Ryan Waters is considered to be one of the premier guides in the world who is equally versed in leading High Altitudemountain climbing and Polar Ski expeditions. To date he has guided clients more than 50 times to the summit of the various 7 summit peaks. He is an American mountaineer, guide, polar adventurer and runs the guide service Mountain Professionals based in Colorado, USA. In 2014, he became the first American to complete the Adventures Grand Slam, by climbing the Seven Summits and skiing full, unsupported / unassisted trips to the North and South Poles. He has guided all of the Seven Summits and has either guided or personally climbed 5 different 8000 meter mountains including Everest, Manaslu, Lhotse, Cho Oyu, 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 to the Ross Ice Shelf 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. This expedition was made into a 2-hour documentary titled Melting: Last Race to the Pole, for Animal Planettelevision network. In September 2015 he and Larsen also made the first ascent of 6,166m Jabou Ri in the Rolwaling area of Nepal. In 2016, Ryan guided 3 clients on an unsupported full length ski trip to the South Pole via the Messner/Fuches route over a 44 day expedition. This is thought to be only the second time that a full length unsupported expedition has been guided taking clients to the South Pole. And again in 2019, he guided two clients on a full length unsupported South Pole ski trip from the Hercules Inlet start on Antarctica.
