Ryan Waters

Ryan is one of the world’s foremost mountain climbing and polar ski guides, with an extraordinary career spanning over 50 successful ascents of the Seven Summits.

With 26 Himalayan expeditions, Ryan’s resume includes ten Everest expeditions, achieving eight personal summits via both the Tibet and Nepal routes. His extensive high-altitude experience also includes multiple expeditions to Cho Oyu, Lhotse, Manaslu, Dhaulagiri, Ama Dablam, and Pumo Ri in Nepal, as well as K2, Broad Peak, and Gasherbrum II in Pakistan’s Karakoram Range.

Beyond the mountains, Ryan is an accomplished polar explorer, completing some of the most challenging ski expeditions in history. He and Cecilie Skog made the first unsupported and unassisted full ski traverse of Antarctica (1,117 miles/1,800 km) from the Ronne-Filchner Ice Shelf to the South Pole, continuing to the Ross Sea. In 2014, he and Eric Larsen skied unsupported to the North Pole, completing the journey in 53 days. This achievement made Ryan the first American to complete the True Adventurers Grand Slam, successfully skiing unsupported and unassisted to both poles.

Ryan has also guided two full-length unsupported South Pole expeditions, via both the Messner/Fuchs route (44 days) and the Hercules Inlet route (53 days)—making him the only person in the world to complete unsupported expeditions via all three major routes to the South Pole. Additionally, he has led numerous Last Degree Ski trips to both the North and South Poles.

Ryan is the author of An American’s Grand Slam: A True Adventurer’s Unlikely Journey and holds a Polar Guide certification with the International Polar Guides Association (IPGA). His qualifications also include Wilderness First Responder certification, AIARE Level II Avalanche Training, and a B.S. in Geology.

With an unparalleled record of success in extreme environments, Ryan brings expert leadership, safety, and logistical precision to every expedition.