Vinson Massif, << VIHN suhn MAS ihf or ma SEEF, >> is the highest point in Antarctica. The mountain consists of a group of connected peaks, the highest of which rises 16,067 feet (4,897 meters) above sea level. Vinson Massif is 13 miles (21 kilometers) long and 8 miles (13 kilometers) wide. It stands in the Sentinel Range of the Ellsworth Mountains in West Antarctica, about 750 miles (1,200 kilometers) west of the South Pole.
Vinson Massif was discovered in 1957 during the International Geophysical Year (IGY), a program in which scientists from around the world carried out extensive research in Antarctica. It was named for United States Congressman Carl G. Vinson, an enthusiastic supporter of Antarctic exploration and research. In 1966, a team of Americans led by Nicholas B. Clinch became the first people to climb the massif.
