Rock climber from Sweden dies in fall in Washington state
Tue Oct 1, 9:46 PM ET
By LINDA ASHTON, Associated Press Writer
 
YAKIMA, Washington - A Swedish adventurer slipped and fell to his death as he was rock climbing in central Washington, authorities said.
 

 
Lars Olof Goran Kropp, 35, was about 5 feet ( 1.5 meters) from the top of the Sunshine Wall in Grant County when he fell about 60 feet (18 meters), struck a rock ledge and fell to the ground, Sheriff Mike Shay said Tuesday.
 
Kropp, once called "the most entertaining adventurer on Earth" by National Geographic ( news - web sites) Adventure magazine, was pronounced dead at the scene.
 
Erden Eruc, 41, of Seattle, who was holding Kropp's rope, was treated and released Monday.
 
"It was the most helpless situation," Eruc said. "It was a sad day for humanity. We lost an exemplary human being who had impacted the lives of many of us."
 
Kropp moved to Washington state about six months ago. He gained fame in 1996 when he rode a bicycle from his home in Jonkoping, Sweden, to Katmandu in Nepal, where he climbed Mount Everest ( news - web sites).
 
Kropp made the climb unaided by oxygen tanks, then rode his bike back to Sweden.
 
In 1999, he climbed Everest again, this time with his girlfriend and business partner, Renata Chlumska, taking time to remove abandoned oxygen bottles and other climber discards on the way.
 
Last year, he tried to ski to the North Pole but had to abandon the trip halfway, suffering from frost bite after a polar bear attack.
 
Outside magazine, in its current issue, said he was "a role model for the next 25 years" of adventure.