Explorers Grand Slam

The Explorers Grand Slam is an adventurers challenge to reach the north and south pole and climb the Seven Summits.

The original concept involved the polar trips starting from accepted coastal points, involving long sledging journeys. Over time the significantly shorter, easier and less serious 'Last Degree' polar trips - from 89 degrees to the pole (at 90 degrees) - have been claimed as the Explorers Grand Slam (Last Degree). Currently, the climbing community and other leading organizations including the American Alpine Club, The Explorers Club, climbing companies such as International Mountain Guides, and the popular press all define the Explorers Grand Slam as having accomplished the Seven Summits plus (at a minimum - the last degree of) the North and South Poles. There is some consensus that a True Explorers Grand Slam means one will also has summitted all 14 peaks above 8,000 meters. Likewise, there is some consensus that a True Adventurers Grand Slam is achieved by also visiting the magnetic north and south poles.

David Hempleman-Adams became the first to complete a True Adventurers Grand Slam in 1998.[1] In April 2005, Park Young Seok completed a True Explorers Grand Slam.[2] In 2011, former Wales rugby union international Richard Parks became the first person ever to complete the (Last Degrees) Grand Slam within a single calendar year, doing so within seven months.[3] Cheryl Bart is the first Australian female and the 31st person worldwide to complete the Explorer's Grand Slam. She completed the North Pole on 22 April 2013 AEST.[4][5] Vanessa O'Brien became the first woman to complete the (Last Degree) Grand Slam under a single calendar year, doing so in eleven months.[6][7]

In 2014 Ryan Waters became the first American to complete "True Adventurers Grand Slam" by skiing full length, unsupported and unassisted North and South Pole expeditions and climbing the seven summits.

On 21 April 2015 Tashi Malik and Nungshi Malik became world's first twins and siblings as well as first South Asians to complete the Explorers Grand Slam (last degree). Achieving the feat at 24 years, they also became the youngest persons ever to complete it.

An attempt is currently underway by a team led by former Parachute Regiment officer Captain Martin Hewitt to be the first ever disabled team to complete the Explorers Grand Slam unsupported. Coined the Adaptive Grand Slam they are on course to complete it in 2016.[8] He is joined by fellow 'ex-Para' Terry Byrne and former US Ranger Matt Nyman. All were severely injured whilst serving in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Colin O'Brady began an attempt to complete the Explorers Grand Slam in January 2016.[9]

People who completed The Explorers Grand Slam

  1. United Kingdom David Hempleman-Adams
  2. Norway Erling Kagge
  3. Russia Fyodor Konyukhov
  4. South Korea Heo Young-Ho
  5. South Korea Park Young Seok
  6. Canada Bernard Voyer[10]
  7. Norway Cecilie Skog
  8. Lebanon Maxime Chaya
  9. United States Ryan Waters[11]
  10. United States Stuart Smith
  11. Iceland Haraldur Olafsson (SP non-Coastal)
  12. Singapore Khoo Swee Chiow (SP non-Coastal)
  13. Jordan Mostafa Salameh (NP non-Coastal)[12]

People who completed The Explorers Grand Slam (Last Degree)

  1. South Africa Sean Disney
  2. South Africa Vaughan de la Harpe
  3. South Africa Sibusiso Vilane
  4. South Africa Arthur Marsden
  5. South Africa Andrew Van Der Velde
  6. United States Will Cross
  7. United States Lei Wang
  8. United Kingdom Neil Laughton[13]
  9. United Kingdom Jo Gambi
  10. Australia Rob Gambi
  11. United States Alison Levine
  12. United States Randall Peeters
  13. China Wang Yongfeng
  14. China Ci Luo
  15. China Liu Jian
  16. China Wang Shi
  17. China Zhong Jianmin
  18. China Jin Feibao
  19. China Wang Qiuyang
  20. United States Suzanne K Nance
  21. United Kingdom Richard Parks
  22. Guatemala Andrea Cardona
  23. United States John Dahlem
  24. United Kingdom Matthew Holt
  25. CanadaSwitzerland Arnold Witzig
  26. Canada Len Stanmore[14]
  27. Australia Cheryl Bart
  28. United StatesUnited Kingdom Vanessa O'Brien
  29. United Kingdom Sebastian Merriman
  30. India Tashi Malik [15][16]
  31. India Nungshi Malik [15][16]
  32. Egypt Omar Samra[17][18]

References

  1. ↑ "North Pole party for 'Grand Slam' Briton". BBC. 1998-04-30.
  2. ↑ "Mr. Park completes the Grand Slam". EverestNews.com. April 2005.
  3. ↑ "Parks completes epic challenge". ESPN Scrum. 2011-07-12. Retrieved 2011-07-12.
  4. ↑ "Historic feat for Australian woman conquering Explorer's Grand Slam".
  5. ↑ "Icy grand slam success". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  6. ↑ "Boston's Vanessa O'Brien Completes 'Explorer's Grand Slam' in Record Time". Boston.com. April 2013.
  7. ↑ "Boston's Vanessa O'Brien Becomes First Woman to Climb Seven Summits". Grind TV. May 2013.
  8. ↑ Merz, Theo. "The disabled war veteran who took on the ‘hardest marathon in the world’". Telegraph.co.uk. The Telegraph. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
  9. ↑ Maise, Rick (January 11, 2015). "Sports Six months, seven mountains, two poles — and the pursuit of one record". Washinton Post. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
  10. ↑ Roy-Sole, Monique. "Gold Medal 2000 Winner - Bernard Voyer". The Royal Canadian Geographical Society. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  11. ↑ Stonich, Avery. "What It Takes to Complete the Adventurers Grand Slam Unsupported". National Geographic. Retrieved May 19, 2014.
  12. ↑ Coetzer, Correne. "Interview with Mostafa Salameh: Islam, Palestine, Peace and the South Pole". The Explorers Web. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  13. ↑ Laughton, Neil (2012-12-12). "Neil Laughton: the adventure interview". Telegraph Media Group (London).
  14. ↑ Lovitt, Rob. "Adventure traveler Len Stanmore is not your average retiree". Today Travel. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
  15. 1 2 Trivedi, Anupam. "Doon twins set to make history, once again". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  16. 1 2 News, Tribune. "Tashi, Nungshi conquer North Pole". Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  17. ↑ Samra, Omar. "Omar Went North!". Samra. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  18. ↑ Nourhan, Magdi. "Omar Samra becomes 1st Egyptian to reach North Pole". The Cairo Post. YOUM7. Retrieved 24 April 2015.

External links

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