Vinson

Overview

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The highest mountain of our planet's last great wilderness, Antarctica

Introduction

Located deep within the frozen Antarctic continent in the Ellsworth Mountains, Vinson was the last of the Seven Summits to be discovered and climbed, in 1957. The normal route to the summit is a technically moderate climb with a few steep 45° sections. However, Vinson should not be underestimated, as the combination of isolation and potentially extreme conditions, means you need considerable mountaineering experience to take part. As an overall experience, climbing Vinson can be likened to the top 3,000m of a major 8,000m Himalayan peak, with the cold and commitment, but without the altitude.

Vinson can be combined with The South Pole - The Last Degree. Following your ascent of Vinson, you return to Union Glacier before being flown to 89° south for the 111Km journey on skis.

Join us on Vinson

• Flights arranged from the UK if required.
• Advice from Jagged Globe staff who have climbed the mountain.
• Add-on the Last Degree to the South Pole. Join our The South Pole Last Degree Training course
• Financial Protection from our ABTOT/ATOL bonding.

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Experience Required

Although comparatively modest in terms of altitude and technical difficulty, Vinson offers a major challenge due to the harshness of its climate and its extremely remote location. Climbers wishing to join the expedition and have a good chance of success must be able to:

• Be well organised and self-reliant.
• Show previous expedition experience in cold environments.
• Carry loads of 25Kg for 5 - 9 days.
• Perform self-rescue from a crevasse and participate actively in a crevasse rescue.

Additional Information

If you wish to discuss any aspect of the expedition or your suitability for it, please phone +44 (0)114 276 3322 or contact us.

Dates & Prices

Date	Meeting in		Availability
Wed 26 Nov – Sun 7 Dec 2025	Punta Arenas from		Available Book now »
1 place left with $2,000 early booking offer	$56,200 $54,200
Sun 7 Dec – Thu 18 Dec 2025	Punta Arenas from		Available Book now »
1 place left with $2,000 early booking offer	$56,200 $54,200
Thu 18 Dec – Mon 29 Dec 2025	Punta Arenas from		Available Book now »
2 places left with $2,000 early booking offer	$56,200 $54,200
Tue 30 Dec – Sat 10 Jan 2026	Punta Arenas from		Available Book now »
2 places left with $2,000 early booking offer	$56,200 $54,200
Sat 10 Jan – Wed 21 Jan 2026	Punta Arenas from		Available Book now »
2 places left with $2,000 early booking offer	$56,200 $54,200

This trip may only be booked in USD.

Group size: 3 – 8 people.

For comparison, this expedition starts from $5,109 (USD) per day (price Without Flights).

Know Before You Go

Jagged Globe supports the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCDO) 'Know Before You Go' campaign. We recommend that you read the FCDO Travel Advice for Chile on the FCDO Website.

What the price includes

• Bonding via ATOL or ABTOT (see more below).
• Airport transfers in Punta Arenas, Chile.
• Round trip flight to Antarctica from Punta Arenas.
• Round trip flight to Vinson Base Camp from Union Glacier.
• Meals and tented accommodation in Antarctica.
• Group camping and climbing equipment.
• Mountain Guide.
• Celebration dinner and Certificate of Achievement.
• Checked luggage up to 25Kg.
• Jagged Globe kitbag.

What the price does not include

• Economy class return airfares from the UK (Can be arranged on request.)
• Overseas airports taxes not paid in advance through the international airline ticket.
• Airport transfers outside of Punta Arenas.
• Hotel accommodation in Punta Arenas (Can be arranged on request.)
• Meals in Punta Arenas.
• Excess baggage over 25Kg.
• Personal equipment and clothing.
• Charges incurred as a result of flight delays (including additional hotel nights).
• Additional flights within Antarctica.
• Bar bills and laundry.
• Travel insurance.
• Tips.

Insurance

You will need a travel insurance policy that caters for the activities you will undertake on your trip with Jagged Globe. It is a requirement of our booking conditions that you have such a policy. For a list of insurers who specialise in mountaineering, trekking and skiing, please see our Travel Insurance page »

Itinerary

Here is an outline itinerary for this trip. A more detailed day-to-day itinerary is available as a downloadable PDF »

Itinerary

Important Note: Delays. Delays of 1 - 3 days are likely for the flights between Punta Arenas and Union Glacier in either direction. In exceptional circumstances these delays may extend to a week or more. We recommend that you do not book any essential work or travel commitments in the two weeks following your scheduled return to Chile.

Day -1:	Arrive Punta Arenas, Chile
Day 0:	Pre-departure day: luggage pick up and briefing
Day 1:	Depart for Union Glacier
Day 2 - 3:	Vinson Base Camp (2,140m)
Day 4 - 5:	Base Camp to Low Camp (2,780m)
Day 6:	Low Camp to High Camp (3,780m)
Day 7 - 8:	High Camp to Summit
Day 9:	Descent to Base Camp
Day 10 - 11:	Return to Union Glacier
Day 12:	Return to Chile

Optional Ski The Last Degree

Extend your stay in Antarctica and Ski the last 60 nautical miles (69 mi/111 km) to reach the most southerly point on Earth and experience firsthand the challenges faced by early explorers. Ski Last Degree captures the essence of polar exploration in an incredible twelve day expedition.

Price £45500 per person

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• Richard Parks' talks to Sir Ranulph Fiennes about the...

Reports & Reviews

First Expedition: Nov 1995
Total: 18 trips

Have you been on this trip? If you'd like to contribute a trip report then we'll post it up on the site.

Team Member Reviews

• “A tremendous feeling of freedom and fun - awe inspiring.” VJ, 2000

Leader Reports

• Vinson - 29 Nov to 18 Dec '08
  “Vinson 2008 Team members: Tore, Inger, Mike and James. All members and leader summited Vinson on 14th December 2008. The whole team assembled in the delightful Hotel Isla Rey Jorge in downtown Punta Arenas on the 1st...”
  report added 25/Feb/09
• Vinson - 12 to 31 Dec '07
  “Vinson 2007 Team Members: James, Phillipe, Stuart, Janet and Doug. All members and leader summited Vinson on Friday 28th December 2007. We met up on the 13th December in Punta Arenas and unfortunately where immediately...”
  report added 31/Jan/08
• Vinson Massif - 16 Nov to 4 Dec '06
  “I awoke about 05:30 hrs on the morning of 2 December. The wind had got up and the tent was beginning to shake with strong gusts. The temperature was around -12 degrees inside the tent. I got dressed in my outdoor clothing and with...”
  report added 02/Jan/07
• Vinson Massif - 2 to 20 Dec '05
  “Antarctica’s weather was proving to be taking its toll as the Vinson 2 team set off from the UK on the 2nd December with the knowledge that Vinson 1 team led by David Hamilton were still in Punta Arenas, patiently waiting for...”
  report added 06/Jan/06
• Vinson Massif - 19 Nov to 6 Dec '05
  “On Thursday 15th December two Jagged Globe leaders and five team members reached the summit of Mt Vinson (4,897m), the highest peak in Antarctica. This was one of the most successful expeditions that we have run to this extremely...”
  report added 29/Dec/05
• 4 more reports »

• Vinson Massif - 26 Nov to 3 Dec 03
  “The expedition group (Rob Gambi, Jo Gambi, David Hamilton – Leader) left the UK on 26 November and arrived in Punta Arenas, Chilean Patagonia on 27/28 November. Unsuitable weather at the Patriot Hills base in Antarctica led to an...”
  report added 13/Jan/04
• Vinson Massif - 18 December 2002 to 7 January 2003
  “Our 2002/2003 Vinson Massif expedition summited Antarctica's highest mountain via a new route. The expedition was followed live by MountainZone.com. Here is an extract from the despatches "Hi this is Robert Anderson reporting...”
  report added 05/Feb/03
• Vinson 14 - 30 December 2000
  “Having been stuck out at Patriot Hills this last week, the team arrived back in Punta Arenas on 8 January and are now making their way home. Expedition leader, Carl Haberl commented: "The team summited in a full-on storm, so it...”
  report added 09/Jan/01
• Vinson 1 - 17 December 2000
  “Expedition leader, Carl Haberl, along with Matthew Holt and Fiona Macintosh summited on 10 December.”
  report added 20/Dec/00