the way across the Drake Passage, down the Alaska (sic) Peninsula, past the Ellsworth Range and landed safely in Patriot Hills. We grabbed our gear and made use of our window of opportunity. As long as the weather is good we sprinted all the way out to the wonderful Base Camp at Mount Vinson . As we speak we are now encamped below the Massif at 7,143 feet above sea level. Everybody is happy to be here, pleasantly exhausted from the day of travel, but now getting caught up on their sleep so that we can begin a full day of crevasse travel, lead ringing, knot tying, anchor studies, crevasse rescue, and generally get prepared for the next step of the game which is to actually climb this hill. The team looks to be strong and all in good health. We're very excited to make new friends and prepare ourselves for another adventure in Antarctica . Stay tuned for the January Trip, ta ta.
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Off to Antarctica– January 5, 2005 by Heather Ulrich I received a call from Marshall today about 12:30 Colorado time, 4:30 in Punta Arenas...and the team got the "go!" They were off to fly to Antarctica! As Marsh explained in his January 3 update, the team had 35 minutes to check out of the hotel, grab a bus to the airport, and get through security. Then, they had to load all of the gear and get on the plane…with a maximum 2 hour total time limit from “go” to take off. With a flight time of 4.5 hours, they *should* have landed at Patriot Hills at about 7 p.m. Colorado time. As soon as they landed, they would be busy unloading the plane to make room for "The Penguins" to return to Punta Arenas.
Patriot
Hills If the weather holds, they will transfer all equipment to the Twin Otter and fly for 1.25 hours to Vinson base camp at 7,000 feet. Then, once they land at Vinson base, the team will review the climbing route and rearrange the loads (divide gear between backpacks and sleds) and ready for the journey. With 24 hours of sunlight this time of year in Antarctica ...anything is possible!
Vinson
Base Camp As always, please keep the entire team in your thoughts and prayers for their safe travels to, across- and, eventually, up the mountain - in Antarctica. And, thank you for your continued interest and support!
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Still in Punta Arenas – January 4, 2005 by Marshall Ulrich We were scheduled to depart Punta Arenas today and fly at least as far as Patriot Hills, and perhaps even all the way over to Base Camp. But, as life will do – both on mountains and at home – we were “thrown a curve.” I do not say this in bad way, though; it's just the way it is. The more accepting we are of the unpredictability of life, the better off we are. It seems that the winds have been kicking up and Dave Morton (my apologizes for getting his last name wrong previously) gives us a 50/50 chance of leaving tonight. Dave also mentioned that Vern and third AAI Vinson group are still at Vinson Base Camp, unable to make the trek over to Patriot Hill due to very strong winds (see the January 4, 2005 posting from Vern on the Alpine Ascents cybercast site). The third group called themselves “The Penguins.” We are the fourth and last AAI group. Our name is still to be decided, although I'm hoping that the group will agree to be ad hoc Stray Dogs. So, we have had some time to see the sights in Punta Arenas, and some members of the group even went to a nearby penguin colony. We've also had some time to go out to dinner as a group. The food here is wonderful, and very reasonable. And, the company has been great. Here's a bit of info about the team. The Team First, the "domestic" members of the team. There is Dawn McClellan from Nevada. Dawn is a tall redhead, has a great sense of humor and is a very optimistic person, predicting that we would "Fly" tonight. She is very much down to earth and a pleasure to be around. Then there is Robert Heins is from New York. He's the oldest of the team at 65 years (something different for me, usually I'm “the old guy” at 53). He is well versed in many subjects, is easy to get to know, and also has a very positive outlook. He was involved in the Vietnam War and has all sorts of great stories to share about that and other life experiences. David Balsey, also from New York, seemed familiar to me when I first met him and he recognized my name…and told me an old story that jogged my memory. Back in 1989 I was on a quest to be the first person to complete all six of the 100-mile trail runs in one season (there were only six in the US back then). During the Angeles Crest 100 I was coming into the last half mile of the race when two men, a runner and his pacer, passed me in the dark. I was a fit, top runner back then; evidenced in part by the fact that I had already finished four of 100 mile trail runs in the top ten that season. I was competitive, and was trying to also finish Angeles Crest in the top ten. A sprint race ensued. As we approached the finish line, one of the men dropped back, and I continued to race the other man to the finish. I edged the other runner out, crossing the finish line just ahead of him. Amazingly, the runner turned out to be the pacer . David Balsey was the official runner that had graciously dropped back, letting his pacer race me to the finish! So, 15 years later, here in southern Chile, on our way to Antarctica to climb Mount Vinson ...we laughed, and caught up on some other old ultra running stories. David is now a physical therapist and, no doubt, will be taking care of some of the aches and pains the team may experience during the climb. Eric Peterson from California seems to the knowledgeable one of the group. When you ask Eric a question, he has facts, figures, and theories that make for great, educational interchange. It's nice to have someone as knowledgeable as Eric around. Michael Lanigan is also from California. He's an easy going, calming, all-around great guy. That calming attitude is a great quality to emulate, and can be contagious – a great influence on the team. Danielle Fisher, from Washington, is the youngest of the group - in her early 20s, I think. She has climbed Denali, as have most of the others on the team. Dr. Bran Grant, from California, is a bit older and has done some expedition adventure racing as well as mountain climbing and guides groups all over the world with his “Custom Multisport Global Adventures” group. He's an amazing guy who is well traveled and fluent in Spanish, and "just a bit rusty in German and French.” He's very unassuming but has a tremendous amount of useful knowledge locked up in his brain. Robin Griffith , from North Carolina , is a divorced mother of two boys. Robin looks to be a very strong woman, is easy to talk to, and is a person who delicately speaks her mind. She's very entertaining, with a great sense of humor. Then there is David Lien, my roommate here in Punta Arenas, from Colorado who is a friend my wife and I met in Africa when we climbed Kilimanjaro as members of the same team. David is a great guy with lots of experience. He's done three of the Seven Summits, including Kili, as well as Aconcagua and Denali; and has climbed all of the Colorado 14ers (the 53 peaks over 14,000 feet in the state). There is also a group of experienced Japanese men that will be a part of our team. The leader is Toshihiko Tamura , who has summited Everest, as has Shokichi Saito. Takenori Yoshida and [name] Hiro have been up Cho Oyu. All-in-all, the Japanese seem to have the most experience, and appear to be fit and ready to take on the challenge. The Alpine Ascents lead guide is Vern Tejas, an old friend who competed in the 1999 Eco Challenge in Argentina. I look forward to seeing him again when we arrive on the Antarctic continent. Vern is one of the world's most famed mountaineers, having summited the highest mountain on each continent (I believe he's on his fourth time around at completing the Seven Summits!), and is legendary for completing the first solo winter ascent on Denali, a feat I can not comprehend. Assistant guides are Dave Morton and Todd [Passey – note from Heather: Marsh did not provide his last name, but I believe this is correct]. Dave has climbed and guided throughout the Himalayas, South America, the Cascades, Alaska Range, and Russia. Todd has had successful ascents of Ama Dablam, Lobuje East, and Island Peak . Most of all, it looks to be an excellent team, and I'm sure that we will all get along GREAT. I'm really looking forward to climbing with this team and getting to know them all better. In Closing So, for now, we wait. My thanks again for everyone's support. I will not be able to send out written updates during the climb, as AAI does not have the needed connections and software. But, in addition to the AAI expedition satellite phone, some members of the team also have personal satellite phones that they have said that I can use. So, I will call Heather when I can, and she has promised to summarize the news for all of you. In addition, check out the AAI cybercasts. We're keeping our fingers crossed and maybe, just maybe, we will be on our way over to Patriot Hills tonight and then on to our adventure on the ice and Mount Vinson.
Alpine Ascents Cybercast –January 4, 2005 by Dave Morton Note from Heather Ulrich: I have copied the original cybercast made by Dave Morton here. Please visit the Alpine Ascents site for more information on the company and climbing opportunities. January 4, 2005
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Punta Arenas – January 3, 2005 by Marshall Ulrich David Lien and I, who are sharing a room here in Punta Arenas, woke to clear blue skies. At 8:00 a.m. Dave Martin, one of the AAI guides that will be flying over to Base Camp with us, stopped by and did a gear check. Everything was in order. I am thankful to my generous sponsors – including The North Face, CAMP, GoLite, Ullfrotte, Leki, and Pacific Outdoor Equipment – for providing me with the best equipment available…the same equipment I used on Mount Everest. Thanks to my sponsors, I want for nothing as far as equipment is concerned and will be able to once again be comfortable, even in the frigid environments that are a part of mountaineering. Our entire group – now 14 climbers – met for a quick breakfast, then headed over for the climb and flight briefing. The AAI staff and flight crew explained the logistics of the climb, emphasizing the unpredictability of the schedule (see the Itinerary section of the Vinson Overview – January 1, 2005 below). Everything is tentative. As on Everest, this trip may continue teaching me lessons in patience. The main concern is the wind. When it reaches close to 20 knots (23 mph), it is impossible to land at Patriot Hills. The other concern is the extraordinary cloud cover that often hovers at a “low ceiling” over the continent. The clouds, and lack of contrast, make it difficult (at best) for the pilot to distinguish between the blue ice landing strip, the horizon, and the clouds; making a safe landing impossible. In addition, the landing strip runs parallel to an outcropping of mountains – mountains that are best seen to be avoided! The Russian plane is powered by four jet engines and was originally used to transport military supplies and paratroopers. I'm told that “the beast” uses 70 tons (90,000 liters) of fuel to do the trip from Punta Arenas to Patriot Hills, and then back again. The landing gear has a very wide stance with 10 tires on each side for a total of 20. This helps stabilize the plane when landing on the wind swept blue ice runway. With the summer season is full swing – average temperatures of “only” -20ºF – the blue ice actually melts slightly in the intense sunlight, making the landing strip slick. Therefore, the flight service has been switched from daytime flights to late night. Ours will be one of the first late night flights, ensuring that the temperatures are cold enough at Patriot Hills for the runway to be more stable. We are getting weather reports every three hours and while flying out today is a possibility, because of some low lying clouds at Patriot Hills, it sounds like the odds are that we will have to wait until tomorrow to fly out. We'll all return to the hotel and see if we get a “go ahead” around 6:00 p.m. If we don't hear anything, it probably means that the clouds have not dissipated yet, and we'll wait for another possible “go” around 9 p.m. Once we do get the “go” we will have 35 minutes to check out of the hotel, grab a bus to the airport, and get through security. Then, we'll need to load all of the gear and get on the plane…with a maximum 2 hour total time limit from “go” to take off. “Scramble, scramble” – like a military flight crew – comes to mind! The flight is 4.5 hours. As soon as we land, the plane is unloaded, and prior expeditions will board the plane. Once again, the turnaround time is 2 hours or less. The entire window is typically 6 to 8 hours, as this is as long as the weather will typically “hold,” so everything is done in haste. So, for now, we wait. If we're still in Punta Arenas tomorrow, I will try to get another update out. If you don't hear from me, it probably means that we've taken off for Patriot Hills! Perhaps Vern will post a “cybercast” on the Alpine Ascents site, as he tries to send a report every day. But, please don't worry if you don't hear anything – it only means that the satellite phone can't get through the cloud cover. I can't express how grateful I am for the support of my family and friends over the years; especially for their support during my most recent climbs. My thanks to my wife Heather; father- and mother-in-law, Rory and Janis; and especially to my children Elaine, Taylor, and Alexandra. Again on this climb I will take the Religious Teachers Filippini Banner with me in hopes of displaying it at the top of Mount Vinson. It gives my climbs meaning…knowing that all of you have been so generous in your support of the Religious Teachers Filippini who help some of the most deserving women and children in world – giving them an education, dignity, and hope for the future. On behalf of the children, I thank you. Know that you have made a profound difference. If I am granted safe passage to the top, I will once again (as Sister Mary Beth told me to do from the top of Everest) “take a look around at all the work that needs to be done” for the kids.
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Arrival in Punta Arenas – January 2, 2005 by Heather Ulrich I heard from Marshall via telephone tonight. He and our friend David Lien finally arrived in Punta Arenas around midnight local time (4 hours ahead of Mountain Time). A flight delay in Dallas, TX caused them to miss their connection in Santiago, Chile, further delaying their arrival in Punta Arenas. Despite the 27-hours of travel time, he sounds great – he's starting to get excited for the climb!
Marshall reports that he could see snow covered mountains as they approached Punta Arenas – part of the southern Patagonia region…perhaps the Torres del Paine area where we hope to do some trekking after the climb. The sun was just setting as they landed, but he was able to make out the coastal waters and small islands around the “beach city” of Punta Arenas. “Very different,” he explained, than our mountain home at 10,400 feet here in Colorado!
Punta Arenas City Marshall and David met Alpine Ascents International (Alpine Ascents) guide Dave Martin. Lead guide Vern Tejas is still on the Antarctic continent, where he's been since November! Vern meets each new AAI group at Patriot Hills, guides them up the mountain, returns to Patriot Hills, then does it all again. The Patriot Hills camp is operated by Adventure Network International a private company which has pioneered private travel to the Antarctic. It operates from Punta Arenas in Southern Chile during the summer months flying a chartered Hercules from Punta Arenas to its blue ice runway at Patriot Hills in the inland of the Antarctic near the base of the Trans-Antarctic Mountains . From the base at Patriot Hills the company operates several light aircraft traveling as far afield as the South Pole, including a Twin Otter to Vinson Base Camp. Marshall 's January 1 through the 15 Alpine Ascents group will be the last for the season, so Vern will finally leave the Antarctic continent.
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Adventure Network Hercules [Photo credit: http://www.newzeal.com/theme/bases/Patriot.htm] |
Adventure Network Twin Otter [Photo credit: http://www.newzeal.com/theme/bases/Patriot.htm] |
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Dave Martin told Marshall that 7 of the 11 climbing clients that will make up their group have already arrived in Punta Arenas. The Japanese contingent is scheduled to arrive in the morning. Once the entire group is available, they will do a gear check, team briefing, and plane briefing. If weather permits, the group may depart for Patriot Hills the evening of January 3! Marshall still hopes to be able to send out his own, personal briefings during the climb. Watch for more to come from the bottom of the world!
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Vinson Overview – January 1, 2005 by Heather Ulrich In continuing his Quest for the Seven Summits, Marshall left January 1, 2005 for Mount Vinson Massif, the highest peak on the Antarctic continent. His climb, with Alpine Ascents International (Alpine Ascents), is scheduled for January 1st through the 15th. I hope to go to Chile Jan 13th to 22nd to meet Marshall - and the team that includes our friend, David Lien, who we climbed with on Kilimanjaro - after the climb to do some trekking and sightseeing.
Vern Tejas, the head guide with Alpine Ascents and a friend of Marshall's, does daily updates to their Web site. See the Alpine Ascents sight for general information, and the cybercasts page for news from Vern. Marshall hopes to be able to utilize the Alpine Ascents expedition satellite phone to send out his own, personal dispatches (although he's not sure that he'll be able to do this), which I will post here. At the very least, you can follow Vern's updates from the bottom of the world! Overview Mount Vinson – located 600 miles from the South Pole and 1,200 miles from the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula – is the highest peak on the Antarctic continent. Vinson is part of the Ellsworth Mountains (the Sentinel Range), which rise majestically from the Ronne Ice Shelf. The climb of Mount Vinson is moderate by technical standards. It is similar to other alpine routes with moderate slopes and glaciated terrain. What separates Vinson from all other peaks is the sheer isolation of the mountain and the extraordinary views from its summit. And the climate.
The climate on Vinson is generally controlled by the polar ice cap's high-pressure system, creating predominantly stable conditions but, as in any arctic climate, high winds and snowfall are a possibility. Though the annual snowfall on Vinson is low, high winds can cause base camp accumulations up to 18 inches in a year. During the summer season, including January, there is 24 hours of sunlight. While the average temperature during these months is -20ºF, the intense sun will melt snow on dark objects.
Mount
Vinson Itinerary Here is a brief itinerary for Marshall's Vinson attempt. However, it should be noted that Alpine Ascents states that while "every effort will be made to follow the itinerary it is subject to change at the discretion of our staff based on weather and local conditions. Some departures may be slightly longer or shorter based on flight schedules to Antarctica. Please allow at least an additional two weeks after the expedition end date, as weather and flight delays are not uncommon." Day 1 (January 1) – Depart USA Day 2 (January 2) – Arrive Punta Arenas, gear check
Day 3 (January 3) – Antarctic slide show and lecture. Meeting, questions, meet the team
Day
4 (January 4) – Possible departure
from Punta Arenas to Patriot Hills, then on to Base Camp
Days 5 - 12 (January 5-12) Climb/attempt to reach the summit
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