Antarctica · Sentinel Range4,892 m (16,050 ft)Mount Vinson / Vinson Massif 3D Terrain Map & Relief Model
Interactive digital elevation model (DEM) for Mount Vinson / Vinson Massif. Tilt, rotate, and inspect high-altitude summit ridges, glacial cirques, and approach routes in high-resolution 3D WebGL cartography.
Ski aircraft landing strip on the lower Branscomb Glacier with polar tents and communications.
Intermediate snow camp situated at the base of the towering Branscomb Headwall, protected beneath glacial moraines.
Perched on the broad col between Mount Shinn and Mount Vinson, exposed to fierce Antarctic gales rushing off the polar plateau.
A windswept polar plateau leading toward the final summit pyramid, swept by -40°C katabatic winds.
The rocky, corniced pinnacle marking the highest geographic point in Antarctica, offering sweeping views of the entire Sentinel Range.
Total vertical rise from Vinson Base Camp (Branscomb Glacier) (2,140m) directly to the summit crest.
DMS: 78°31′32″ S, 85°37′02″ W. Verified against alpine geodesy baselines.
The vertical drop to the lowest contour encircling the peak with no higher summit inside it.
Surrounded by lateral moraines, active icefalls, and high glaciated ridges feeding regional river systems.
Topographic Architecture of Mount Vinson / Vinson Massif
Mount Vinson is the highest peak in Antarctica at 4,892 metres (16,050 ft), situated in the Sentinel Range of the Ellsworth Mountains approximately 1,200 kilometres from the South Pole. As the summit of Antarctica, it forms one of the celebrated Seven Summits. First sighted by a US Navy aircraft in January 1958 and named after Georgia congressman Carl Vinson, the peak was conquered on December 18, 1966, by a team led by Nicholas Clinch and Barry Corbet during the historic American Antarctic Mountaineering Expedition. While technically moderate via the Branscomb Glacier, climbing Mount Vinson demands extreme endurance against temperatures plunging to -40°C and ferocious katabatic blizzards.