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- Nov 18, 2010
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Madness Team Summits Vinson!
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F_JN7DyNvD1ow%2FS1UB88AI15I%2FAAAAAAAAApg%2FK0assqvxs58%2Fs320%2Fvinson%2Bz.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=2d1257884246ebd783431e0357497cff 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F_JN7DyNvD1ow%2FS1UB88AI15I%2FAAAAAAAAApg%2FK0assqvxs58%2Fs320%2Fvinson%2Bz.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=159e970a7d6cc08bcf47150cf9f4c351 320w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F_JN7DyNvD1ow%2FS1UB88AI15I%2FAAAAAAAAApg%2FK0assqvxs58%2Fs320%2Fvinson%2Bz.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=b4d42a89f160dc9a91b98dd7bb666da6 320w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F_JN7DyNvD1ow%2FS1UB88AI15I%2FAAAAAAAAApg%2FK0assqvxs58%2Fs320%2Fvinson%2Bz.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=cd57897482cc66149e60172536185c5e 320w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F_JN7DyNvD1ow%2FS1UB88AI15I%2FAAAAAAAAApg%2FK0assqvxs58%2Fs320%2Fvinson%2Bz.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=d742732a801075582f8fb3491f60ed77 320w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F_JN7DyNvD1ow%2FS1UB88AI15I%2FAAAAAAAAApg%2FK0assqvxs58%2Fs320%2Fvinson%2Bz.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=128f759d62004e6640f7ea30342db5d4 320w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F_JN7DyNvD1ow%2FS1UB88AI15I%2FAAAAAAAAApg%2FK0assqvxs58%2Fs320%2Fvinson%2Bz.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=34342483cdc698f1ef3718f22fa6140f 320w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F_JN7DyNvD1ow%2FS1UB88AI15I%2FAAAAAAAAApg%2FK0assqvxs58%2Fs320%2Fvinson%2Bz.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=dedccd08714a1b6508a56fc935d4c353 320w)
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F_JN7DyNvD1ow%2FS1UB3WQ-spI%2FAAAAAAAAApY%2Fwywedui5N_4%2Fs320%2Fvinson%2By.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=e89c1099aee94762eb679301dcebde38 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F_JN7DyNvD1ow%2FS1UB3WQ-spI%2FAAAAAAAAApY%2Fwywedui5N_4%2Fs320%2Fvinson%2By.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=ac4c2f16841168acc97c79441a675e31 320w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F_JN7DyNvD1ow%2FS1UB3WQ-spI%2FAAAAAAAAApY%2Fwywedui5N_4%2Fs320%2Fvinson%2By.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=314ffa9e7cdec827b3a1ba586c016339 320w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F_JN7DyNvD1ow%2FS1UB3WQ-spI%2FAAAAAAAAApY%2Fwywedui5N_4%2Fs320%2Fvinson%2By.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=a8fe29ded7db3ffa87b48056f619ad18 320w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F_JN7DyNvD1ow%2FS1UB3WQ-spI%2FAAAAAAAAApY%2Fwywedui5N_4%2Fs320%2Fvinson%2By.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=7de851873f54a6ec00b201d8e0c9d17e 320w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F_JN7DyNvD1ow%2FS1UB3WQ-spI%2FAAAAAAAAApY%2Fwywedui5N_4%2Fs320%2Fvinson%2By.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=d262b6bfbefd9b89b71a909f9f512187 320w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F_JN7DyNvD1ow%2FS1UB3WQ-spI%2FAAAAAAAAApY%2Fwywedui5N_4%2Fs320%2Fvinson%2By.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=4deac082d4d3ece54f11724d17963560 320w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F_JN7DyNvD1ow%2FS1UB3WQ-spI%2FAAAAAAAAApY%2Fwywedui5N_4%2Fs320%2Fvinson%2By.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=bd2a2190e10569510a47eb63425d4bf9 320w)
Images from a past expedition. MM collection.
We just got an exciting phone call from Willie Benegas, the Mountain Madness guide on Vinson-Massif. At noon Pacific Standard Time on January 18, 2010, all four members of the all-star team reached the summit of Vinson!
The original weather forecast was very good, but Willie reported that when the team reached the summit ridge this morning they were hit with strong wind and very cold temperatures, making the last hour of the summit push bitterly cold. But the team pushed through, and all arrived at the summit happy, if a bit cold.
The group includes Shawn Dawson, who is climbing the seven summits to benefit a nonprofit organization; Suzanne Al Houby, the first Arab Palestinian woman to summit Vinson; Michael Rodriguez, who has now summitted six of the seven summits; and Johnny Collinson, who is now the youngest person to climb the seven summits (including the Carstenz Pyramid).
Suzanne reports that her face was freezing on the summit ridge, but that it was worth every second. She asked us to pass a message along to her family and friends: “Thank you for believing in me. I love you all!”
Johnny skied from the summit down to high camp, where the group is now tired but happy. They’ll spend the rest of the evening recovering from the summit push and preparing for tomorrow’s move down the mountain to base camp. Tomorrow, Johnny’s planning to ski down to Camp 1, where the entire group will rope up to descend back to base camp safely.
Congratulations to all!