0:00:44 > 0:00:49What does it take for a man to push his physical and mental powers to the limit?
0:00:49 > 0:00:53Crossing icy chasms and scaling cliff-tops is only part of it.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59Is getting frostbite on Everest
0:00:59 > 0:01:02and the threat of losing limbs enough of a test?
0:01:02 > 0:01:05Being told that I might actually lose my toe is... I just don't know.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08I just don't know what to say.
0:01:09 > 0:01:14Or does falling into a bottomless crevasse cross the boundary?
0:01:14 > 0:01:16This could've been catastrophic.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25This is the story of Richard Parks and his 737 Challenge
0:01:25 > 0:01:29to conquer the peaks and poles of the world
0:01:29 > 0:01:31faster than any other human being.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38The challenge ahead was to stand on the highest mountain
0:01:38 > 0:01:41on all seven continents and the three poles, the Geographic North,
0:01:41 > 0:01:46the South Pole and Everest, the highest pole on Earth.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48And all of this within a seven-month period.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52No-one had ever accomplished this extraordinary feat.
0:01:53 > 0:01:59I've spent almost 18 months training for this.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01Er...
0:02:02 > 0:02:04I've spent, of those 18 months,
0:02:04 > 0:02:07almost eight months in a tent on expedition.
0:02:07 > 0:02:08You know, I'm...
0:02:09 > 0:02:13I... The success of this is important to me,
0:02:13 > 0:02:17and we want to raise funds for Marie Curie Cancer Care
0:02:17 > 0:02:21and that, realistically, that only happens if I succeed.
0:02:23 > 0:02:30Richard was born in Pontypridd to his Jamaican mother Lee and his Welsh dad, Derek.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33He was educated in Monmouth and South Africa,
0:02:33 > 0:02:37and began a dentistry course in Cardiff.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40But his athleticism was always a dominant factor.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44And rugby became the focus of his ambitions.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49He played for a number of clubs, including Pontypridd
0:02:49 > 0:02:54and Newport Gwent Dragons, and was capped four times for Wales.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58But a serious injury to his shoulder brought his playing career to a premature end.
0:02:58 > 0:03:03From the disappointment and despair at being unable to pursue his passion for the game,
0:03:03 > 0:03:07he turned to a different outlook for his energies.
0:03:07 > 0:03:08'I think he was trying'
0:03:08 > 0:03:10to evaluate his whole future,
0:03:10 > 0:03:13where he was going to go from, where he was at that moment in time.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15And he then allowed
0:03:15 > 0:03:18the 737 Challenge to take over his life.
0:03:21 > 0:03:22Oi, heel. Heel.
0:03:22 > 0:03:28First time he mentioned it was that he wanted to have a chat with Lee and myself.
0:03:28 > 0:03:34So he basically at that time ran through the challenge with us,
0:03:34 > 0:03:37told us all his perceptions of the danger,
0:03:37 > 0:03:40and the risks that he was going to undertake,
0:03:40 > 0:03:46and he then allowed us to question him in-depth about the extent of the dangers
0:03:46 > 0:03:49and the possibility of him not coming back,
0:03:49 > 0:03:53and he was very clear about that, there is a possibility that he wouldn't come back.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55I think I was shocked
0:03:55 > 0:04:01and I realised the enormity of it and I just thought, well,
0:04:01 > 0:04:03if he sets his mind to it, he will do it.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07Is it achievable considering he's never climbed a mountain before, to my knowledge!
0:04:07 > 0:04:09He's been on schoolboy trips,
0:04:09 > 0:04:12but I don't think he's attempted any mountains,
0:04:12 > 0:04:14so, yeah, if anyone can, he will.
0:04:14 > 0:04:19I mean, God willing, it won't be for the lack of the ability to do it, the wanting to do it.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21I think he will do it.
0:04:21 > 0:04:22Ben. Ben.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28SOMEONE SHOUTS INSTRUCTIONS
0:04:28 > 0:04:32It will take 18 months of physical and mental preparation before the challenge can begin.
0:04:34 > 0:04:3820 years of rugby training was a base for what lay ahead.
0:04:38 > 0:04:44Crossing pain barriers of this nature in late 2009 was a whole new experience.
0:04:44 > 0:04:45That was a good test.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49Trekking up and down the Brecon Beacons on a 24-hour endurance test
0:04:49 > 0:04:54helped build an ability to deal with sleep deprivation.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56Three, two, one.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05Being immersed in near-freezing water in June 2010
0:05:05 > 0:05:11tested his body's capability to function should he slip into the icy waters of the Arctic.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13INAUDIBLE
0:05:18 > 0:05:22Trial climbs in Scotland, the Alps, Peru, Tibet and Alaska
0:05:22 > 0:05:26throughout the year were all necessary and useful tests of his resolve.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30His team of mountaineering experts, Jagged Globe,
0:05:30 > 0:05:32were involved in all of the logistics.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36But whilst climbing in Tibet, a series of avalanches
0:05:36 > 0:05:40almost brought the challenge to an end before it had begun.
0:05:40 > 0:05:45Every day, Derek would go to the computer and log on,
0:05:45 > 0:05:50and this day, he was in the study and I was halfway up and he saw...
0:05:50 > 0:05:53I won't repeat what he said, and I thought, oh, my god, what's happened?
0:05:53 > 0:05:55So I rushed up and he said,
0:05:55 > 0:06:00there's been an avalanche, and, well, my heart just...sunk.
0:06:00 > 0:06:04And he read on a little bit further, and he said, it's all right, Richard's OK, Richard's all right.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07But that was the worst experience. That was awful.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10I couldn't stop crying. It was really very difficult, and I'm...
0:06:10 > 0:06:12Oh, God.
0:06:13 > 0:06:19Raising £1 million for cancer care was Richard's driving force behind the challenge.
0:06:21 > 0:06:26Derek's brother was lost to cancer, and Derek's had cancer,
0:06:26 > 0:06:31and we are very, very fortunate because Derek has still not had any treatment
0:06:31 > 0:06:33because it was discovered very early.
0:06:33 > 0:06:38He had the surgery and we haven't looked back.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41It's nice to be able to... I don't think nice...
0:06:41 > 0:06:44It's a duty to be able to help those less fortunate,
0:06:44 > 0:06:47and I think this is Richard's attitude.
0:06:47 > 0:06:52His visits to the hospice in Penarth strengthened his will to succeed.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56'Cancer affected my family deeply and coming here'
0:06:56 > 0:07:02and visiting some of the staff and the amazing nurses and hopefully, if appropriate today,
0:07:02 > 0:07:04maybe having a chat with a few of the patients,
0:07:04 > 0:07:08really puts it in perspective for me and, you know,
0:07:08 > 0:07:13I'm sure when it gets tough out there I'll be able to draw on some inspiration.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17The ceremonial launch of the challenge was held
0:07:17 > 0:07:21at the Senedd in Cardiff, and as the preparations gained momentum,
0:07:21 > 0:07:24individuals, companies and organisations pledged their support.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27But even the organising partners,
0:07:27 > 0:07:30those in charge of his whole plan, were in awe of its magnitude.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32A lot of people come to me and say,
0:07:32 > 0:07:35I want to do the seven summits, I want to do Everest.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38And I tell them what I think about how their chances are,
0:07:38 > 0:07:42and to be honest, we don't hear from a lot of them ever again.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44When he first came to see me, I probably thought,
0:07:44 > 0:07:48he's a chancer like some of the others I spoke to who...
0:07:48 > 0:07:52great ideas, but really can't carry it through.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56Richard has proven himself to be, I would say, almost unique.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00He's got that supreme athletic ability,
0:08:00 > 0:08:05and he seems to have an ability to acclimatise and be tough when it counts.
0:08:05 > 0:08:10By early December 2010, the preparations had come to an end.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13Antarctica would be the first destination.
0:08:13 > 0:08:17The departure point, an historical spot at Cardiff Bay,
0:08:17 > 0:08:21from where Captain Scott had set sail on his ill-fated expedition.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24It just so happens that my challenge falls 100 years after
0:08:24 > 0:08:27Scott's Terra Nova Expedition left Cardiff,
0:08:27 > 0:08:32and the SS Terra Nova set sail from Cardiff Bay here,
0:08:32 > 0:08:34and it's a very special place within Cardiff,
0:08:34 > 0:08:39and it's special to have my friends and family, and to leave from here.
0:08:39 > 0:08:44It's game-time now, isn't it, and time to stand up and deliver.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47I am pretty nervous, though.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49How you doing?
0:08:51 > 0:08:52APPLAUSE
0:08:52 > 0:08:55Derek and Lee would accompany him to the airport,
0:08:55 > 0:08:59and his long journey would finally take off.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20The actual journey to the South Pole would take two weeks.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23Flights from the UK to Punta Arenas in Chile,
0:09:23 > 0:09:27and on to Union Glacier Base Camp on Antarctica.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33Air temperatures around Base Camp vary between minus five
0:09:33 > 0:09:39and minus 15 Celsius, dropping to minus 26 around the Pole.
0:09:39 > 0:09:46An early casualty in Richard's group of five meant one explorer suffered frostbite and left immediately.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50We were dropped off in a twin otter plane,
0:09:50 > 0:09:53which is a sort of five-seater plane,
0:09:53 > 0:09:55and we had to refuel on the way there
0:09:55 > 0:10:00because it doesn't carry enough fuel to even make the journey from Union Glacier Base Camp
0:10:00 > 0:10:04to 89 degrees, which is 111 kilometres from the Pole.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11It was around minus 30 degrees we got dropped off in,
0:10:11 > 0:10:15and that was another real shock to the system.
0:10:15 > 0:10:20'We really are on our own now. Just watched the twin otter leave.'
0:10:20 > 0:10:23She's our last connection with civilisation, I guess,
0:10:23 > 0:10:27for the next week or so, weather-dependent.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30It really is awesome.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34We really are in the middle of absolute nowhere.
0:10:42 > 0:10:48Crossing the last degree to the Pole itself entails skiing for 111 kilometres,
0:10:48 > 0:10:52and that means pulling heavy loads against a head wind
0:10:52 > 0:10:55and a wind chill of minus 40 degrees.
0:11:00 > 0:11:07The group would basically be expending the equivalent in energy of a marathon, each and every day.
0:11:12 > 0:11:17Nothing can prepare you for that. I climbed Pen y Fan for 24 hours
0:11:17 > 0:11:21and that was a walk in the park compared to that.
0:11:21 > 0:11:27That's just brutal with, you know, nothing to judge your progress or, you know, no stimuli visual.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29That's brutal!
0:11:29 > 0:11:32I can't wait to get in the tent and have the fire on.
0:11:33 > 0:11:38Despite the occasional white-out, the weather proved to be relatively kind,
0:11:38 > 0:11:41and Christmas Day was spent within 15 miles of the Pole.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52By Boxing Day, only five miles to go,
0:11:52 > 0:11:55but members of the group were exhausted.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57Another night in their tents.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04After...skiing for...
0:12:04 > 0:12:08I don't even know if it's six or seven days.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11Been a really tough day today. It's been a long push.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13I think we're on the 16th hour, maybe.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15But...
0:12:15 > 0:12:18the other guys were shattered,
0:12:18 > 0:12:22and decided to head straight for camp and set tent up...
0:12:22 > 0:12:25Set the tents up, sorry.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27I think that's bullshit.
0:12:27 > 0:12:33The journey finishes at the South Pole, with my gear...
0:12:50 > 0:12:53December 27th, and Richard reached the South Pole.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55The first leg, completed.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02Well, I'm lost for words, really.
0:13:02 > 0:13:07It's been a tough seven days, but incredibly rewarding.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09But I'm also feeling...
0:13:09 > 0:13:12You can't help but be sucked into the history
0:13:12 > 0:13:15and the mystique of the South Pole and Antarctica.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18The Amundsen-Scott building behind you.
0:13:18 > 0:13:23He could now rest until the last day of 2010.
0:13:23 > 0:13:27On January 1st, the race against time would begin.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31The actual Pole itself is a scientific zone,
0:13:31 > 0:13:34with the Amundsen-Scott Station at its centre.
0:13:34 > 0:13:39The nature of the work, highly sensitive and secretive.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42It's unexpectedly busy, with all kinds of experiments
0:13:42 > 0:13:47being conducted by international scientists from across the globe.
0:13:47 > 0:13:52And as the polar ice sheets shifts about 10 metres every year,
0:13:52 > 0:13:58the marker signifying the Pole has to be ceremonially repositioned at the beginning of each year.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07I really feel like I'm a little part of history.
0:14:12 > 0:14:171st January, 2011, and I'm stood at the geographical South Pole.
0:14:17 > 0:14:23The race would now begin to stand on the highest peak on each of the seven continents
0:14:23 > 0:14:26and the three Poles in the next seven months.
0:14:26 > 0:14:32Next step, Mount Vinson, the highest peak on Antarctica about 600 miles away from the Pole.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38There had been a lot of waiting around and I was very conscious
0:14:38 > 0:14:43that once January 1st came, at that point, really it became a race.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49Vinson can be pretty hostile so again, I was apprehensive
0:14:49 > 0:14:54but confident and actually looking forward to getting on a mountain.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17The weather could have been a huge hurdle to the success of this leg.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20But the conditions for the next three days were good.
0:15:22 > 0:15:29Well, a mixture of luck and pretty good planning means
0:15:29 > 0:15:34we've missed the worst of the fog and the low vision.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38It's absolutely spectacular.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40Just approaching the summit ridge now.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43PANTING
0:15:43 > 0:15:47I'd be lying if I said I wasn't absolutely shattered.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52Climbing in 24 hour sunlight is not only disorientating,
0:15:52 > 0:15:56it's also exhausting as the concept of resting in darkness is lost
0:15:56 > 0:16:01and the body is teased into a false pattern.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04Richard's physical fitness, though, was already paying dividends.
0:16:04 > 0:16:09Normal summit attempts had taken up to nine hours to complete.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12Richard's push would be less than five.
0:16:12 > 0:16:18- Summit of Mount Vinson. - High-five.- 8th January 2011, what an awesome feeling.
0:16:18 > 0:16:23Only 700 people have ever summited Mount Vinson
0:16:23 > 0:16:25and Richard Parks on January 8th became one of them.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33The triumph, though, would soon turn to frustration.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36A fuel strike and blockades in Chile prevented any flights
0:16:36 > 0:16:39from Antarctica to Punta Arenas.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41Then the plane had technical problems,
0:16:41 > 0:16:43then the weather closed in.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49I'm sort of running out of things to do to keep me occupied.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52I've packed, repacked, unpacked.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56The weather on Aconcagua is pretty crap at the moment.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59Maybe it's good I'm here and not up there anyway.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03I mean, there's always a positive. I try to find one anyway.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16When the plane did arrive, there had been 12 days of delays
0:17:16 > 0:17:19and the all-important clock had been ticking.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21Less than two weeks into the challenge,
0:17:21 > 0:17:24and he was behind schedule.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31January 22nd and the journey from Chile
0:17:31 > 0:17:34to the Andes of Argentina and Aconcagua.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39It's the highest mountain outside the Himalayas,
0:17:39 > 0:17:41the second highest mountain of the Seven Summits.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44It's got a really poor summit success rate.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53I was a little bit nervous again, but, you know, confident
0:17:53 > 0:17:56but apprehensive, yeah.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58SINGING IN SPANISH
0:18:05 > 0:18:09The group he'd planned to climb with had already left
0:18:09 > 0:18:12and so he was forced to join up with other climbers.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15A collection of mountaineers with varying levels of abilities,
0:18:15 > 0:18:20their mules transporting materials and goods to and from the lower camps.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22Very few of them would summit.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27People are going to think that this is all my gear!
0:18:32 > 0:18:33Oh, shit.
0:18:36 > 0:18:41Confluencia, at just under 4,000 metres, is first camp.
0:18:41 > 0:18:46The aptly-named Plaza de Mulas, 300 metres higher, is base camp.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49SINGING
0:18:54 > 0:18:58The summit strategies would need careful consideration.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00Conditions higher up were bad
0:19:00 > 0:19:04and avalanches had come close to their camp overnight.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14Casa Parks here in Diego. Home, sweet home.
0:19:20 > 0:19:25The Condor's Nest, Nido de Condores, is at 5,500 metres
0:19:25 > 0:19:29and the altitude is now a serious issue to contend with.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32The prognosis was for high winds
0:19:32 > 0:19:34and the likelihood of storms was increasing.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38The decision now was whether to push for the summit and bypass Camp Three
0:19:38 > 0:19:40or stick to the original plan.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42WIND BLOWS
0:19:44 > 0:19:47The downside of pushing on meant less acclimatisation
0:19:47 > 0:19:52to deal with the altitude, compounded by an exhausting 18-hour climbing day.
0:19:52 > 0:19:57The downside of delaying - possibly a week or more shielding from the storm.
0:19:57 > 0:20:02For Richard and cameraman Diego Sosa, the decision was straightforward.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04Push on and avoid the risk of further delays.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11If we'd have missed that window,
0:20:11 > 0:20:14I think we'd have seriously jeopardised the challenge.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17MUSIC: "Teardrop" by Massive Attack
0:20:28 > 0:20:31"Aconcagua" means "the sentinel of stone".
0:20:31 > 0:20:35Nearly 7,000 metres high,
0:20:35 > 0:20:3822,840 ft above sea level.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45On clear days, the summit ascent offers views
0:20:45 > 0:20:49of the Pacific Ocean nearly 100 miles away.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53But in 55 kilometre winds and sub-zero temperatures,
0:20:53 > 0:20:56the views were the least of their worries.
0:20:56 > 0:21:01A German climber a few days earlier had slipped off the gully leading to the summit ridge.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03And fell to his death.
0:21:06 > 0:21:12During the last 80 years, 126 people have died attempting the summit.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15The effects of high altitude the main cause of death.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55That was brutal.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57Cloud came down real quick.
0:22:01 > 0:22:06The last 500 metres to the summit was an almost vertical scramble across rocks,
0:22:06 > 0:22:10with Richard and Diego breaking away from the group to make sure
0:22:10 > 0:22:13they got there before the weather closed in.
0:22:13 > 0:22:19All right, just done 7,000 metres. The summit of Aconcagua.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22The highest mountain outside of the Himalayas.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26And...
0:22:26 > 0:22:31people talk of it as an untechnical mountain but, oh my God,
0:22:31 > 0:22:35the altitude and the long days.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39That's brutal. We've been climbing for just under 12 hours.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43In six minutes' time, it'll be 12 hours of climbing.
0:22:44 > 0:22:51We've got about five to seven hours descent. What an awesome feeling.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56What a privilege. I'm the third leg of my challenge down.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02How cool is that, that all the team have joined up?
0:23:06 > 0:23:11A successful summit and Richard's priority, as always,
0:23:11 > 0:23:13a phone call home to Mum and Dad.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16Hey, Mum, can you hear me? It's Richard.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22This is, officially, I think, our highest phone call.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25I'm on the summit of Aconcagua.
0:23:25 > 0:23:2936 days after standing on the South Pole,
0:23:29 > 0:23:32Richard had now achieved his third target
0:23:32 > 0:23:35and was now back on schedule to break the record.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42The South American leg safely accomplished
0:23:42 > 0:23:47and on to the African continent's highest mountain, Kilimanjaro.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49And a trek with friends.
0:23:49 > 0:23:53To get to Kili was a milestone in the challenge for me personally
0:23:53 > 0:23:55and if the conditions were good
0:23:55 > 0:24:00and if I stayed healthy it could be an opportunity for me to recharge mentally and physically.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07I'd been quite isolated until that point.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11It was fantastic to be with a group of people for the first time.
0:24:25 > 0:24:32Day two and all members intact and healthy.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36A few monkeys last night did try to jeopardise the trip again as well
0:24:36 > 0:24:39by fighting in the trees and kept a lot of the guys awake
0:24:39 > 0:24:42but luckily I'll sleep through anything.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45So, I'm fit and raring to go.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48This would be a relatively gentle leg for Richard
0:24:48 > 0:24:52and he would be climbing with friends and supporters.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05It's the third day of Kilimanjaro
0:25:05 > 0:25:10and already this trip has been
0:25:10 > 0:25:13completely different to the other three so far.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15It's been a real breath of fresh air. A real blessing.
0:25:15 > 0:25:20It's really helped recharge my batteries, so to speak.
0:25:20 > 0:25:21Emotionally more than anything.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24It's a mountain sometimes derided for the number of tourists
0:25:24 > 0:25:28and celebrities who have scaled its slopes.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31But nonetheless, a serious mountain at nearly 5,900 metres.
0:25:31 > 0:25:36Disrespecting the altitude has often had fatal consequences.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40An average of 10 people die on Kili each year.
0:25:40 > 0:25:4315,000 people attempt to climb annually.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45Forty percent of them, around 6,000,
0:25:45 > 0:25:48actually reach the highest point.
0:25:49 > 0:25:56It's 2.55 now and we haven't got long before we set off.
0:25:56 > 0:26:02We set off at midnight for an estimated 18 hour day which actually,
0:26:02 > 0:26:09Kilimanjaro being the least technical and possibly on paper
0:26:09 > 0:26:14the easiest of the seven summits, actually, that's probably the longest summit day.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17Longer than an Everest summit day.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19It's going to be a challenge tomorrow
0:26:19 > 0:26:23but I know it's going to be really rewarding when we all stand on the summit together.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26That's fun!
0:26:29 > 0:26:35Bloody cold, tired. A long way still to go. It's dark. But we're getting there.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49It's just absolutely beautiful.
0:27:06 > 0:27:1027th February, 2011 and the challenge more or less on track.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14But moving on to Asia and the technically tough
0:27:14 > 0:27:17Carstensz Pyramid was already in Richard's thoughts.
0:27:22 > 0:27:28It'll be pretty daunting knowing I've got the North Pole, Everest, Denali, to come.
0:27:28 > 0:27:32It would be pretty daunting if I was empty at this point.
0:27:32 > 0:27:38But, you know, I'll just take one step at a time really.
0:27:38 > 0:27:43One leg at a time and just try and eat as much as I can in between.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50In episode two, the physical toll of the climbs would start to tell.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54The doctors had warned Richard that his knees might pose a problem.
0:27:54 > 0:27:58Weeks of trekking in the Malaysian jungle proved them right.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02And the extremes of the North Pole and Everest,
0:28:02 > 0:28:07the toughest challenges with even more injuries to deal with, were yet to come.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:32 > 0:28:35E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk