Mt. Vinson and the evolution of US policy on Antarctic mountaineering, 1960–1966
ABSTRACT The full extent of the height and scale of the Sentinel Range, Antarctica, was not known until reconnaissance flights and scientific traverses in the International Geophysical Year (IGY), 1957–1958. These explorations revealed the range to be twenty miles in length, with a large number of h...
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s0032247413000211 2024-03-03T08:37:37+00:00 Mt. Vinson and the evolution of US policy on Antarctic mountaineering, 1960–1966 Evans, John Smith, Philip M. 2013 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0032247413000211 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0032247413000211 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms Polar Record volume 50, issue 3, page 277-283 ISSN 0032-2474 1475-3057 General Earth and Planetary Sciences Ecology Geography, Planning and Development journal-article 2013 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s0032247413000211 2024-02-08T08:42:45Z ABSTRACT The full extent of the height and scale of the Sentinel Range, Antarctica, was not known until reconnaissance flights and scientific traverses in the International Geophysical Year (IGY), 1957–1958. These explorations revealed the range to be twenty miles in length, with a large number of high peaks culminating in Mt. Vinson, the highest on the Antarctic continent at nearly 4900 meters. The discoveries captured the interest of the U.S. and world mountaineering communities setting off a competition to achieve the first climb of Vinson. The challenge was tempered only by the range's remoteness from the coast of Antarctica and the formidable logistics of mounting a mountaineering expedition. The US which had the most advanced ski-equipped cargo aircraft, had an established post-IGY policy that prohibited adventure expeditions that could divert logistic resources from the scientific programme. This paper discusses Mt. Vinson competition within the US and international climbing communities, mounting national pressures to achieve the first climb, and a reversal in policy by the US Antarctic Policy Group that resulted in the 1966–1967 American Antarctic Mountaineering Expedition's first ascents of Vinson and five other high peaks. Today, between 100 and 200 persons climb Mt. Vinson each austral summer. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Polar Record Cambridge University Press Antarctic The Antarctic Austral The Sentinel ENVELOPE(73.317,73.317,-52.983,-52.983) Sentinel Range ENVELOPE(-85.500,-85.500,-78.167,-78.167) Polar Record 50 3 277 283 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Cambridge University Press |
op_collection_id |
crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
topic |
General Earth and Planetary Sciences Ecology Geography, Planning and Development |
spellingShingle |
General Earth and Planetary Sciences Ecology Geography, Planning and Development Evans, John Smith, Philip M. Mt. Vinson and the evolution of US policy on Antarctic mountaineering, 1960–1966 |
topic_facet |
General Earth and Planetary Sciences Ecology Geography, Planning and Development |
description |
ABSTRACT The full extent of the height and scale of the Sentinel Range, Antarctica, was not known until reconnaissance flights and scientific traverses in the International Geophysical Year (IGY), 1957–1958. These explorations revealed the range to be twenty miles in length, with a large number of high peaks culminating in Mt. Vinson, the highest on the Antarctic continent at nearly 4900 meters. The discoveries captured the interest of the U.S. and world mountaineering communities setting off a competition to achieve the first climb of Vinson. The challenge was tempered only by the range's remoteness from the coast of Antarctica and the formidable logistics of mounting a mountaineering expedition. The US which had the most advanced ski-equipped cargo aircraft, had an established post-IGY policy that prohibited adventure expeditions that could divert logistic resources from the scientific programme. This paper discusses Mt. Vinson competition within the US and international climbing communities, mounting national pressures to achieve the first climb, and a reversal in policy by the US Antarctic Policy Group that resulted in the 1966–1967 American Antarctic Mountaineering Expedition's first ascents of Vinson and five other high peaks. Today, between 100 and 200 persons climb Mt. Vinson each austral summer. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Evans, John Smith, Philip M. |
author_facet |
Evans, John Smith, Philip M. |
author_sort |
Evans, John |
title |
Mt. Vinson and the evolution of US policy on Antarctic mountaineering, 1960–1966 |
title_short |
Mt. Vinson and the evolution of US policy on Antarctic mountaineering, 1960–1966 |
title_full |
Mt. Vinson and the evolution of US policy on Antarctic mountaineering, 1960–1966 |
title_fullStr |
Mt. Vinson and the evolution of US policy on Antarctic mountaineering, 1960–1966 |
title_full_unstemmed |
Mt. Vinson and the evolution of US policy on Antarctic mountaineering, 1960–1966 |
title_sort |
mt. vinson and the evolution of us policy on antarctic mountaineering, 1960–1966 |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0032247413000211 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0032247413000211 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(73.317,73.317,-52.983,-52.983) ENVELOPE(-85.500,-85.500,-78.167,-78.167) |
geographic |
Antarctic The Antarctic Austral The Sentinel Sentinel Range |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic The Antarctic Austral The Sentinel Sentinel Range |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Polar Record |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Polar Record |
op_source |
Polar Record volume 50, issue 3, page 277-283 ISSN 0032-2474 1475-3057 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0032247413000211 |
container_title |
Polar Record |
container_volume |
50 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
277 |
op_container_end_page |
283 |
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1792500256979550208 |