barkernews Posted November 5, 2004 Share Posted November 5, 2004 (edited) Anyone know this guy? COMMERCE CITY, CO (KUSA-TV) - When Erden Eruc dreams, he dreams big. Back in 1997 he decided to circumnavigate the globe on his bicycle. To get from continent to continent, he'd paddle in a specially-designed rowboat. But that wasn't all. On each continent, he would pedal to the highest peak and climb it. In the ultra-elite world of extreme endurance athletics, this feat might top it all. "It is a big commitment, and I think it's the ultimate challenge," said Erden Eruc, a former electrical engineer. Eruc, a native of Turkey who now lives in Seattle, first conceived of his plans after hearing of the adventures of Goran Kropp, a Swedish mountaineer. In 1996 Kropp left his home of Stockholm, Sweden on a bicycle, pedaled thousands of miles to Nepal's Mt. Everest, the world's highest peak. Kropp then climbed Everest without the supplemental oxygen before hopping back on his trusty two-wheeler and pedaling back to Stockholm. Kropp and Eruc would meet in Seattle in 2001 and become instant friends. Tragically, Kropp died in a rock climbing accident in Washington state in September 2002; Eruc saw it all happen. "That was the kick I needed," he said. On the long flight home from Kropp's funeral, Eruc had a rough map of the world on a cocktail napkin. He sketched out his route, telling his fiancée it was time to put his dreams into action. "My goal is to circumnavigate the globe, the mountains are an add-on to honor Goran," Eruc said. Eruc believes that in order to do the trip properly, he must do it alone (with the exception of the mountain climbs), and he must do it all on human power alone. He is concerned about the long stretches of open ocean, with no landmarks and no human company, but believes he has thought through all potential problems. "There will be times when I'm challenged out of my mind in the middle of the ocean, thinking, 'What am I doing?' I hope that I will find the strength deep down inside to continue on at that time," said Eruc. Eruc has already pedaled from Seattle through Canada to Alaska, where he climbed Denali (Mt. McKinley), the highest peak in North America. The current leg of his journey takes him from Seattle to Miami. In Colorado, he made a series of visits to schools, and spoke at the REI store in Boulder. Students at Adams City High School in Commerce City were amazed with the scope of Eruc's journey. "It doesn't seem crazy, it is crazy," said Aidee Gonzalez, a junior. "I could never do that but it's pretty cool," added Pamela Wood. Through these school visits, Eruc hopes to inspire young people to reach for new heights. He also hopes they spread the word about his journey. While the plan is to circumnavigate the globe, Eruc will do it in stages, roughly one continent per year. He'll take breaks to rest, recuperate, and spend time with his new wife, Nancy, back home in Seattle. "Nancy is the bedrock for this expedition, I rely on her heavily for support, I couldn't do it without her," said Eruc. At the end of his presentation at Adams City H.S., Eruc posed for photos with the students. They thanked him and wished him well on his journey, which will still be underway when some of them graduate from college. From Miami, Eruc will paddle to South America, then pedal to Aconcagua, that continent's highest peak. "I will have to find happiness in the little that I have and that's a life lesson I think I can draw from," said Eruc. more headlines > (Copyright by KUSA-TV, All Rights Reserved) Edited November 6, 2004 by barkernews Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dru Posted November 5, 2004 Share Posted November 5, 2004 around-n-over.org Erden posts here frequently when not on trips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squid Posted November 6, 2004 Share Posted November 6, 2004 Whew! When I saw the title I was afraid someone else cratered at Vantage. Imagine my relief. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catbirdseat Posted November 6, 2004 Share Posted November 6, 2004 No kidding, man! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barkernews Posted November 6, 2004 Author Share Posted November 6, 2004 Sorry - Changed the title. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryland_moore Posted November 6, 2004 Share Posted November 6, 2004 Here are some photos from you all and Erden approaching summit, leaving summit, and at 17k. Erden is in the Blue and pink puffy and Squid is wearing brown. I think Eddie was wearing a red down parka. I am in all blue with my team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryland_moore Posted November 6, 2004 Share Posted November 6, 2004 Another from Denali's summit as Erden and Crew were heading down... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryland_moore Posted November 6, 2004 Share Posted November 6, 2004 I think the party on the summit ridge ahead of you was that Korean party of two that was so slow. Soon after you passed them, we got behind them. Here's a brief description of what transpired, as Pete was in the lead, Asheley, was in middle, and I was on the end. Pete turns around. "Guys! I can't get around these Koreans and they are moving soooo slow!!!!!" Ash: "Tell them to move over and let us by!" PeteQ: "I did, and they don't understand English!" Ash: "I'll bet they understand this! Hey Dickheads! Get The Fuck Out of The Way Before I Beat You Senseless with My Axe! There, I think they may have understood that!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lepton Posted November 6, 2004 Share Posted November 6, 2004 The correct way to tell the Koreans to hurry up would be "Balleewa!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryland_moore Posted November 6, 2004 Share Posted November 6, 2004 "Oh Jack do talk Thai. Jack talk Thai very well!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figger_Eight Posted November 6, 2004 Share Posted November 6, 2004 Another from Denali's summit as Erden and Crew were heading down... Yeah...that's me sitting in the red parka. We passed those Koreans just as one slipped and fell. He started crawling back up the slope on his hands and knees. They were sketchy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squid Posted November 6, 2004 Share Posted November 6, 2004 (edited) I think the party on the summit ridge ahead of you was that Korean party of two that was so slow. Soon after you passed them, we got behind them. Here's a brief description of what transpired, as Pete was in the lead, Asheley, was in middle, and I was on the end. Pete turns around. "Guys! I can't get around these Koreans and they are moving soooo slow!!!!!" Ash: "Tell them to move over and let us by!" PeteQ: "I did, and they don't understand English!" Ash: "I'll bet they understand this! Hey Dickheads! Get The Fuck Out of The Way Before I Beat You Senseless with My Axe! There, I think they may have understood that!" I'd forgotten those two Koreans. That was actually pretty damn funny. There were two Koreans - out of like 2K Koreans who were there in large herds, all dressed in matching gear. I think they get a bulk discount on climbing fees. The two in front of us were an older guy- probably an instructor, and a student. Relative to the rest of the West Buttress, the summit ridge has some exposure. Most folks (including me) will spend 10-14 days plodding up endless snow slopes of moderate angle, and get rewarded with about 200 yards of mildlyv exposed ridge walk at the very end. It's a nice payoff, but the young Korean ahead of us was freaked out of his gourd by the exposure. I hadn't been paying much attention to them earlier, but I noticed we were gaining on them at a pretty fast clip- which was odd since we were slower than the dead. I managed to tear my gaze away from my boots to size up the situation. The younger Korean had totally surrendered to his fear, and was now sitting down. No, not simply sitting- he was straddling the ridge, with one leg over each side. Although this might seem like a stable arrangement- your ass is on the ground, you're riding the mountian like a jockey- but it's a sucky place to be. Instead of having nice & happy crampon points stuck into the snow and ice, the young Korean was now sliding back & forth on his GoreTex'd ass. The coefficient of friction of GoreTex on SnowNIce has been repeatedly proven insufficient for saving one's ass from a long cold ride. We passed them as quickly as we could. That poor fucker was convinced he was going to fall and die. Watching him glide around that ridge like Brian Boitano, I was convinced he was going to fall and die, too. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't near him when he went. God favors fools, and neither the Korean nor myself nor anyone else died on the mountain that day. edit: - Sorry about the thread drift. Maybe a mod could move this ? Edited November 6, 2004 by Squid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete_a Posted November 6, 2004 Share Posted November 6, 2004 (edited) yeah, no one got hurt that day...but Asheley had the previlege of being the human crash pad for Hans, the out of control solo climber, while descending the fixed lines the next day... definitely made the trip all the better meeting Erden, Eddie, Squid and the whole around 'n over team. I had forgotten about Ash stepping in to handle the international relations on the summit ridge....nuthin like southern charm to get folks to move outta the way. Edited November 6, 2004 by pete_a Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erden Posted November 6, 2004 Share Posted November 6, 2004 Funny I should think to surf cc.com and then find this thread Check out: Man passes through Colorado on human powered round-the-world journey which is the KUSA article, and it has the TV spot also. The spot is produced from * footage that KING5 had captured in January 2003 on the day before my departure from Seattle, * footage that the NBC affiliate in Anchorage had captured in April 2003 on the day that I arrived there, and * footage that KUSA captured on Thursday during my presentation at the Adams City High School. I hope that you enjoy it. I am officially done with the Rockies as of Wednesday when I arrived at Idaho Springs, CO. My bike was falling apart and it is at the Boulder REI now receiving a new set of derailleurs, a new rear wheel and a new chain. I will receive the bike back tomorrow, and hope to start riding again from Idaho Springs on Sunday. We made good use of the down time in Boulder by visiting four schools and holding a presentation at the Boulder REI. From here on, the ride should be fairly flat and much warmer. I came over the Rabbit Ears and Berthoud passes on Rt 40 in my climbing boots, all bundled up in clothing. Received a pounding of snow and blizzard conditions at the Rabbit Ears. I am in Boulder now staying with my climbing buddy Matt, and we were running air conditioning in the car today while driving around. What a contrast! I look forward to riding in shorts for a little while longer from here... Cheers, Erden. Mile 1,632 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.