Park Young Seok

Bio

A truly seasoned alpinist, Park is a living and breathing embodiment of the explorer’s spirit. He was the first in the world to climb all 14 of the Himalaya’s 8,000-meter peaks. He has also accomplished the Seven Summits, reaching the highest point on each of the seven continents. Lastly, Park has achieved the Three Poles – Everest, the North Pole and the South Pole.

Beyond holding the world’s fastest time for ascending the 14 8,000m Himalayan peaks (8 years and 2 months), the Korean alpinist is also a Guinness World Record holder for climbing six of the 8,000-meter Himalayan peaks within one year. And it doesn’t stop there. In 2004, Park set another record by reaching the South Pole on foot in 44 days, self-sufficient and without any food re-supplies.

For Park's 2005 conquest of the North Pole, his Grand Slam Expedition Team set off from Ward Hunt in Northern Canada, marching on foot for 53 days. They pulled sleds weighing up to 140 kg (308 lbs) and the team faced numerous difficulties, overcoming such obstacles as open water from a split ice shelf.

Park’s most recent achievement was the completion of a Trans-Everest expedition in May 2006, a trip that took him 8,848m above sea level and across some of the world’s most challenging terrain.

Park graduated from Dongguk University in Seoul in 1992, and went on to complete his postgraduate studies there in 2003. He is currently Director of the Korean Alpine Federation and Korean Alpine Club, and a core member of The North Face Climbing Team in Korea.

In his pursuit of the unprecedented Grand Slam Expedition, Park has been supported and sponsored by The North Face since 1997.

Home:

Seoul, Korea

Favorite Food:

Raw shellfish

Favorite Magazine:

"Chansam’s World Travel" by Kim Chansam

Favorite Music:

“The Winner Takes It All” by ABBA

Career Highlights:

The 14 Highest 8,000m Himalayan Peaks:

• Everest –- 8,848m –- Nepal/China –- May 16, 1993
• K2 –– 8,611m –– Pakistan –– Jul 22, 2001
• Kangchenjunga –– 8,586m –– Nepal –– May 12, 1999
• Lhotse –– 8,511m –– Nepal –– Apr 29, 2001
• Makalu –– 8,463m –– Nepal –– May 15, 2000
• Cho Oyu –– 8,201m –– Nepal –– Sep 27, 1997
• Dhaulagiri –– 8,167m –– Nepal –– Apr 27, 1997
• Manaslu –– 8,163m –– Nepal –– Dec 6, 1998
• Nanga Parbat –– 8,125m –– Pakistan –– Jul 21, 1998
• Annapurna –– 8,091m –– Nepal –– May 4, 1996
• Gasherbrum I –– 8,068m –– Pakistan –– Jul 9, 1997
• Broad Peak –– 8,047m –– Pakistan –– Jul 30, 2000
• Gasherbrum II –– 8,035m –– Pakistan –– Jul 19, 1997
• Shisha Pangma –– 8,012m –– China –– Oct 2, 2000

The Seven Summits:

• Everest (Asia) –– 8,848m –– Nepal/China –– May 16, 1993
• Aconcagua (South America) –– 6,959m –– Argentina –– Jan 11, 2002
• McKinley (North America) –– 6,194m –– Alaska –– Jun 2, 1994
• Kilimanjaro (Africa) –– 5,895m –– Tanzania –– Feb 17, 1997
• Elbrus (Europe) –– 5,642m –– Russia –– Jul 7, 2002
• Vinson Massif (Antarctica) –– 4,897m –– Antarctica –– Nov 11, 2002
• Carstenz Pyramid (Oceania) –– 4,884m –– Indonesia –– May 11, 2002

The Three Poles:

• Everest - Elevation: 8,848m
• The South Pole - Distance:1,100km
• The North Pole - Distance: 775km