Here’s one helluva story.
It concerns a swede named Goran Kropp and his 7000 mile bike ride from Sweden to the base camp of Everest, and ends in a solo climb without oxygen to the summit of Everest. Could it get any crazier? It could. Kropp then got on his bike and rode the 7000 miles back home.
“To top Kropp you’d have to climb Everest backwards.”
Along the way Kropp is offered sex, stoned and shot at. It’s all documented in his book, “Ultimate High: My Everest Odyssey”. By all accounts the book is filled with adventure and humor, but mixed with a sizable section on the Everest tragedy of May 1996, where 8 climbers lost their lives.
A number of accounts of the disaster have been published, but undoubtedly poor planning and bad decisions on the mountain played a big role. The cut off time for summiting is 14:00 PM, that’s when you turn back no matter where you are. You turn around and descend… or you will likely die a dark, cold death.
On May 10, 1996, many climbers ignored that rule and continued onwards and paid the ultimate price. Kropp himself, climbing solo, kept his head and turned back about 300 feet from the summit. He was in base camp recovering while the other expeditions descended into chaos and tragedy.
Following the tragedy, after almost everyone had left base camp, Kropp launched another attempt on the summit, still solo and without oxygen, and he succeeded.
The New York Times reviewed Ultimate High in 1999:
“The bike trip, which takes up about a third of the book, is worth the cover price in itself. Kropp escapes a storm by ducking into a rustic brothel, where he pulls out a map and shares his plan with the hookers. The madam is impressed and offers Kropp a free night with her daughter. Kropp refuses — he’s refusing all support services. He rides on.”
Source: Climbing Everest Was the Easy Part (NY Times review, Oct 10, 1999)
The book is not directly available through Amazon but you can find copies from third party sellers, I just snagged a copy:
Ultimate High: My Everest Odyssey
BTW, the book is banned in the UK. Kropp exposes what really went on in May 1996, and outs a few climbers as cheaters. (And you thought it was just cycling that had that problem.)
Kropp also mixed up a couple of names and got sued in the UK. Michael Trueman successfully sued Kropp for libel. It seems Kropp confused Michael Trueman and another expedition leader Mike Burns.
Currently the book is only available from third party sellers, so if the link above doesn’t work try this link: Ultimate High, or click here: Goran Kropp to do an author search.
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