Ultimate High: My Everest Odyssey

Kropp is highly sensible as to what makes good copy and is willing to go the last mile and then some to reap publicity rewards. It wasn't enough for him to ascend Mt. Everest. He had to bicycle 7,000 miles from Sweden to Nepal and haul all his own equipment (sans oxygen) to the top. The man must have the stamina of a bull elephant to even attempt such a feat. He also has an insanely brave (foolhardy?) sense of justice no matter how dire his circumstances. His bike trip was truly dangerous at times going through virulent anti-western areas such as Iran. If kids threw rocks at him, he threw rocks back. He chased one unfortunate teenager right through his own living room to give him a good pounding. It's a wonder he wasn't killed. To be kind, I would say his appearance is only average; yet Goran seems to attract gorgeous women who are willing to slave for him so he can attain his goals. Many a handsome man might study him carefully for tips on his success.

It was regrettable that Goran's trek to Everest coincided with the fateful May 1996 tragedy when so many people died on the mountain. The book rehashes the oft-told story plus some basecamp scuttlebutt that I doubt reflects Goran's interest. This man is so self-involved, I doubt if he would notice a tryst between Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts if it took place before his very eyes. But the writer (who should pay Jon Krakhauer royalties for all the quotes from "Into Thin Air") undoubtedly thought these tidbits would sell some more books.

Kropp missed the deadly storm. His first try was right before the storm and he came within 350 vertical feet of the summit before being turned back by the lateness of the day. He was agonizingly weary and oxygen-starved, but incredibly made a second successful attempt a couple weeks later. If the book had devoted more space to these two ascents, it would have been far more compelling. By this time, I was shaking my head thinking he still had to bicycle BACK 7,000 miles to Sweden. This is barely touched upon, but he did it.

His next grand plan is to sail alone (at this point, he does not know how to sail) from Sweden to Antarctica and ski to the South Pole in 2004. Somehow, I think he will get the job done.

I found myself oddly charmed by this driven man; there is a certain sweetness about his eagerness to make friends and chat when it is clear most people find him an arrogant oddball. There's always an attraction to a guy who puts his money where his mouth is. I wish him well and hope next time he does his own writing.


Gripping adventures of a madman   July 4, 2002
 1 out of 2 found this review helpful

no disrespect, but somebody who rides his bike all the way there and back, plus climbs everest with no supplemental oxygen, has to be somewhat of a nutter. And his adventures make for fascinating reading.
The first 80 pages or so are about the trip there. the return bikeride is barely mentioned, but it seems he could have written about many more things that happened on the way. Not surprisingly, the book's focus is on that ill-fated may 1996 on the mountain. If you are new to the story of that particular spring, you might be better served with krakauer's book, but this one here certainly gives lucid supplemental stories. i especially liked the candidness, and he seems to be calling them as he saw them. highly recommended for the armchair adventurer.