A Guy Rode His Bicycle From Sweden To Nepal | Even Climbed Mount Everest With No Oxygen!
Imagine biking from Sweden to Nepal and then climbing the world’s highest mountain without oxygen or any outside help. A Swedish mountaineer Goran Kropp also known as “The Crazy Swede” did the unimaginable in 1995. His incredible adventure included cycling around 13,000 kilometers (over 8000 miles) and attempting a solo climb of Mount Everest. Surprisingly, with no bottled oxygen or Sherpa support.
Kropp’s feat shows his incredible physical strength and determination. However, little did he know, his fate had another plan. In 2002, the mountaineer’s journey came to an end while climbing the Air Guitar route near Frenchman Coulee in the Washington state. Let’s take a look into Goran Kropp’s life and his milestones.
Riding from Sweden to Nepal
In October 1995, Goran Kropp set out on a journey from Sweden to Nepal with his bike. He wasn’t taking the easy route. He packed 170 pounds of gear on his self-modified bicycle and began pedaling. The bike had slick tires, a luggage rack for his heavy bags, and an upgraded gearbox.
Kropp’s mission was clear: ride across Europe and Asia to Everest Base Camp. This journey would take him four months and six days, covering 7,693 miles (about 12,000 kilometers) across various countries, including Turkey, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, and India.
But it wasn’t easy. Kropp encountered everything from bad weather to hostile locals. He fixed 132 flat tires, was almost run over, and even got beaten with a baseball bat. At one point, even dogs chased him. But none of this stopped him.
Kropp did not pack food as he wanted to make stops to take his food. However, as a vegetarian, finding food along the way was challenging too. He did the best he could, sometimes eating whatever he found. “I ate everything,” he once said in an interview. Despite his efforts, he still lost 22 pounds by the time he reached Everest Base Camp.
Climbing Mount Everest Without Oxygen
When Goran Kropp arrived at Everest Base Camp in April 1996, he didn’t just relax. He was preparing for the next part of his journey: to summit Everest without bottled oxygen or Sherpa support. On May 3, Kropp made his first attempt. He got within a few hundred meters of the summit but had to turn back because the snow was too deep and dangerous. He made the tough decision to retreat, knowing that descending in the dark wasn’t a risk he was willing to take.
Then, disaster struck. A deadly blizzard swept through Everest, killing eight climbers in what became known as the 1996 Everest Disaster. Kropp, still at base camp, helped with the recovery efforts.
Despite witnessing the dangers of Everest up close, his determination didn’t waver. Just a few weeks later, on May 26, 1996, Goran Kropp successfully reached the summit of Mount Everest—without oxygen or Sherpa assistance.
This was a huge achievement in the mountaineering world. But he wasn’t done. Instead of flying home, he hopped back on his bicycle and cycled the entire 7,693 miles back to Sweden.
From Everest to the North Pole
After Everest, Goran Kropp didn’t slow down. In 1999, he returned to Everest with his girlfriend, Renata Chlumska, another adventurer. Together, they summited the mountain, once again without outside help. In 2000, Kropp set out on another challenging expedition, this time attempting to ski to the North Pole. Unfortunately, he had to abandon the mission due to frostbite on his thumb.
Mountaineering in the Past
Kropp’s mountaineering career was filled with other notable expeditions before Everest. He climbed Lenin Peak in 1988, made a dangerous rescue on K2 in 1993, and conquered several other high peaks. His resilience and ability to face danger head-on were legendary.
A Tragic End
Sadly, Goran Kropp’s life was cut short in 2002 during a climb in Washington state. While climbing the Air Guitar route near Frenchman Coulee, a piece of his protection gear came loose, causing him to fall 60 feet. He suffered severe head injuries and died on September 30, 2002.
His death was a shock to the mountaineering community. Goran Kropp’s fearless approach to adventures inspired countless others to push the limits of what they thought possible.
Conclusion
Goran Kropp lived a life that many can only dream of. He took on challenges that most would never dare to face and did it all on his terms—without relying on anyone else. His journey from Sweden to Nepal on a bike and his climb of Everest without oxygen will be remembered as a testament to the power of perseverance, self-reliance, and determination. Kropp’s life teaches us to embrace challenges and take calculated risks, pushing the boundaries of what we think is possible.
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