The man who cycled from Sweden to climb Mt. Everest

ESL Lessons: True Stories

A printable worksheet for story-based English conversation classes.

Difficulty: Intermediate B1

PDF: The man who cycled from Sweden to climb Mt. Everest

Warm-up

How far is it from your city to Mt. Everest?

Vocabulary Match

fatal •• big
assaulted •• tires
achievements •• attacked
tragic •• successes
tyres •• lethal
extreme •• heartbreaking

Vocabulary Answers

fatallethal
assaultedattacked
achievementssuccesses
tragicheartbreaking
tyrestires
extremebig

True Story

Listen and fill in the blanks with words from above.

Göran Kropp was a Swedish adventurer known for his ________ challenges. In 1996, he cycled 7,693 miles (12,385 km) from Sweden to Nepal, climbed Mount Everest alone without oxygen, then cycled home. His journey took months, with many dangers like bad weather, 132 flat ________, and even attacks - he was nearly run over, chased by dogs, hit with stones, and ________ with a baseball bat.

He later returned to Everest with his girlfriend and attempted other adventures, including skiing to the North Pole. In 2002, while rock climbing in the U.S., a safety failure caused a ________ fall. Despite his ________ death at 35, Kropp\'s incredible ________ continue to inspire adventurers worldwide.

Göran Kropp was a Swedish adventurer known for his extreme challenges. In 1996, he cycled 7,693 miles (12,385 km) from Sweden to Nepal, climbed Mount Everest alone without oxygen, then cycled home. His journey took months, with many dangers like bad weather, 132 flat tyres, and even attacks - he was nearly run over, chased by dogs, hit with stones, and assaulted with a baseball bat.

He later returned to Everest with his girlfriend and attempted other adventures, including skiing to the North Pole. In 2002, while rock climbing in the U.S., a safety failure caused a fatal fall. Despite his tragic death at 35, Kropp's incredible achievements continue to inspire adventurers worldwide.

Quiz

  1. How far did Göran Kropp cycle from Sweden to Nepal?
  2. What mountain did Kropp climb without oxygen?
  3. What kind of dangers did Kropp face on his journey?
  4. What happened to Kropp in 2002?

Quiz Answers (examples)

  1. 7,693 miles (12,385 km)
  2. Mount Everest
  3. Bad weather, 132 flat tyres, nearly run over, chased by dogs, hit with stones, assaulted with a baseball bat
  4. He died in a rock climbing accident

True or False

  1. Göran Kropp was assaulted with a baseball. T F
  2. Kropp cycled back to Sweden after climbing Everest. T F
  3. Kropp attempted to ski to the North Pole. T F

True or False Answers

  1. False
  2. True
  3. True

Conversation

A:Göran, why do people call you The Crazy Swede?
B:Oh, because I cycled to Everest, climbed it and cycled back!
A:That's incredible! And is it true you shot a polar bear?
B:Yeah, while skiing to the North Pole.
A:Wow! Did you make it all the way to the pole?
B:No, I got frostbite in my thumb and had to turn back.

Discussion

  1. Would you like to travel a long distance by bicycle? Why or why not?
  2. Have you ever tried a difficult outdoor activity like hiking or climbing? What was it like?
  3. Do you think it is better to travel alone or with friends? Why?
  4. If you could go on an adventure anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

Further Reading

https://fiercehazel.com/blogs/online-journal/the-legendary-story-of-goran-kropp

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