Mount Rutford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mount Rutford |
|
|---|---|
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 4,477 m (14,688 ft) |
| Geography | |
| Location | Antarctica |
| Parent range | Sentinel Range |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | Jed Brown (US) December 2006 |
Mount Rutford is a very tall mountain peak in Antarctica. It stands at 4,477 metres (14,688 ft) high. This makes it the highest point on a large mountain group called Craddock Massif. Mount Rutford is part of the Sentinel Range, which is located in the Ellsworth Mountains.
The peak is found just north of another point called Bugueño Pinnacle. It is also about 2.1 mi north of Mount Craddock. The name of Mount Rutford is connected to Mount Craddock.
Discovering Mount Rutford's Height
Before 2006, this tall peak did not have a name. However, two explorers, Camilo Rada and Damien Gildea, noticed something important. While climbing other mountains like Vinson (in 2004) and Craddock (in 2005), they thought this unnamed peak looked taller than Mount Craddock.
To be sure, they returned in 2006. They used special GPS equipment to measure the exact height of the peak. Their measurements showed that it was indeed taller.
How Mount Rutford Got Its Name
After the new height information was gathered, a new map was made. In 2006, a group called the US-ACAN officially named the peak. They decided to name it after Robert Hoxie Rutford.
Who Was Robert Rutford?
Robert Hoxie Rutford was an important person in Antarctic exploration and science. He was part of a geological expedition from the University of Minnesota to the Ellsworth Mountains in 1962–63. He later led another expedition to the same mountains in 1963–64.
Mr. Rutford also worked as the Director of the Division of Polar Programs at the National Science Foundation (NSF) from 1975 to 1977. He was also the President of SCAR, which stands for the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research. This committee helps organize scientific research in Antarctica.
