The story of the "mad Swede" Yeran Kropp, who went to Mount Everest by bicycle

If you consider yourself unpredictable and very adventurous, then we will have to disappoint you. If you compare your adventures with the adventures of the Swede Yeran Kropp, then they will seem like a kindergarten. This guy once decided to ride a bike from Sweden to the Himalayas to see Everest. And then, in order not to go twice, I took and climbed the highest mountain on the planet.

Yeran Kropp was born on September 11, 1966 in the small town of Jönköping, in southern Sweden. His father was professionally engaged in mountaineering and instilled a love of mountains in his son. Yeran made his first "adult" ascent at just 6 years old. It was the Gallheppigen Mountain — the highest peak in Norway.

When Kropp was a teenager, his parents separated. Staying with his mother, Yeran lost the life he had already managed to get used to. This greatly influenced the guy — he dropped out of school, and in high school, became a punk and even started drinking. But it wasn't the life he dreamed of. Therefore, at the age of 18, Kropp pulled himself together and joined the army.

During his service in the detachment of Swedish parachutists, Yeran showed himself on the good side. He was disciplined and proactive, but he was still considered a strange guy. In his spare time, Kropp could get up at 3 a.m. and go on a 60-kilometer march with a 30-kilogram backpack. He also preferred to spend weekends not in the barracks watching TV, but in the mountains.

After demobilizing, Yeran went to South America, where he conquered the five highest peaks. Then the restless Swede began to travel around Europe, Africa and Asia, climbing the well-known mountains. He visited Kilimanjaro, Victory Peak, the second highest peak in the world K2. In 1993, he founded the company Kropp & Adventure, which was engaged in organizing ascents around the world.

But Yeran had a dream that he did not realize. He was not satisfied with the title of the first Swede to conquer the second mountain of the planet. He certainly wanted to visit Everest, but something was constantly in the way. There was only one way out — just close your eyes to all the circumstances and act. So Kropp did.

One day in October 1995, Yeran Kropp tied 130 kg of luggage to his bicycle, added 110 kg of his weight to them and went for a long walk. He decided to look at Mount Everest and hang out a little with its conquerors. It did not bother him that for this purpose it was necessary to overcome about 11 thousand km and cross the whole continent.

Kropp reached the foot of Mount Everest by May 1996. He set up his tent at the base camp and began to enjoy the fantastic mountain views and the company of the harsh conquerors of the eight-thousandth. Yeran was also in the camp on that tragic day on May 10, when Everest gathered the most abundant harvest of human lives. Then 8 climbers were killed and 2 more were badly injured.

Before that, the Swede made an unsuccessful attempt to climb the mountain. On May 3, 1996, he did not reach the top of only 100 meters. Due to the fact that it was getting dark and the weather had deteriorated, Yeran judiciously decided to go down to the camp.  The tragedy struck Kropp so much that he decided... to immediately make a second ascent to the "roof of the world".

On May 23, 1996, Yeran Kropp climbs to the top of Mount Everest on the second attempt. At the same time, he made the ascent in proud solitude, without using the services of guides and Sherpa porters. The two-meter-tall Swede, carrying a huge backpack with equipment, caused everyone superstitious horror. Moreover, there was not a single oxygen cylinder in the luggage of the climber!

Few people believed that an unprepared person was capable of such a thing. Some even mentally said goodbye to Kropp. But Yeran climbed to the top without incident, took plenty of photos there and calmly went down. Having fulfilled his maximum plan, the hero rested for a couple of days, and then went back to Sweden on his trusty bike.

Kropp liked the adventure so much that in 1999 he returned to the foot of Mount Everest again. This time Yeran had his girlfriend Renata Klumska with him. She did not take part in the first journey of her beloved, as she did not really believe in his success. Now she also wanted to test her strength. The couple made an ascent to Everest, traditionally without oxygen, and defeated the mountain.

If you think that Yeran was only interested in mountains, then you are mistaken. After the epic with the bike and Everest, he performed many epic feats. One day, the Swede and his partner decided to reach the North Pole on foot. There he frostbitten his feet, and then almost became a dinner for a polar bear. Kropp emerged victorious from the fight, shooting the predator at point-blank range with a rifle.

Perhaps for someone this story would be a reason to stop. Why not calm down, take up health and write memoirs? But Kropp was from a different cloth. He organizes a sailing trip from Sweden to Antarctica. There he got on skis and reached the South Pole. Then return to his yacht in McMurdo Bay and, as if nothing had happened, set off back to Sweden.

In 2002, Kropp and his wife moved to the United States. They settled in Seattle, Washington and continued to organize trips. But, obviously, Yeran has exhausted his limit of luck. He was destined to die very close to home. On September 30, 2002, he made the simplest training hike in the mountains. It was a well-known "Air Guitar" route among rock climbers.

During this banal ascent, Yeran Kropp fell from a height of 18 meters onto the rocks and suffered a traumatic brain injury. When help arrived, our hero was no longer breathing. The conqueror of mountain peaks and poles is barely 35 years old. In his short life, this Swede has managed a lot. National Geographic Adventure magazine called him "the most unusual traveler on Earth."

In one of the Himalayan villages, Yeran built a school, a hospital and a power plant for his own money. In his native Sweden, he organized a charitable foundation for the further implementation of such projects. In addition, Kropp was a fighter for clean mountains. He never returned from the peaks empty-handed. In 1999, together with his girlfriend, they lowered 25 empty oxygen cylinders found on the route from Everest.

The "Mad Swede", and it is under this nickname that Kropp is known among climbers and polar explorers, is among the top 50 most outstanding travelers of the planet. The most respected publications call him an example to follow, which everyone should strive for.