In taking on Mount Vinson, Will faces many of the same challenges he came up against in his polar walk - particularly maintaining his caloric intake; keeping his insulin from freezing; and finding ways to check his blood glucose levels in such a challenging environment. For the Mount Vinson climb, Cross plans to consume about 5,000 calories each day, which means doing things such as melting butter into his coffee, and adding olive oil to many foods. "We planned on consuming as many as 6,500 calories a day on the walk to the pole, but that was just too much," says Cross; "we couldn't eat that much."

On the Mount Vinson climb, and all the others, Will Cross will use the Insulinator, a special, insulated envelope developed by a student at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, to protect his insulin supply. During the day, he says, he will carry the Insulinator in his parka, so that he always has an insulin supply with him.

Chill Factor ::
The Vinson Massif average annual interior temperature is -57°C or -70.6°F with a record breaking -128.6°F being the lowest temperatire ever recorded in nature. In such extreme temperatures metal can stick to flesh, kerosene turns to jelly and fillings can fall out of teeth.

Discovered :: 1957, after being sighted by US Navy aircraft.

Height :: 4897m (16,067ft)

Location ::
78°35'S, 85°25'W. Part of the Sentinel Range and 1200km (746 miles) from the South Pole.

Facts ::

• Antarctica is the Earth's 5th largest continent, measuring 14 million square kilometres (5.4 million square miles).
• The ice sheet that covers almost all of Antarctica is the largest body of fresh water on earth, containing about 90% of the world's ice and 68% of the fresh water.
• If Antarctica's ice sheet were to melt, it would raise the level of the world's oceans about 60 metres (200 feet).
• The thickest part of the ice sheet extends about 4,800km (2980nm) (15,700 feet) into submerged basins in the rock.
• Antarctica has the greatest average elevation of any continent at 1,860 metres (6,100 feet). The average elevation of North America is 720 metres (2,300 feet).
• The highest mountain on the continent is Vinson Massif,4,897 metres (16,067 feet), situated in the Ellsworth Mountains.
• The snow fall in Antarctica is so minimal that the continent has been called "the world's coldest desert". The interior receives less than 3 cm (1 inch) of precipitation a year, making it the driest continent on Earth.
• The Antarctic dry valleys in Victoria Land are among the driest places on Earth. Some scientists believe that no rain has fallen there for two million years. Astronauts have visited the dry valleys because of their similarity to lunar landscapes.
• During winter months, low temperatures cause much of the seas around Antarctica to freeze. At maximum sea ice covers an area larger than the continent itself.
• The South Pole experiences a six month period of darkness in winter and a six month period of sunlight in summer.
• Antarctica is the only continent in the world with no permanent or indigenous human inhabitants. Larger than the United States, the frozen land is populated by approximately 2,500 people during the summer and fewer than 1,000 in the winter.