Who First Climbed The Vinson Massif?

The Vinson Massif the highest mountain peak on Antarctica was first discovered in 1957 but it was not until 1966 that the mountain was first scaled. The mountain rises to a height of 4892 meters (16,050 ft) above sea level and is considered to be scalable by mountaineers without involving technical difficulties though the cold weather presents a formidable challenge; temperatures in summer in the months of November and December are about -20 degree F.

The Vinson Massif Mountain was first scaled by an expedition sponsored by the American Alpine Club and the National Science Foundation and was led by Nicholas Clinch; the US Navy provided technical assistance to the expedition known as the American Antarctic Mountaineering Expedition.

The US Navy contributed to the expedition by helping in transporting the expedition members and supplies from New Zealand to Antarctica and then by way of a ski vehicle to the foothills of the massif; the expedition consisted of ten members of whom the first group comprising of four members reached the summit on December 18, 1966.