News Release
Seattle - October 1, 2002
News story
Göran Kropp Photo: Magnus Roman | |
SEATTLE, Wash. (October 1, 2002) - Professional adventurer Goran Kroppdied from a fall yesterday while climbing a popular route called Air Guitarnear Frenchman Coulee in Vantage, Washington.
The Grant County Coroner'sOffice in Yakima listed head injuries as the cause of death. Kropp,who was belayed by Seattle climber Erden Eruc had reached the exit point ofthe climb when his gear ripped out from the crack and he fell 75 feet. Erucsaid that Kropp died on impact. Kropp and Eruc were airlifted by a M.A.S.T.helicopter to Valley Memorial Hospital in Yakima.
The Grant County Coroner'sOffice took jurisdiction of the body from the Yakima County Coroner's Officeand he was brought back to the Grant County Forensic Institute where anexternal examination was performed.
Kropp relocated earlier this year from Sweden to Seattle with hisfiancee, Renata Chlumska. Chlumska was guiding a group of clients to Mt.Everest base camp at the time and was contacted via satellite phone byfriend Kaj Bune in Seattle, a photographer and Helly Hansen sports marketingmanager who recently climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro with the couple. Chlumska is inroute to Seattle. Bune also was in contact with Kropp's father in Swedenthis morning.
Kropp is recognized around the world for his epic 1996 adventure whenhe rode his bike 7,000 miles from Sweden to Nepal, climbed Everest withoutporters or supplemental oxygen, and biked home with all of his gear. He wasa popular motivational speaker and was frequently covered by theinternational press. National Geographic Adventure magazine named him "TheMost Entertaining Adventurer on Earth" in a May 2002 feature story and inits current issue, Outside magazine called him "a role model for the next 25years." of adventure. Kropp co-authored a book about his adventures withwriter David Lagercrantz titled Ultimate High: My Everest Odyssey, and hisdocumentary film I Made It: Goran Kropp's Incredible Journey to the Top ofthe World won the distinguished Best of Banff Award at the Banff MountainFilm Festival, the grandfather of all outdoor film competitions, in 1998.
Kropp and Chlumska were planning a 10,000-mile kayaking and hikingcircumnavigation of the United States starting next July from their home inWashington. Within the next four years he was planning hisultimate adventure to sail solo from Seattle to Antarctica, ski unsupportedto the South Pole and back, and sail home.
Goran is survived by his father Gerard, Sweden; mother, Sigrun, Sweden; and, Chlumska, Issaquah, Washington.
Goran Kropp Bio
There are famous mountaineers. There are world-renowned polar explorers.There are legendary cyclists, skiers and sailors. And then there wasGoran Kropp, the Swedish adventurer who climbed the world's tallest peaks,biked across continents and traveled to and across the world's mostforbidding landscapes unassisted - without porters, supply drops,supplemental oxygen or any outside help whatsoever.
Goran is most recognized for his 1996 journey, when he cycled from hishome in Sweden across Europe, the Middle East and Asia, summited Mt. Everestwithout oxygen, then cycled home with all of his supplies. Last year,Outside magazine crowned the "Crazy Swede" as one of the world's top 50outdoor adventurers in recognition of his Everest expedition anddozens of equally challenging "purist" journeys. He tackled each expeditionin harmony with nature, which means by unsupported missions that left notrace of his passing. In 1999, he climbed Everest for a second time with Chlumska and contributed to a clean-up effort on the mountainby hauling out 25 spent oxygen canisters that littered the South Col.
In 2001 Goran attempted to ski unsupported to the North Pole but had toabandon the trip halfway through due to frostbite suffered after a polar bearattack. He intended to tackle that trip again in the near future. Goran'snext big mission, planned for 2004, was to sail single-handedly from Swedenthrough the treacherous waters of the Southern Hemisphere to Antarctica, ski2,400km solo to the South Pole - and make the return trip.
His daring exploits began as a young army officer in a Swedish infantryregiment, when he trained for alpine expeditions by sleeping in a gravelpit. His tough, self-imposed program included setting his alarm clock atrandom - if he woke at 3 a.m., he would walk 30km with full combat gear. Ifhe woke at 6 a.m., he'd walk 60 kilometers.
"I wanted to get used to livingwith the unexpected," he said.
While Goran's accomplishments were elite, he was an extremely approachableperson with a great sense of humor and down-to-earth attitude. Goran andRenata traveled the world lecturing on adventure, personal challenge andmental training. He spoke on a level that inspired all audiences to pursuea fun, exhilarating life whether the adventures were small or Everest-sized.His words are captured in his self-authored book Ultimate High: My EverestOdyssey published by Discovery Books.
Goran dedicated his free time to benefitting underprivileged regions visitedduring his travels. Over the past few years he built a school, a hospitaland a power plant for a small Nepalese village in the Himalayas andestablished a charitable organization in Sweden to collect funds andsupplies for these projects.