Welcome to our 2008 Vinson Expedition

Vinson Massif, Antarctica's highest peak, lies within the Ellsworth mountain range a mere 600 miles from the South Pole. Antarctica is a land of extremes, with night-time low temperatures often reaching negative 40F and a sun that never sets.

In mid-December, 2008, a group of climbers from around the world will converge on Punta Arenas, at the southern tip of Tierra del Fuego. From this blustery port city, they will fly to Antarctica in a Russian cargo jet and attempt to climb to the summit of Vinson Massif.

The climbers will split into three teams for this ascent, each accompanied by a guide from Mountain Trip. The expedition members include:

Guides:
Bill Allen, co-owner of Mountain Trip, from Ophir, CO, USA
Heidi Kloos from Ridgway, CO, USA
Drew Ludwig from Ophir, CO, USA

Climbers:
Ania Lichota from Poland, by way of the UK
Ulrich Goerlach from France
Stefano Biffi from Italy
Cristina Piolini from Italy
Ahmet Ergenc from Turkey, by way of CA, USA
Michitaka Onishi from Japan
Yasushi Yamauchi from Japan
Stina Glavnid Pedersen from Denmark
Jens Trolle Neilsen from Denmark
Ken Larsen from the UK
Greg Linsdell from Australia
Vivian James Rigney from Ireland

We will do our best to post daily updates while the team is in Antarctica, however, even with modern communication devices, weather and the vagaries of big mountains can conspire to prevent our guides from phoning in dispatches. Please keep in mind the adage, "No news is GOOD news."

Good luck to all the climbers!