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Sorry, if this isn't about South America.

I'm looking for climbing partners to Mt Vinson, Antartica. I want to do it independently, so no Commercial operators. We will only buy the flight to and from Mt Vinson. No guides, fixed ropes etc. With Commercial operators it would cost around USD 40 000, but with only the flight, S&R Insurance, environmental permitt it would cost around USD 20-25 000. Neither includes the cost of the flights to Punta Arenas (Chile) from where the Antartic fligt takes off.

The plan is to go to Antartica around December 2014 - Janurary 2015.

Are you game? If so, email me on joljon@hotmail.com

I suggest you PM Damien Gildea, he probably has the best knowledge of the Antartic climbing community and potential partners.

Best of luck!

I would love to go, just don't have $20,000 laying around! Why is it so expensive?!

skyward22 wrote:I would love to go, just don't have $20,000 laying around! Why is it so expensive?!

The travel expenses to Antarctica are pretty high.

You can't do Vinson completely independent of 'commercial operators'. There is only one logistics provider - ALE/ANI - and either commercial operators use them, or you can use them yourself as part of their guided climbs, in their capacity as a commercial operator. Either way, those trips are c.$40,000 per person for two weeks on Vinson.

http://www.adventure-network.com/experi ... #tab-dates

If you want to do an independent expedition to the area and have a minimum of three people, preferably four, then you might be able to organise a custom trip and this may work out cheaper, or not, but you won't be doing Vinson for $20,000. I don't know where you got the idea that that might be possible. In my personal opinion, spending 40K on a two week trip there is a waste of time and money, but for around the same amount a better trip can be organised - if the right people are involved.

I strongly suggest you contact ANI for information and advice before proceeding any further. If you are serious about doing an independent trip there, for climbing in addition to Vinson, then feel free to PM me. (Same goes for anyone else)

For some info on the other big peaks in the range, get a copy of Alpinist #44: http://www.alpinist.com/doc/ALP44/42-mo ... -antactica and maybe even a copy of http://www.mountaineeringinantarctica.com