Ryan Waters
Ryan Waters is an American mountaineer, guide, polar adventurer and speaker. In 2014, he became the first American to complete the Adventures Grand Slam, by climbing the Seven Summits and skiing full, unsupported trips to the North and South Pole.
He has guided all of the Seven Summits and has either guided or personally climbed 5 different 8000 meter mountains including Everest (2 times), Manaslu (2 times), Lhotse (2 times), Cho Oyu (2 times), and Broad Peak. He has also attempted K2, Gasherbrum II, and Dhaulagiri.
A team unsupported West to East ski traverse of Greenland expanded his interests into the polar regions. In January 2010, Ryan and Cecilie Skog completed a "nice long ski tour" in Antarctica. The team skied 1,117 miles/1,800 kilometers over 70 days from Berkner Island in the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf to the South Pole, then continued to the Ross Sea and set a new record by completing the first ski traverse of Antarctica without resupplies or the use of kites.
He and fellow explorer Eric Larsen reached the North Pole on May 4, 2014 after skiing unsupported for 53 days from Cape Discovery, Canada.