In doing so Parks became the first ever person to stand on the world’s seven highest summits and all three poles (The North Pole, The South Pole and the summit of Everest) in the same calendar year.
Parks completed his record setting 737 Challenge in six months, 11 days, 7 hours and 53 minutes when he climbed to the summit of Mount Elbrus at 11.53am local time (8.53am UK time).
Europe’s highest mountain proved no match for the intrepid Parks who once again displayed an iron will to conquer Russia’s highest peak.
Speaking from the summit, the intrepid adventurer said the achievement had not yet sunk in.
Parks said: “My energy levels went from a quarter of a tank to pretty much bone dry and the last hour of this summit I had to dig pretty deep actually.
“I was pretty subdued, my legs were feeling tired and it was quite tough, it was pretty much just a snow clog. I found the summit reasonably tough actually. I don’t know, I feel sort of numb actually – it hasn’t sunk in yet, what we’ve achieved.
“I’m not as emotional [as when I reached the top of Everest], I can safely say – I didn’t shed a tear and I’m sure a lot of my mates will be disappointed with that.
“It’s really hard to put in to words, just numb is the best way to describe it really. I’m sure when I’m back home and I’ve got the team around me we can reflect and I guess it will sink in then.
“I had every confidence that I would be able to do it from day one. However some of the hurdles and the dramas that we’ve had over the past seven months I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t had my doubts.
