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Why the
Jagged Mountain Peaks
are special
 The peaks are stunningly craggy. Like other Antarctica mountains, the Jagged
Mountains attract adventure
travelers, professional photographers, and skilled mountaineers.
Jagged Mountain peaks
tips & insights
Some
peaks - like those of the Jagged Mountains in Queen Maud's Land - sharply
jut upwards out of the surrounding polar ice cap for heights surpassing
those of the world's tallest buildings.
The most spectacular
jagged peak is Rakeniven ("razor" in Norwegian). Its 600 meter (2000 foot)
vertical rock wall wasn't scaled until 1996.
The
jagged Fenriskjefen ("Fenrisk's jaw") peaks resemble the teeth of a ferocious
wild animal (see photo). They were unknown until 1939 and are today a favorite
among world class climbers. Note: In the photo you see only the jagged peaks of high
mountains. The rest of them are hidden in the vast and thick continental icecap.
Other
popular climbable mountains on the continent include the Vinson Massif
(Antarctica's tallest), Troll Castle, Mount Shinn, Mount Scott, and Mount
Francais. The latter two mountains are relatively easy to reach
by boat because they are located near, respectively, the Lamaire Channel and the
Neumayer Channel on the Antarctica Peninsula.
The
continent also has many yet unscaled summits waiting for the right mountaineers.
Climbers
must bring every piece of needed gear with them to Antarctica. There are no
equipment supply centers.
Every
climber faces exceptional hazards, including braving the world's coldest and
windiest environment (sudden storms and white outs are not uncommon). And,
expeditions climb in isolation, much more so than, say, if they were scaling
Mount Everest. Emergency medical and rescue help is often completely
unavailable.
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