The Explorers Grand Slam is a challenge to reach the North Pole, the South Pole and all of the Seven Summits (the highest mountains of each of the seven continents). Only a dozen people have completed the Explorers Grand Slam. British mountaineer, David Hempleman-Adams became the first to complete this challenge in 1998. In 2005, Park Young Seok of South Korea completed a ‘true Adventurers Grand Slam,’ which additionally includes ascending all 14 peaks above 8,000 meters.
Young-Seok holds the world’s second fastest time (behind Jerzy Kukuczka of Poland) for ascending the 14 Eight-thousanders, the Guinness World Record for climbing six of the 8,000-meter Himalayan peaks within one year, and another record for reaching the South Pole on foot in 44 days, self-sufficient and without any food re-supplies.
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