Discovery

The race for Antarctica’s highest peak began with American polar explorer Lincoln Ellsworth’s discovery of the Sentinel Range in 1935 during a flight from Dundee Island to the Ross Ice Shelf. In the 1967 edition of the American Alpine Journal, expedition member Brian Marts reflected on the years of exploration that followed Ellsworth’s discovery and the circumstances that made their expedition possible:

“During the 1957-58 austral summer, William Long and his traverse party became the first overland group to visit the Sentinels, placing a camp at the northern end of the range. Several times since the 1957 International Geophysical Year this area has been the scene of scientific exploration. As exploration continued, the Sentinel Mountains were recognized as the most spectacular and highest peaks in Antarctica.

This information stirred mountaineering circles. The Mountain World 1960-61 published a picture of the Vinson Massif and, at 16,860 feet, proclaimed it the highest peak in Antarctica. Independently and very nearly simultaneously this generated interest among two groups in the United States on opposite coasts. A little research showed that the Vinson Massif was unclimbed. The whole range was untouched save for the low-level probes of geologists. What an incentive! Quickly team members were organized and a prospectus was submitted to appropriate government offices. One group approached the problem of obtaining permission and support with a scientifically oriented program while the other appealed strictly from a mountaineering standpoint. Both of these were soon shelved somewhere in the confines of Washington politics. The time was not ripe.

In September of 1966 Nick Clinch received a phone call from Bob Bates. The American Alpine Club had been contacted by the government and was being allowed to place an expedition in the field that same fall; Nick was drafted to lead it. A marriage of the two original groups was effected with five members invited from each group: Pete Schoening, Bill Long, Charlie Hollister, Sam Silverstein, John Evans, Barry Corbet, Julian Ansell, Bob Lee, Dick Wahlstrom and me.”*

*Julian Ansell and Bob Lee did not participate in the expedition, and Eiichi Fukushima filled one of their spots on the final roster.