4-Wheel Bob Going For Kili or Aconcagua!

The San Francisco Chronicle has a great story about Bob Coomber, AKA 4-Wheel Bob, who is hoping to become the first man to go up either Kilimanjaro or Aconcagua in a wheelchair. You might remember that Bob became the first person to summit White Mountain, which stands 14,246 feet in height.

Both Kili and Aconcagua will offer different challenges than White Mountain, however. At 19,340 feet, Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain in Africa, and Aconcagua holds that distinction for South America as well, reaching 22,841 feet into the air. Bob says he's not sure which mountain he'll attempt, as he's waiting to see what kind of sponsor support he gets before committing to either peak. The two were selected not only for their prominence in trekking circles, but also for their reasonably smooth trails to the summit.

You'll recall that I posted a story a few weeks back on Chris Waddell, who also intends to make an attempt on Kilimanjaro next year. In that story I mentioned by experience on the Machame Route on Kilimanjaro, which was not at all wheelchair friendly. In fact, I'd say that route would be impossible by wheelchair altogether. There are of course other route on the mountain though, and perhaps one of them would be more suitable. The amount of large, volcanic rock near the top of the mountain will definitely make it tough going.

Thanks to BackPacker Magazine for the link to this one.