Climbing the tallest mountain in Africa is not your average adventure. And this group of climbers is not your average group of mountaineers. Along with their adventurous spirit and abundance of sports and mountaineering experience, this group will have something not commonly found on most mountain adventures – wheelchairs!
In June 2008, Tom McCurdy and Kyle Packer ( in wheelchairs adapted for backcountry), 14-year old Sage McCurdy, and Dana Olson-Elle, Director of the Idaho State University, Outdoor Adventure Center, will be climbing the 19,340 foot high Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Mount Kilimanjaro, located three degrees south of the equator in northeastern Tanzania, is the tallest mountain in Africa, and the highest freestanding mountain in the world. “Kilimanjaro is our hottest destination,” says Robin Paschall, owner of Adventures Within Reach. “Of the famous “Seven Summits,” this is the easiest to get to and the easiest to climb.” It requires no technical climbing experience, and any moderately fit person can summit the mountain. On wheels it will present more of a challenge to 42-year old McCurdy, a paraplegic, and Packer, age 48, with Cerebral Palsy.
They will be using the Rongai Route for an easier more direct approach than other routes. The Rongai Route was used by Bern Goosen last year when he broke his own world records for climbing Mt Kilimanjaro in a wheelchair. The McCurdy group is not attempting to break any records though. “We are doing it for the personal challenge and adventure,” said Tom McCurdy. “This will be Sage’s first adventure travel experience. I’m doing it so he can have this experience to draw on later in life.” For most people, indeed, it can be life changing!
“We talked about doing this trip while we were in Nepal Trekking into Everest Base Camp in 1998. Kyle brought it up again last July seeking companions,” said McCurdy. “We plan on doing something like this every few years. We’ve been talking about Machu Picchu for our next adventure!”