Mt Vinson v2015-16

My first guiding rotation for ALE on Mt Vinson for the 2015-16 season got off to a good start. ALE were trialing using a Boeing 757 to transfer guests from Punta Arenas to the blue ice runway at Union Glacier. We flew business class with all the normal perks for only it's second landing in Antarctica
The weather was poor on arrival but a short delay brought better conditions and the oppurtunity to slingshot the whole climbing teamover to Vinson base camp by Basler & Twin Otter. Heavy snow and poor visibility sonn returned and we spent 4 days at camp awaiting improvements. The avalanche risk was high so we made a couple of sorties up the safer slopes towards low camp. My team of three were moving well and when the good conditions finally arrived we made good time up the mountain. Arriving at Low Camp we found the snow wallls built by the Ranger team (and a chain saw!) had been blown over by the previous bad weather. A quick rebuild and we settled in for a rest day in the sunshine. A couple of the team visited Sam's Col, a key passage on the original route by which the mountain was first climbed.
The follwoing day looked pretty marginal up high but the decision was made to move up putting us in a good position for the forecasted summit window. my team monstered the 1200m of fixed lines to arrive in the stunningly situated High Camp in a very quick 4.5 hours. The rest of the day was spent resting and rehydrating.
Summit day dawned without a breath of wind or a cloud in the sky. We were away by 9am breaking trail up the glacier towards the col between Mt Sublime & Vinson. Down jackets or gloves weren't required and just 5.5 hours later we were relaxing in the sun on the summit of the bottom of the world for the first ascents of the season. For NE it was his final mountain on his 7 Summits quest. Forty five minutes later we reluctently started our descent passing plenty of teams still ascending in the afternoon sunshine. A quick 2.15 hours later we were back at High Camp to be greeted by congratulations and hot water from the ALE Ranger team.
Our final day on the mountain also dawned with clear skies aiding another quick descent to Base Camp in 4 hours arriving literally minutes before our Twin Otter. The champagne was drunk, bags packed and photos taken before the spectacular flight back to Union Glacier. The teams good fortune continued with a flight back to Chile that evening. High Camp on Mt Vinson to the comforts of their hotel in Punta Arenas in one day!