Field Notes
See the pictures, read on for the stories.
The latest Instagram pictures rotate through, along with links to their quick stories. But there’s so much more to tell. Some from our own experiences, others that are shared. From young to old, from local to international, the AdvenChair is making the rounds!
“The wild requires that we learn the terrain, nod to all the plants and animals and birds, ford the streams and cross the ridges, and tell a good story when we get home.”
—Gary Snyder
And the stories we can tell!
We love to share our news and yours. Have an AdvenChair story to tell?
AdvenTours second season rolls farther, higher and deeper.
In addition to returning to Smith Rock State Park, Benham Falls and Shevlin Park, AdvenTours ventured to the shoreline of Crater Lake, climbed to the panoramic summit of Tumalo Mountain, and meandered along the tumbling waters of Paulina Creek and Tumalo Creek. What’s more, our guest riders this year hailed from far beyond the Central Oregon region with explorers, writers and influencers visiting from four countries outside of the United States – Canada, Great Britain, The Netherlands, and Australia.
The AdvenTours team of Wanderlust Tours and AdvenChair on the way up Tumalo Mountain in Bend, Oregon
In addition to returning to Smith Rock State Park, Benham Falls and Shevlin Park, AdvenTours ventured to the shoreline of Crater Lake, climbed to the panoramic summit of Tumalo Mountain, and meandered along the tumbling waters of Paulina Creek and Tumalo Creek.
After capping off our first year of guided accessible natural history tours with Wanderlust Tours by winning the Partnership Award at the Oregon Governor’s Conference on Tourism earlier this year, it’s hard to imagine our 2025 AdvenTours season being even better than 2024. But that seems to be the general consensus of those who experienced it over the past several months.
Taking in the fall color of Shevlin Park in Bend, Oregon
Geoff Babb of AdvenChair and the gang on Tumalo Mountain
In addition to returning to Smith Rock State Park, Benham Falls and Shevlin Park, AdvenTours ventured to the shoreline of Crater Lake, climbed to the panoramic summit of Tumalo Mountain, and meandered along the tumbling waters of Paulina Creek and Tumalo Creek.
What’s more, our guest riders this year hailed from far beyond the Central Oregon region with explorers, writers and influencers visiting from four countries outside of the United States – Canada, Great Britain, The Netherlands, and Australia.
video courtesy of #accesstahoe
A smiling group of 16 people gathered on a forest trail beside the Deschutes River near Benham Falls.
Three bright orange AdvenChairs are surrounded and assisted by participants and guides from TravelAbility, Wanderlust Tours and AdvenChair, including Geoff Babb from AdvenChair and Jared Garfield of Wanderlust Tours.
The trees are golden-green in the autumn light, and everyone looks joyful and connected after a shared adventure outdoors.
((L-R) Courtney Braun; Geoff Babb; Lucinda DiNovo, the Chair of the Oregon Tourism Commission; and Todd Davidson, CEO, Travel Oregon
“I’m just thrilled that the idea of AdvenTours was not only embraced by the Wanderlust Tours team, but by the Oregon Tourism Commission and the international travel industry as well. I really had no inkling where it might go when I approached Courtney two years ago.”
Courtney Braun, co-owner of Wanderlust Tours, saw valuable growth and exciting improvements in Year 2 of AdvenTours. “After getting familiar with the AdvenChair in our first year, we made a few changes and re-thought some of the tours in the off season,” said Courtney. “So this year we felt pretty dialed in.”
“I think that the main difference between this year and last year was opening up our AdvenTours to the general public,” she added. “Not only did this allow for more choices and less cost for those desiring an AdvenTour, it also increased exposure of the barriers that exist for people with mobility challenges when accessing the outdoors.”
Unlimited possibilities despite disabilities
A perfect example of those broken barriers was evidenced when Hannah Crutchfield from Alabama discovered AdvenTours through Visit Central Oregon and took her first ride in September.
“A highlight [of 2025] for me was getting Hannah up Tumalo Mountain,” said Courtney. “Seeing her summiting a mountain together with her partner was pretty special!”
Hannah’s reaction upon taking in the breathtaking view of the Cascades was absolutely priceless.
“It’s been the most amazing experience I think I’ve ever had!” said Hannah. “Being able to do something that I can’t do on my own has been absolutely fantastic! I feel on top of the world!”
“Hannah On Top of the World” video courtesy of Michael Bounyavong
New depths as well as heights
The highlight of the summer for Wanderlust Tours Co-owner Jared Garfield came when he led a group of AdvenChairs down the Cleetwood Cove Trail from the rim of Crater Lake to the shore and back.
“That area of the National Park is super cool because it is the only way to get down to the water's edge, as well as one of the less accessible trails due to the overall difficulty of hiking back up,” said Jared. “It is also my favorite hike in the Park because the blue of the water from down there is unparalleled in comparison to anywhere else.”
In addition to multiple chair users, Jared guided other guests with disabilities who required a slower-paced tour.
“It was awesome to be able to offer a tour that felt like it met everyone's accessibility needs in an area that is not known for being accessible,” he added.
While the Cleetwood Cove Trail is scheduled to be closed for restoration and renovation for the next couple of years, Wanderlust is planning to offer another AdvenTour in 2026 that will explore other difficult-to-access aspects of Crater Lake National Park. The rest of the schedule, which will be announced early next spring, will feature an assortment of familiar favorites as well as some new adventures that people have suggested.
And of course, you are always welcome to customize your own AdvenTour. If you can imagine it, chances are we can make it accessible.
“I think all of our offerings are exceptional and each delivers a unique experience,” said Courtney. “I can't wait for folks to try them all and keep increasing opportunities for people with special needs to experience our great outdoors.”
From the Grand Canyon to the Great Wall—AdvenChair takes on the streets of Beijing and beyond.
Since the beginning of the decade, AdvenChair has proven itself more than capable of handling some of the most challenging terrain on the planet – reaching the depths of the Grand Canyon, scaling the heights of Machu Picchu, and navigating the crazy cobblestone streets of the Camino de Fatima in Portugal to name a few. Recently, AdvenChairman Geoff Babb and his wife Yvonne took the versatile all-terrain vehicle on another unprecedented journey: to the urban jungle of Beijing and some of its unique natural and human-made surroundings.
Geoff Babb beams at the culmination of another dream in his AdvenChair—rolling along the Great Wall of China
“It’s not about the chair. It’s never about the chair.”
“Wow, that trip was transformative. It changed my life and perspective in so many ways,” says Yvonne Babb whenever asked about the trip. “It’s not about the chair. It’s never about the chair. It is about all the things you can do, because of the Advenchair and because we had the will to overcome all the obstacles getting there.”
Since the beginning of the decade, AdvenChair has proven itself more than capable of handling some of the most challenging terrain on the planet – reaching the depths of the Grand Canyon, scaling the heights of Machu Picchu, and navigating the crazy cobblestone streets of the Camino de Fatima in Portugal to name a few. Recently, AdvenChairman Geoff Babb and his wife Yvonne took the versatile all-terrain vehicle on another unprecedented journey: to the urban jungle of Beijing and some of its unique natural and human-made surroundings.
Their 19-day visit was primarily a chance to celebrate Geoff and Yvonne’s 40th anniversary and reconnect with their 33-year-old son Emory who has lived and worked in Beijing since 2016. However, the trip began somewhat inauspiciously when upon their arrival, Emory delivered the news that he had broken a hand and needed to go in for surgery the very next day.
“Needless to say, it was a little disconcerting to have our primary interpreter and tour guide indisposed on our first day in Beijing,” said Geoff. “But that didn’t stop Yvonne and me from getting acquainted with the city and ultimately finding our way to the hospital to visit Emory before he was released.”
Beijing is relatively flat and square, and so it is fairly easy to navigate with the aid of Google Maps. Yet with the incessant traffic, numerous construction sites, and hard-to-find wheelchair ramps and curb cuts, touring the city would’ve been nearly impossible for a wheelchair without the agility and rugged features of the AdvenChair.
“Our first days in Beijing were quite exhilarating!” said Geoff. “The streets and sidewalks were an orderly chaos teeming with bicycles and electric scooters, either moving every which way or parked for deliveries and such. We did not see anyone navigating independently in a regular wheelchair the entire duration of our trip. But in three-wheel mode, AdvenChair was the perfect vehicle to survive in that kind of environment. There was only one time that we accidentally bumped a parked bike and almost caused an entire fleet of them to topple over like dominos.”
Amid the bright yellow Gingko trees, they made their way into many of Emory’s favorite restaurants to delight in fresh-cooked meats and veggies in hot pots or savory steamed buns tucked away off the historic Hutongs and alleyways. When Emory and his girlfriend Jia Jia were not around, Yvonne used a combination of her primitive Mandarin skills, hand signals and Google Translate to order food and ask for directions.
Exploring the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace
Together, they explored both the Forbidden City, the palace complex in the Imperial City of Beijing, where 24 Ming and Qing dynasty emperors ruled the country for more than 500 years. They also visited the Summer Palace, where Yvonne marvelled at the hand-built rock walls, pavers, and ancient ornate figurines on the palace buildings and walls. They saw their first unique bird, the Mandarin duck, which didn’t flush from the visitors that strolled along the lake.
The two came prepared with a stack of AdvenChair brochures translated into Chinese. While many of them were confiscated in the Forbidden City (“no advertising is allowed”), Yvonne did manage to hand out several in various other places. And while they can’t guarantee the accuracy of Google Translate, Geoff and Yvonne concur that the most frequent comment they heard from onlookers and those who read the brochure could most closely be interpreted as, “Bad-ass Chair!”
Birding in the Temple of Heaven and Yeha Lake Park
Geoff and Yvonne hired a bird-watching guide to help them navigate the Temple of Heaven urban park where they spotted at least a dozen birds common in Beijing, yet new to them – species including Azure-winged and Oriental Magpies, Spotted Doves, Gray-headed and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, and Common Hoopoes. A later visit to Yeha Lake Park revealed 18 more species (clicking the links in the bird lists will lead to pictures and descriptions in the Merlin bird guide).
On to The Great Wall
Situated in the heart of the country, Beijing has a climate similar to St. Louis, which means it gets quite a bit of rain in the spring, high humidity in the summer, and occasional snow in the winter. The fall, however, is usually quite comfortable and aside from a few days when cold winds blew in from Siberia, the Babbs were blessed with very pleasant weather.
That was indeed the case on November 10 – the anniversary of both of Geoff’s strokes – when they were scheduled to venture out to The Great Wall of China about 100 kilometers away. Geoff and Yvonne climbed aboard a van along with Emory, JaiJai and a foursome of their close friends for a guided tour led by Beijing Hikers, an outfitter very similar to Bend’s Wanderlust Tours. While much of the Great Wall has not been well-maintained, the part that stands just 90 minutes from Beijing is in good shape, yet still inhospitable to the average wheelchair.
The AdvenChair, on the other hand, was perfectly equipped to handle the steep ascents and descents, as well as the countless steps. Thanks to its handle-bar mounted disc brakes, front and back towing and braking straps, multiple gripping points for lifting, and the new forward beam handle, the team of six had no difficulty managing a hilly two-mile section of The Great Wall.
“It was incredible to take in the rugged beauty of the terrain and consider the dramatic history of The Wall,” said Geoff. “But I won’t call it a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I am deeply determined to come back to Beijing to get a few AdvenChairs rolling around the area, so that more people can experience the friendly culture and great food, not to mention explore The Great Wall and all the unique wonders of this magnificent country.”
Having overcome the odds of surviving two strokes and creating a “Bad-ass Chair” that has yet to meet its match in the world, there’s no telling what grand or great achievement Geoff and the AdvenChair will accomplish next.
AdvenChair Tech: Introducing the new forward beam handle, “The Stinger”
The inspiration for the forward beam handle (FBH, aka “The Stinger”) design was spawned as a result of battle testing of the AdvenChair on the Grand AdvenChair backpacking trip into the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon’s Bright Angel Trail presented a vertical drop of more than 4,800 feet over ten miles, complicated by more than 3,000 water bars with protruding rebar, as well as countless natural rock obstacles, plus stretches of mud and sand. The return trip brought the same challenges in reverse. During the expedition, the river team that guided the chair developed a great method of teamwork to handle the chair over the very rough terrain. Team leaders had to maneuver the forward beam by “choking up” the towing straps very closely to it.
Kate Rodgers of the AdvenChair engineering development team steers Geoff Babb’s AdvenChair with the first version of the new forward beam handle, aka “The Stinger,” on a Tumalo Mountain hike in Central Oregon
Rigorous field testing brings innovation
The inspiration for the forward beam handle (FBH, aka “The Stinger”) design was spawned as a result of battle testing of the AdvenChair on the Grand AdvenChair backpacking trip into the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon’s Bright Angel Trail presented a vertical drop of more than 4,800 feet over ten miles, complicated by more than 3,000 water bars with protruding rebar, as well as countless natural rock obstacles, plus stretches of mud and sand. The return trip brought the same challenges in reverse.
During the expedition, the river team that guided the chair developed a great method of teamwork to handle the chair over the very rough terrain. Team leaders had to maneuver the forward beam by “choking up” the towing straps very closely to it. Here are a few scenes from the documentary DREAM BOLDLY The Grand AdvenChair trailer of the team in action.
Once the hike was completed, the engineering team debriefed with the river team back at the base camp. At least two team members mentioned that it would be nice to have a rigid hold point on the forward beam. Once back at our AdvenChair headquarters, we got to work.
The initial forward beam handle prototype design: FBH-100-04
The current design features a single hand grip mounted to the front beam, intended to help guide the front wheel, particularly on rocky or uneven terrain.
During testing, we received several pieces of feedback that we aimed to incorporate into the new design.
Length: While some users preferred a longer handle for improved accessibility and comfort, others felt the current length was sufficient.
Dual guidance: A few testers recommended adding a second hand grip to allow for steering from both sides.
Detachable: We aimed to make the handle removable from the beam to improve storage and compactness.
The next forward beam handle iteration, detachable design: FBH-100-04.1
The main segment of the handle now includes two detent pins: one for removing the entire handle from the forward beam, and another for attaching various handle options. This handle is the same length as the first design.
Forward beam handle option 1: straight grip
For those who prefer the original design, this attachment features a single straight handle.
Forward beam handle option 2: dual grip 15°-45°
When designing the dual grip, we weren’t certain which angle would provide the best ergonomics. We created three angled options to test and determine the most comfortable fit.
Adjustable length
FBH-100-04.1 design validation testing
Field testing on the AdvenChair for the improved forward beam handle began in October 2025 on a couple of local Central Oregon hikes, with fairly good design validation. A lot more data resulted from further testing when the AdvenChair traveled to China for an extended trip and was used in multiple environments.
The three rivets that join the handlebar clamp to the telescopic length adjustment interfered with each other during the initial assembly. Washers were required under the rivet heads.
The single clamp screw started to become loose after some time of usage. Continued use of the FBH with the loose screw caused the screw to break due to fatigue from bending.
The telescopic length adjustment was not used and left in the fully retracted position, as the main tube felt unstable
To date, only the 45° handlebar has been tested. More field testing on all angles is coming soon.
The detachability performed well
FBH-100-04.1 design failure
During the Great Wall trip, the new FBH-100-04.1 design failed. Apparently, the handlebar started to become loose, allowing it to rock back and forth. While the screw could have been retorqued, the handlebar continued to loosen and eventually broke the M6 socket head cap screw.
FBH-100-04.2 revised handlebar clamping
In studying the Great Wall videos of how the FBH was being used, it was revealed that when only using one side of the handle bar, we were applying a turning moment onto the single clamp screw. In our ongoing engineering improvements to the AdvenChair, new durability testing is underway to rebuild the forward handle beam with both 60° and 75° handlebar bend angles. Stay tuned!
Video: Giveaway Winner Takes an AdvenTour Up Tumalo Mountain
See the video: "I am officially a hiker." – Hannah
In September, we were one of many partners who made this Tumalo mountain AdvenTour hike possible for Hannah Crutchfield, winner of an awesome giveaway hosted by Wheel the World and Visit Central Oregon to promote Oregon's new "Accessibility Verified" status!
"I am officially a hiker." – Hannah
In September, we were one of many partners who made this Tumalo mountain AdvenTour hike possible for Hannah Crutchfield, winner of an awesome giveaway hosted by Wheel the World and Visit Central Oregon to promote Oregon's new "Accessibility Verified" status!
Taking Hannah on a Wanderlust Tours AdvenTour reminded us of why we do this work: because everyone deserves to experience the magic of an epic mountain view in great company.
Thank you to all who made this happen, and to Hannah and Jack for trusting us with your custom AdvenTour and first hike ever!
Michael Bounyavong: videography / photography
And check out Cure SMA to learn more about the treatment and cure of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).
Dear Geoff, I want to share my Newberry National Monument AdvenChair experience with you
Dear Geoff—I want to share a few photos and a little about my AdvenChair experience last weekend. My family stayed in Sunriver, visited the Newberry National Volcanic Monument Saturday, and browsed in Bend on Sunday. I’ve been back in St. Paul long enough to do some show and tell with several friends. Their initial reactions to seeing me in the AdvenChair? “Wow! And “where did you find that?!” And “it looks like it was made for you!”
Which is how it felt.
Claire Olson AdvenChairing with her family at Newberry National Volcanic Monument
I’ve been back in St. Paul long enough to do some show and tell with several friends. Their initial reactions to seeing me in the AdvenChair? “Wow! And “where did you find that?!” And “it looks like it was made for you!”
Hi Geoff,
I want to share a few photos and a little about my AdvenChair experience last weekend. My family stayed in Sunriver, visited the Newberry National Volcanic Monument Saturday, and browsed in Bend on Sunday. I’ve been back in St. Paul long enough to do some show and tell with several friends. Their initial reactions to seeing me in the AdvenChair? “Wow! And “where did you find that?!” And “it looks like it was made for you!”
Which is how it felt. I don’t have my own chair yet, but I have one on indefinite loan from a friend and I use others here and there. This is my 12th year (diagnosed) with Parkinson’s and med coverage is unpredictable at best. Off-periods begin with little notice and can last for hours. A chair is necessary. My experience has been a lot of side-to-side movement in the seat, unnatural footrest spacing, and a down-and-back sensation of my position relative to the chair.
And the AdvenChair? The seat felt safely snug and I loved the up-and-forward seat position. Even with the front wheel attached I had the sensation that the chair was behind me. My legs were comfortably together on the footrest. One of the photos shows us looking over a gorge. I was able to get a great view. I mentioned the armrests and handles with the photos. Adding to that, I got a bit of a workout I could feel on Sunday.
All 22 of us, ages 6 to 67, went to the caldera on Saturday – just one reason I was happy to be able to participate. Others include too much being inside and too little movement the past seven months. We hiked about 1.25 miles around the lake to hot springs (and back). Path conditions varied. There was relatively smooth ground, rocky ground, and roots, trees, mud, and rocks to navigate. We kept one to three people in front of me and two or more behind. We added the straps along the way. And the helmet. Lifting went well when necessary.
We had two tippy lifts where I felt the chest and waist straps doing their thing. I did my thing using my arms, core, and those handles. Control was quickly regained.
We came upon two no-chair spots, one was too marshy and muddy (at least with our experience) and the other was where the path was narrower than the chair. I got a piggyback and AdvenChair got a carry, after removing the front wheel (carried separately).
I attended the last three family reunions but stayed back at the house for the all-ages hike. Which wasn’t a big deal because I was someplace interesting that wasn’t my house. But this year, being with everyone was a big deal!
Thanks to the AdvenChair for giving me access to the event and the opportunity to feel that participation feeling. And to my family, for being a great AdvenChair team for me.
Sunday’s “adventure” was strolling around Bend, enjoying coffee, book, and other shops, having brunch, which I’ve been referring to as “badass brunch” because that’s how I felt rolling up in AdvenChair, and doing some wine-tasting. While I could have done it in a wheelchair, AdvenChair’s fit and feel added to the fun I had just being out and about with my family.
I’ve kept my mind believing I can still get out there and do something. The physical experience with AdvenChair put that belief into my body. I am thinking differently about the adventures I can have, big and small.
Thanks, Geoff!
Claire Olson
ROLL BOLDLY Spring 2025
It has been a long time since the last AdvenChair eNewsletter. Almost a whole year, in fact. And that just goes to show how busy it has been for us for the past several months. Seems like there’s always something significant coming our way that is worth holding up the newsletter for.
Photo credit: Monique Trevett
Welcome!
Remember us?
It has been a long time since the last AdvenChair eNewsletter. Almost a whole year, in fact. And that just goes to show how busy it has been for us for the past several months. Seems like there’s always something significant coming our way that is worth holding up the newsletter for. But now, after a busy winter and before a hectic summer, we are taking a brief pause to share some of the great events and landmarks that have been keeping us preoccupied.
Among the stories in this newsletter, you can read all about AdvenChair’s collaboration with Wanderlust Tours. While preparing for the second year of AdvenTours a few weeks ago, leaders from both businesses took a break to attend the Oregon Governor’s Conference on Tourism to receive a significant award.
You’ll learn how The Onward Project, the nonprofit behind the AdvenChair, has taken steps to become a 501(c)(3) and how our leadership team gathered with a handful of volunteers to build our next 10 AdvenChairs with the help of a loan from the UnTours Foundation.
You’ll also learn about the fourth production buildout which has brought six new AdvenChairs into use and enjoyment in various parts of the country, with four more chairs ready to roll.
Apart from that, we were very busy attending several conferences in Oregon and California, running in Ian’s Ride on the Olympic Discovery Trail in Washington, and kicking off a new partnership with Friends of the Columbia Gorge (see picture above), interspersed with many hikes in Central Oregon.
Yes, it has been quite a year since our last newsletter! And we can’t wait to see what unfolds before the next one.
Onward!
Geoff Babb
A big thank you to Lili Alpaugh and Cam Davis for their skillful writing of the stories that follow.
AdvenChair and Wanderlust Tours receive the 2025 Oregon Partnership Award at Governor’s Conference on Tourism.
Photo credit: Travel Oregon
This past year the AdvenChair and Wanderlust Tours have been collaborating in a partnership to provide professionally guided tours every month using AdvenChairs in some of Oregon’s most spectacular areas and trails. These AdvenTours have enabled many people with mobility challenges to access areas they would not otherwise be able to navigate.
The AdvenChair and Wanderlust Tours were recently awarded The Oregon Partnership Award at The Governor’s Conference on Tourism held in Portland on April 14-16. The awards at this conference recognize outstanding achievement in state-wide tourism activities.
“It was a great surprise and honor to receive this award,” said Geoff. “The program has been extremely successful so far. When you see the smiles on the faces of people on these hikes, you know you’ve created a rewarding experience and Wanderlust Tours has been a dream to work with.”
Several volunteers also attended the conference with Geoff: Yvonne Babb (Geoff’s wife), John Hunsaker and his wife Julie, and Lili Alpaugh. They staffed the AdvenChair exhibit table that educated the public about the chair and AdvenTours.
“We made numerous contacts with people from all over Oregon and we’ll certainly follow up with them.” John said. “And Geoff receiving this award has been a terrific icebreaker.”
The collaboration between AdvenChair and Wanderlust Tours was made possible by a tourism grant from Visit Central Oregon (which is part of The Oregon Tourism Commission, d/b/a Travel Oregon). A goal of Visit Central Oregon has been to promote inclusive and accessible hikes and this partnership has been just the ticket to accomplish that.
Courtney Braun, Co-Owner of Wanderlust Tours, commented, “People are beginning to understand that if we want to showcase the beauty of the outdoors in Oregon, then we need to make sure it includes everyone. These tours make it possible for a child with a disability, an elderly grandparent and everyone in between to hike together as a family, or with their friends.”
Geoff explained further, “Another wonderful benefit of the AdvenTours has been the community engagement and team experience inherent in using the AdvenChair. Everyone in the group on these hikes becomes an important part of the team that is navigating the wheelchair, enjoying nature themselves, and also witnessing those bright smiles on everyone’s faces.”
Photo credit: Marcia Volk
AdvenChair and Wanderlust Tours reconnect for 2025 AdvenTours.
A collaboration between two outdoor industry pioneers that launched in 2024 and earned a prestigious award last week has been busy building on the foundation of their teamwork this year.
Thanks to a grant from Visit Central Oregon’s Future Fund, AdvenChair and Wanderlust Tours, Central Oregon’s trailblazer in naturalist-guided adventures, combined to offer a successful series of “AdvenTours” last year. AdvenTours gave people of all ages with mobility challenges the chance to experience some of Oregon’s most inspiring natural places matching AdvenChair’s unmatched durability, safety, and comfort with Wanderlust’s unique style of education, interpretation, and environmental appreciation.
“Thanks to our AdvenTours, we have been able to extend our mission of getting people out into the natural world, regardless of their age or ability,” said Courtney Braun, Owner of Wanderlust Tours. “Geoff Babb and I were perfectly aligned with what we wanted to offer and our guides Jose and Jared were excited about the tours, because they were very fulfilling and rewarding.”
The Onward Project has taken the next step in its nonprofit journey.
The Onward Project, originally an LLC, has always had one mission: to inspire and enable those with mobility challenges to access and enjoy the healing tonic of nature through experiences, training, advocacy, and of course, equipment.
To fulfill this mission in the best possible way, we decided to apply for nonprofit status as a 501(c)(3) with the IRS. We obtained our Oregon registration as a Public Benefit Corporation (nonprofit in the state) in September 2024. Once we have been approved by the IRS, donations will be tax-deductible and we will be able to apply for grants.
Our plan for growth is to strengthen our relationships with partners, including Wanderlust Tours, Destination Rehab, Oregon State University-Cascades, Friends of the Columbia Gorge, Friends of Outdoor School and others, while scaling our production to make the AdvenChair as available to as many people as possible.
In conjunction with our nonprofit status, we have assembled a new Board of Directors, a dynamic team of individuals with rich and diverse expertise. They bring decades of knowledge in nonprofit boards, sales, manufacturing, physical therapy, product design, entrepreneurial and wheelchair adventure experience:
Geoff Babb, Founder and Chairman; Rick Hetherington, Treasurer; Lili Alpaugh, Secretary; John Hunsaker, Board member; Timothy Gorbold, Board member; and Jamie Bianchini, Board member.
Photo credit: Don Hogeland
We have set up a DONATE button on our website, which makes donating easy. You can make a one-time donation or contribute every week, every month, or on an annual basis. We would greatly appreciate any financial support you can provide.
We have an immediate need for a 12 to 14-foot box trailer with a ramp to store and transport AdvenChairs to hikes and events.
Please consider making a donation today to support our operations as we await for our 501(c)(3) status. You’ll be giving more people the opportunity to experience the AdvenChair through hikes, events and other programs.
Regarding tax deductibility, until we receive our confirmation from the IRS, we can’t promise that any donation made in 2025 will be tax deductible on your 2025 taxes. (We can take donations now, however, since we are registered in the state of Oregon.) If you have any questions, please email us. Thank you so much.
We could use your help in other ways, too. If you have a specific skill or interest to lend, whether on the trail or in the office, we could use your help. Particularly, we are looking for someone with QuickBooks and/or HubSpot experience. Please contact us about volunteer opportunities.
We added 10 more chairs to our inventory.
And most are already spoken for.
Photo credit: Eleanor Moseman
“After four trips through the assembly process, it’s amazing to see how the camaraderie between the core members and volunteers gets better every time,” said AdvenChair Chairman Geoff Babb. “And that leads to better and better results.”
Rather than teams working on individual chairs, this time the group created an assembly line, which led to a more efficient workflow.
“The assembly line allowed us to do thorough inspections at critical stages on each chair,” said Jack Arnold, AdvenChair’s (and HeliLadder’s) Design Engineer and supervisor of the buildout. “So, if a mistake was made early in the build, we didn’t have to tear the whole chair apart and start over. We fixed it and moved on.”
Thanks to a loan from the UnTours Foundation, the team completed ten versions of what is known as AdvenChair 3.2 over the course of the weekend.
The 3.2 features important options such as:
A stiffer forward beam for more control over the front wheel.
An improved fiberglass seat mold and firmer cushion from Enabling Technologies for added comfort on long rides.
A mounting bracket for carrying a ventilator and/or a D-size oxygen tank for Camp Inspiration in New York for campers who require respiratory assistance.
“The best part about this buildout in particular is that we went in knowing that five chairs were already sold,” said Geoff. “And shortly afterward, a sixth was claimed by an outdoor school in San Luis Obispo, California that wanted a second chair for their kids. Currently, we are getting interest from across the country, as well as Europe. So I can’t thank our team enough for getting us ready for more AdvenChair adventures.”
Check out the energy of the weekend on this video.
TIP TO CAST TO YOUR SMART TV:
(click on < symbol on phone to see controls, expand the screen, then tap on top left of the screen to go to Chomecast of Airplay symbol to stream)
The Trailer: (1.5 minutes)
The Film: (48 minutes)
Highlights from our inaugural accessible nature hikes with the Friends of the Columbia Gorge.
Check back often. We expect to be adding to this list. Thank you for supporting our adventure!
ROLL BOLDLY Spring/Summer 2024
It’s been almost a year since our last newsletter and not surprisingly, a lot has happened in AdvenChair’s world. Here is a brief rundown to get you up to date.
Robert Kapen (seated in his AdvenChair), his wife Nelly (hugging Robert, center) and other members of Team Kapen, recently enjoyed an active vacation in Yosemite National Park. Much like their trip to Machu Picchu in 2021, AdvenChair allowed them to explore the incredible scenery beyond where the pavement ends.
From World Youth Day to International Film Festivals, AdvenChair keeps the good times rolling.
BY GEOFF BABB
Christina Nguyen was born with Cerebral Palsy. Last summer, she was able to take part in a pilgrimage to World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal in the AdvenChair.
It’s been almost a year since our last newsletter and not surprisingly, a lot has happened in AdvenChair’s world. Here is a brief rundown to get you up to date.
Last summer, we helped a young woman from Renton, Washington fulfill a dream of attending World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal with a group of friends. Her story of exploring the Camino de Fatima and witnessing the Pope address a crowd of 1.5 million in 100-degree heat is nothing short of miraculous.
The Grand AdvenChair journey to the bottom of the Grand Canyon in 2022 inspired a Central Oregon woman to produce her first documentary film, DREAM BOLDLY The Grand AdvenChair. Marcia Volk, our web designer, spent more than a year working on the project and completed it in November 2023. Since then, she has been busy entering film festivals throughout the country and has already picked up an award for it, and is officially selected for another. Read all about Marcia’s labor of love and where you can see the film later this month here.
Also, during the last 10 months, we have completed two more production runs and now have 20 AdvenChairs out on the trail, serving veterans in Pennsylvania; students in Indiana, California and Oregon; families in Idaho and Tennessee; and a half dozen in use at Outdoor Schools in Oregon.
AdvenTours guided accessibility hikes in the AdvenChair are now available at Smith Rock State Park and other locations in Central Oregon
We are extremely excited to announce that those numbers will be increasing soon thanks to a new partnership with Wanderlust Tours that enabled us to attain a $45,000 grant from Visit Central Oregon. The grant will allow us to introduce AdvenTours, group outings for people with disabilities and their families/friends, led by Wanderlust Tour guides. Read more about this unique collaboration here.
In addition to AdvenTours, we have several other events planned close to home and in the Pacific Northwest. Go directly to our Events Calendar to view the entire summer and beyond. The weather is warming up and the trails are starting to get nice and firm. We’d like to thank all of the volunteers who have helped assemble new AdvenChairs and assisted in so many other ways. We can’t wait to see all of you out in the wild again.
My thanks and gratitude to Cam Davis for writing, Chris Michaelis for the layout and Marcia Volk for making sure the moving parts of this exciting newsletter are all in order.
Onward!
Geoff Babb
AdvenChair goes to World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal.
Christina and the AdvenChair were engulfed by the hoards at first to the Pope in Lisbon, Portugal
In its relatively brief period of existence, AdvenChair has made some seemingly impossible physical endeavors quite doable for people with disabilities – reaching Machu Picchu and venturing to the bottom of the Grand Canyon to name a couple. But now, thanks to an intrepid youth group from St. Stephens Catholic Church in Renton, Washington, it can add a life-changing spiritual sojourn to its list of accomplishments as well.
Christina Nguyen, a 23-year-old member of the diocese, was born with Cerebral Palsy. Last summer, she wanted to take part in a pilgrimage to World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal with 29 other young adults from her diocese. Centered around an inspiring address by the pope, World Youth Day would draw about 1.5 million young adults from all over the world, an international gathering larger than the Summer Olympics and the World Cup combined.
Read more here.
Looking ahead, in late July/early August, Christine Nguyen will join 30 other young adults from the Seattle area on a pilgrimage to World Youth Day in Portugal, featuring an extensive trek in an AdvenChair along the Camino de Fatima. Read her story below.
And that’s not all of the exciting things that are happening this summer:
Crusaders for America, a veterans group in Pennsylvania, has also joined the AdvenChair family and will be hitting the trail soon.
The AdvenChair team will be participating in Destination Rehab’s SOAR 2023 at the Bend Pavilion on Saturday, July 8.
On August 25-27, an AdvenChair will be rolling on a part of the Olympic Discovery Trail in Port Angeles, Washington in support of Ian’s Ride, an event to help raise awareness for accessible trails.
Young or old, anyone can now roll boldly to places once thought inaccessible knowing they are riding on the most advanced, most versatile and most durable all-terrain chair on the market.
Onward!
Geoff Babb
“DREAM BOLDLY The Grand AdvenChair”
Coming soon to a theater or film festival near you.
They say no person is an island. That’s especially true when that person needs something that doesn’t exist yet to make his or her life better, and then invents something that not only fulfills the need, but benefits those immediately around him, and countless other people in similar circumstances in different parts of the planet.
Clearly that’s the case with Geoff Babb and his AdvenChair invention that had a ripple effect on dozens of people who journeyed with him to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back two years ago. And recently, the story of that journey inspired another woman so much, it moved her to create a 48-minute documentary film called DREAM BOLDLY The Grand AdvenChair.
Marcia Volk and her husband Mike live across the street from Smith Rock State Park, and run SmithRock.com, the primary website for users of the park. Marcia became intimately familiar with Geoff and the AdvenChair team while developing the AdvenChair website. Marcia has held many jobs throughout her long career, but it took a story like the Grand AdvenChair to finally get her to fulfill her first love, which was film-making.
"Geoff’s incredible and infectious will to dream boldly made me want to do the same," said Marcia. "It was always my dream to create a documentary, and now we’ve both realized huge dreams.”
Marcia wrote and directed the documentary, and shared editing duties with Mike, who also assisted with motion graphics and audio engineering. The couple also shared Executive Producer credits with Geoff and Yvonne Babb. The project took approximately a year to finish, but the work of having it seen by the public at various film festivals and streaming online is just beginning.
The film was a Winner of Merit at The Impact Docs Awards this year, got officially selected for the LA Inderpendent Women in Film Awards, and is currently being considered for awards in eight other film competitions, including Cannes, France. Residents of Central Oregon have two opportunities to see this inspiring film in the near future. It will show Thursday, May 23 at the Belfry in Sisters and on Tuesday, May 28 at the Open Space Studios in Bend.
Both events will start at 5:30 pm, with doors open at 5:00 pm, and feature a panel discussion and Q&A with Marcia, Geoff and other members of the Grand AdvenChair team until 7:30 pm. Tickets are free with a $10 suggested donation and reservations are highly recommended.
AdvenChair teams up with Wanderlust Tours for AdvenTours. And sharing a healthy grant.
What do you get when you combine AdvenChair, the leader in all-terrain wheelchairs, with Wanderlust Tours, Central Oregon’s leader in guided all-terrain adventures? You get AdvenTours, outings that allow people with disabilities to explore Central Oregon’s most iconic places with expert guidance.
You also get a team that worked together to secure a $45,000 grant from Visit Central Oregon’s Future Fund, a program that supports local tourism projects benefiting both visitors and residents. The team was one of 15 recipients who shared a portion of $450,000 in grant money. The funds will allow AdvenChair to order two more brand new chairs and make them available for Wanderlust clients, many of whom have been asking for an all-terrain chair so that a disabled family member or even a wobbly grandparent could come along for the outing.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Geoff and the AdvenChair team to facilitate accessible tours in the Bend area,” said Courtney Braun, Owner of Wanderlust Tours. “For more than 30 years, it’s been our goal to get folks into the great outdoors and let Mother Nature do her work, inspiring and invigorating everyone who visits her trails. And now, those with mobility challenges can join us for adventures in these beautiful areas, and come away with great stories to tell.”
Read more here.
Wheel the World / Visit Central Oregon highlights
photos Cody Roux and Amy Kazmier
Thank you for supporting our adventure!
AdvenChair goes to World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal
In its relatively brief period of existence, AdvenChair has made some seemingly impossible physical endeavors quite doable for people with disabilities – reaching Machu Picchu and venturing to the bottom of the Grand Canyon to name a couple. But now, thanks to an intrepid youth group from St. Stephens Catholic Church in Renton, Washington, it can add a life-changing spiritual sojourn to its list of accomplishments as well.
Christina Nguyen on a pilgrimage to World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal in the AdvenChair. Photo courtesy of Beth Nieva.
In its relatively brief period of existence, AdvenChair has made some seemingly impossible physical endeavors quite doable for people with disabilities – reaching Machu Picchu and venturing to the bottom of the Grand Canyon to name a couple. But now, thanks to an intrepid youth group from St. Stephens Catholic Church in Renton, Washington, it can add a life-changing spiritual sojourn to its list of accomplishments as well.
Christina Nguyen, a 23-year-old member of the diocese, was born with Cerebral Palsy. Last summer, she wanted to take part in a pilgrimage to World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal with 29 other young adults from her diocese. Centered around an inspiring address by the pope, World Youth Day would draw about 1.5 million young adults from all over the world, an international gathering larger than the Summer Olympics and the World Cup combined.
Since the group also had plans to take an additional week-long venture on the Camino de Fatima, a rambling unpaved path similar to the Camino de Santiago in Spain, Christina knew she wouldn’t be able to handle all the walking and standing with her usual crutches.
“I originally thought I could 'MacGyver' an old wheelchair to help Christina get around,” said Beth Nieva, the Parish’s Young Adults Group Leader. “But after discovering the AdvenChair online, I decided it would be a much safer (and cooler-looking) alternative.”
After contacting AdvenChairman Geoff Babb and arranging to rent an AdvenChair for the trip, Beth found it to be a Godsend in more ways than she could’ve imagined.
“Portugal is known for its cobblestone streets that are beautiful to look at, but horrible to travel on,” said Beth. “The streets we were on were like 1,000 years old and the edges of the cobblestones were so worn away, there was sometimes a 1.5” gap between the stones. So a crutch or even a traditional wheelchair getting caught in one of those gaps could’ve easily thrown her [Christina] for a header. With the AdvenChair, we were able to float right over the gaps – with and without the front wheel.”
Photo courtesy of Beth Nieva.
Five days before World Youth Day (WYD), the group arrived in the village of Fatima, where they had planned to follow the Camino to Lisbon. However, after finding that there were no places along the route that could accommodate 30 people all together, they decided to stay in Fatima and make a series of day trips in various directions. These excursions not only gave the team a good understanding of Portuguese culture and history, they helped everyone get familiar with operating the AdvenChair before dealing with the crowds of Lisbon.
“World Youth Day in Lisbon is where the real adventure started,” said Beth. “I have never experienced crowds that intense. But the AdvenChair was great! We had to constantly get on metros into the city, where the chair barely fit within the width of the train. There were thousands of people taking up every inch of space on these trains. Then, when everyone got off, there would be a swell of humanity all shoulder-to-shoulder, moving in the same direction. You would grab on to the backpack of the person in front of you and hold on for dear life.”
To make things even more challenging, the train stations did not have working elevators or ramps for wheelchairs. Thankfully, the gripping points on the AdvenChair made it easy for a few strong team members to grab each corner and carry Christina up and down flights of stairs in order to change trains numerous times a day.
Photo courtesy of Beth Nieva.
Lisbon is known as the City of Seven Hills, but it’s not famous for its wheelchair ramps and accessibility for the disabled throughout the rest of the city either.
“Steps and stairs were everywhere,” said Beth. “And although Christina offered to use her crutches that were stored in the back of the AdvenChair, it was much quicker for us to just lift and carry her, not to mention much safer for her to stay in the chair.”
When it came to dealing with the crowds and other difficulties of World Youth Day, AdvenChair rose to the occasion again and again.
“There were 150 countries and dozens of different languages represented at WYD,” said Beth. “But we quickly found out that ‘wheelchair’ is a universal word, and it became my battle cry. They started to call me Moses, because every time I yelled, ‘Wheelchair!’ I was able to part the Red Sea of people and roll right through.”
Naturally, the bright orange AdvenChair caused a few double takes, which opened up a lot of friendly conversations.
Photo courtesy of Beth Nieva
“It was cool to see how many people from different countries would come up and offer to push the chair for us or ask if we needed help. It became the focal point for an international fellowship that was awesome to see.”
While the AdvenChair can easily be handled by one person on level and rolling terrain, it really shines when it brings people together as a team. The St. Stephens group practiced together a few times before going over to Portugal, but when they got to Lisbon, they found that Christina kept getting hit in the head by backpacks because her head was right at that level.
“I was really impressed with how our team worked together,” said Beth. “We learned to put a person on each side of the front wheel, two people on either side of Christina to protect her, and one person behind the wheel (usually me), who had the easiest job, because we weren’t moving too fast among the crowds.”
Photo courtesy of Beth Nieva
And if dealing with the massive mobs wasn’t hard enough, toward the end of the event, temperatures rose to more than 100 degrees and there was no water available anywhere.
“We had to collect enough water for 30 people before we left the inn each day,” said Beth. ”It just happens that there’s an adjustable footrest near the front of the chair. We found we could load it up with our water and we could carry even more in the back. Because of the intense heat, we ended up using Ubers to get around, rather than suffer on the trains. With the removable wheel, my team was able to break down the chair and put it in the back so fast, we would be on our way in no time.”
All in all, the group couldn’t be more grateful for being able to rent an AdvenChair for their pilgrimage.
“I can’t thank the people at AdvenChair and the entire group at St. Stephens enough for giving me the opportunity to attend World Youth Day,” said Christina. “Hearing the pope speak and meeting many young people from around the world was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Yet it was just as uplifting to watch my teammates make it all possible for me.”
“After searching all over for an all-terrain wheelchair, finding the AdvenChair was truly a blessing,” said Beth. “I don’t know if I’ll ever organize and lead a trip with a disabled person like that again. But if I do, I won’t go without the AdvenChair.”
“DREAM BOLDLY” – Coming soon to a theater or film festival near you.
They say no person is an island. That’s especially true when that person needs something that doesn’t exist yet to make his or her life better, and then invents something that not only fulfills the need, but benefits those immediately around him, and countless other people in similar circumstances in different parts of the planet. Clearly that’s the case with Geoff Babb and his AdvenChair invention that had a ripple effect on dozens of people who journeyed with him to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back two years ago. And recently, the story of that journey inspired another couple so much, it moved them to create a 48-minute documentary film called DREAM BOLDLY.
The film was a Winner of Merit at The Impact Docs Awards this year and is currently being considered for awards in eight other film competitions, including Cannes, France.
They say no person is an island. That’s especially true when that person needs something that doesn’t exist yet to make his or her life better, and then invents something that not only fulfills the need, but benefits those immediately around him, and countless other people in similar circumstances in different parts of the planet.
Clearly that’s the case with Geoff Babb and his AdvenChair invention that had a ripple effect on dozens of people who journeyed with him to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back two years ago. And recently, the story of that journey inspired another couple so much, it moved them to create a 48-minute documentary film called DREAM BOLDLY.
The AdvenChair takes on the Bright Angel Trail of the Grand Canyon
Marcia Volk and her husband Mike live across the street from Smith Rock State Park, and run SmithRock.com, the primary website for users of the park. Marcia became intimately familiar with Geoff and the AdvenChair team while developing the advenchair.com website. Marcia has held many jobs throughout her long career, but it took a story like the Grand AdvenChair to finally get her to fulfill her first love, which was film-making.
Marcia wrote and directed the documentary, and shared editing duties with Mike, who also assisted with motion graphics and audio engineering. The couple also shared Executive Producer credits with Geoff and Yvonne Babb. The project took approximately a year to finish, but the work of having it seen by the public at various film festivals and streaming online is just beginning.
“Geoff’s incredible and infectious will to dream boldly made me want to do the same. It was always my dream to create a documentary, and now we’ve both realized huge dreams.”
The film was a Winner of Merit at The Impact Docs Awards this year, got officially selected for the LA Independent Women in Film Awards, and is currently being considered for awards in eight other film competitions, including Cannes, France. Residents of Central Oregon have two opportunities to see this inspiring film in the near future. It will show Thursday, May 23 at the Belfry in Sisters and on Tuesday, May 28 at the Open Space Studios in Bend.
Both events will start at 5:30 pm, with doors open at 5:00 pm, and feature a panel discussion and Q&A with Marcia, Geoff, and other members of the Grand AdvenChair team until 7:30 pm. Tickets are free with a $10 suggested donation and reservations are highly recommended.
AdvenChair teams up with Wanderlust Tours for AdvenTours. And sharing a healthy grant.
What do you get when you combine AdvenChair, the leader in all-terrain wheelchairs, with Wanderlust Tours, Central Oregon’s leader in guided all-terrain adventures? You get AdvenTours, outings that allow people with disabilities to explore Central Oregon’s most iconic places with expert guidance.
Bald Eagle nest watching at Smith Rock State Park in the AdvenChair.
What do you get when you combine AdvenChair, the leader in all-terrain wheelchairs, with Wanderlust Tours, Central Oregon’s leader in guided all-terrain adventures? You get AdvenTours, outings that allow people with disabilities to explore Central Oregon’s most iconic places with expert guidance.
You also get a team that worked together to secure a $45,000 grant from Visit Central Oregon’s Future Fund, a program that supports local tourism projects benefiting both visitors and residents. The team was one of 15 recipients who shared a portion of $450,000 in grant money. The funds will allow AdvenChair to order two more brand new chairs and make them available for Wanderlust clients, many of whom have been asking for an all-terrain chair so that a disabled family member or even a wobbly grandparent could come along for the outing.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Geoff and the AdvenChair team to facilitate accessible tours in the Bend area.”
“For more than 30 years, it’s been our goal to get folks into the great outdoors and let Mother Nature do her work, inspiring and invigorating everyone who visits her trails. And now, those with mobility challenges can join us for adventures in these beautiful areas, and come away with great stories to tell, continued Courtney.”
Wanderlust will offer its first AdvenTour on the morning of Saturday, July 13 at Smith Rock State Park. Adventurers will have plenty of time to take in views from the rim of the canyon, as well as explore trails along the Crooked River, where you can get close-up glimpses at climbers challenging the limestone walls.
On Saturday, August 3, the AdvenTour will combine a dive into Central Oregon’s unique volcanic geology with a healthy dose of astronomy. Lava Lands Visitor Center offers the perfect venue for both with a twilight trek among a 10-square mile lava field, followed by a summer evening of stargazing far away from city lights.
On the morning of Sunday, September 8, it’s time to take in the breathtaking spectacle of Benham Falls. The AdvenChair makes several dramatic viewpoints of this powerful cataract easily accessible, as well as some of the Upper Deschutes’ most serene settings.
Finally, on Sunday, October 20, the AdvenTour will venture to Shevlin Park for a morning jaunt along Tumalo Creek. We will take a close look at this ecosystem filled with spectacular flora and fauna and revel in some of Central Oregon’s most dramatic fall colors.
AdvenChair and Wanderlust Tours also welcome you to customize your own accessible tour as weather and schedules allow. How about climbing to take in the stunning panoramic views from the top of Tumalo Mountain? Maybe you’ve never been to the Badlands Wilderness, one of the area’s newer trail systems that is rife with aged, stoic juniper trees, colorful rock outcrops and plenty of solitude. Or perhaps you’d like a taste of the incredible Newberry Caldera where Paulina Creek meanders through stunningly pristine scenery. If the mobility challenges don’t impact the ability to paddle, Wanderlust can even set you up with a guided canoe or kayak tour that may or may not involve an AdvenChair. In short, whatever tour you can dream up, we can probably make it work for you.
ROLL BOLDLY Summer 2023
We are still glowing a year after the epic Grand AdvenChair 2 on the Bright Angel Trail in Grand Canyon National Park (20 miles down and up). And our roll on Cannon Beach on a bluebird day in February (above) during a break in Snowmagedon '23 was nothing short of phenomenal. But what’s driving us the most since our last newsletter is the many other lives that AdvenChair has touched in various parts of the world.
AdvenChair is Rolling Boldly,
to the Benefit of Young, Old, and Veterans, too.
BY GEOFF BABB
We are still glowing a year after the epic Grand AdvenChair 2 on the Bright Angel Trail in Grand Canyon National Park (20 miles down and up). And our roll on Cannon Beach on a bluebird day in February (above) during a break in Snowmagedon '23 was nothing short of phenomenal. But what’s driving us the most since our last newsletter is the many other lives that AdvenChair has touched in various parts of the world.
Thanks to AdvenChair, 5th and 6th-grade students are enjoying the full Outdoor School experience at three large programs in Oregon. And this fall, they will be joined by kids at outdoor schools in California and Indiana. Read more in the story below.
A mobility-challenged grandmother enjoys the AdvenChair hiking wheelchair
Elsewhere, mobility-challenged grandmothers were able to enjoy multi-generational trips to wild places to celebrate important family events in AdvenChairs, while families in California, Idaho, and Tennessee can now share their love of the outdoors with their children who have disabilities long after the kids have outgrown their strollers.
Also, Team Kapen in Torrance, California once again helped the AdvenChair family grow by sharing the chair that took them to Machu Picchu in 2021. After enabling a family to celebrate a new trail honoring their patriarch last year, they recently helped brain tumor survivor Christine participate in the National Brain Tumor Society walk-a-thon in Los Angeles.
Brain tumor survivor Christine participates with an AdvenChair hiking wheelchair in the National Brain Tumor Society walk-a-thon in Los Angeles
Additionally, three students from OSU-Cascades Outdoor Products Program, Chandler Brookins, Will Lamar and Tyler Paulson, completed their Capstone Project by designing and testing a significant improvement to a critical moving part on the AdvenChair.
This upgrade will reduce friction and metal fatigue and has been integrated into Version 3.2. We can’t thank them enough for their efforts!
OSU-Cascades Outdoor Products Program, Chandler Brookins, Will Lamar and Tyler Paulson, completed their Capstone Project by designing and testing a significant improvement to a critical moving part on the AdvenChair
Looking ahead, in late July/early August, Christine Nguyen will join 30 other young adults from the Seattle area on a pilgrimage to World Youth Day in Portugal, featuring an extensive trek in an AdvenChair along the Camino de Fatima. Read her story below.
And that’s not all of the exciting things that are happening this summer:
Crusaders for America, a veterans group in Pennsylvania, has also joined the AdvenChair family and will be hitting the trail soon.
The AdvenChair team will be participating in Destination Rehab’s SOAR 2023 at the Bend Pavilion on Saturday, July 8.
On August 25-27, an AdvenChair will be rolling on a part of the Olympic Discovery Trail in Port Angeles, Washington in support of Ian’s Ride, an event to help raise awareness for accessible trails.
Young or old, anyone can now roll boldly to places once thought inaccessible knowing they are riding on the most advanced, most versatile and most durable all-terrain chair on the market.
Onward!
Geoff Babb
AdvenChair announces new upgrades and prices for Version 3.2
When a product is built by a team of visionaries and perfectionists, it’s likely to get tinkered with and improved upon rather frequently. Such is the case with AdvenChair as we begin taking orders for our next version.
After passing its toughest yet – the Grand AdvenChair 2 to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back – the AdvenChair team realized that some elements of the chair could be made even better and began implementing several significant upgrades. On the next version, you can expect:
A new and improved fiberglass seating system from Enabling Technologies, a well-known adaptive sports innovator and manufacturer.
A lowered center of gravity (1.25") to prevent tip-overs on the side slopes.
A new forward beam design that replaces the front suspension with a fatter tire that can use lower air pressure for better traction.
New soft-shackle, open-loop towing points from Metolius Climbing replace the heavy and expensive stainless steel eye bolts.
New plastic bearings on the footrest and caster legs to provide stronger and smoother movement.
We also eliminated two redundant seat mounting tubes that were welded to the frame and replaced them with bolted-in seat tubes. Combined with the other changes mentioned above, we have managed to reduced the overall weight by 5 lbs., while improving both safety and comfort.
With some adjustments for inflation, the new AdvenChair 3.2 is ready to roll for a lifetime of adventure for a very reasonable cost of $11,950.
AdvenChair’s Portuguese Pilgrimage – Tackling the Camino de Fatima with an entourage of young adults.
By most accounts, a stroll around the park constitutes an active summer afternoon for a wheelchair. But for AdvenChair – the only all-terrain wheelchair to travel to both Machu Picchu and the Grand Canyon – a significantly more challenging venture is on the docket next month. Christine Nguyen, a 22-year-old resident of Renton, Washington, born with Cerebral Palsy, is about to embark on a pilgrimage with 30 other young adults along the Camino de Fatima in Portugal.
The group from St. Stephen’s Catholic Church in Renton will be attending World Youth Day in Lisbon along with 1.5 million other young adults from all over the world. Part of the pilgrimage will include an extensive trek of about 10 miles a day over rugged and hilly terrain, as well as ancient cobblestone streets.
Ancient cobblestone streets in Portugal will be one of the surfaces for the AdvenChair all-terrain wheelchair along the Camino de Fatima
The Camino de Fatima in Portugal is the next challenging venture for the AdvenChair all-terrain wheelchair
“We are excited to rent an AdvenChair,” said Beth Nieva, the Parish’s Young Adults Group Leader. “This pilgrimage is not a vacation, but rather an opportunity to pack light (we are backpacking) and realize what is essential. I originally thought I could 'MacGyver' an old wheelchair, but the AdvenChair will be a much safer (and cooler- looking) alternative.”
All of Christina’s fellow travelers will have a chance to push and pull the chair up and over the unpredictable terrain and overcome difficulties on the fly.
“We will be visiting the Castle at Tomar, parts of the Camino from Lisbon to Fatima, and traveling all over Lisbon,” said Nieva.
Though she is able to stand and get around through the use of arm crutches, the opportunity to ride an AdvenChair is an absolute game-changer for Christine.
“The AdvenChair will provide accessibility, opportunity and safety in particularly challenging outdoor environments,” she said. “In a city that is known to be incredibly hilly (Lisbon is known for its seven hills), the AdvenChair will help me access and safely maneuver through rough terrain with greater ease and confidence.”
Christine recognizes that the AdvenChair not only breaks down physical barriers that often limit those with physical disabilities, it enables individuals to engage in new opportunities and situations that were previously considered inaccessible.
“I am excited to use the AdvenChair to explore new places, build new relationships, and connect with friends on this fun adventure!” she said.
If you are interested in helping the church cover the rental cost of the chair, please visit their website: https://ststephenslife.com/wyd-fundraising Donations will be greatly appreciated.
AdvenChair Levels the Playing Field for Outdoor School Students.
For more than 60 years, Oregon’s outdoor schools have offered life-changing educational experiences, allowing 5th and 6th graders to immerse themselves in hands-on science projects in the wild. For children with disabilities, however, trails and rugged terrain have always made participation an uphill battle, if not utterly impossible.
But thanks to AdvenChair, the pathways to outdoor learning are now wide open for every student at the Northwest Outdoor Science School (NWOSS).
“We are so grateful for our partnership with AdvenChair,” said Akari Jensen, Principal of NWOSS. “We have been able to provide access for at least ten different students this school year for reasons spanning from a physical disability to injury-related mobility issues.
"Having the AdvenChair on hand not only allowed all of these students to participate in the hiking, games, and field-based science activities, but to build connections and camaraderie with fellow students and staff members." The AdvenChair team was instrumental in helping the school make the most of the chair.
“The AdvenChair team made our entire staff feel more prepared to meet our students’ needs, as well as to be advocates for disability justice in our own lives. They led trainings with our staff and are always available to help us when we have questions about the AdvenChair. Outdoor School would not be as accessible without them!”
Shannon Copeland, an Instructional Assistant with Camp Cedar Ridge NW Regional ESD, echoed those sentiments wholeheartedly:
"Outdoor School was such a success for Graham [one of their students], and it would not have been possible without the AdvenChair,” said Copeland. “Up and down the hills, around the grassy field, that chair was invaluable. Without it, he would not have been able to participate in everything that he wanted to do."
Graham, an Outdoor School student, participates in everything he wants to do thanks to the AdvenChair hiking chair
Principal Jensen also reports that AdvenChair is very easy for staff members to use, adjust and maneuver. And Geoff is there every step of the way when they have questions.
“Not only that,” Jensen says, “Geoff occasionally came up to the Portland area from Bend to meet directly with students who would need to be fitted for the chair in advance of their week at Outdoor School. The impact of this was palpable. I watched these students see themselves in Geoff and realize that their disability is not a barrier to doing amazing things.”
More scenes from a bluebird day at Cannon Beach
photos by Don Hogeland
Thank you for supporting our adventure!
AdvenChair Levels the Playing Field for Outdoor School Students
For more than 60 years, Oregon’s outdoor schools have offered life-changing educational experiences, allowing 5th and 6th-graders to immerse themselves in hands-on science projects in the wild. For children with disabilities, however, trails and rugged terrain have always made participation an uphill battle, if not utterly impossible. But thanks to AdvenChair, the pathways to outdoor learning are now wide open for every student at the Northwest Outdoor Science School (NWOSS).
Graham, an Outdoor School student, participates in everything he wants to do thanks to the AdvenChair hiking chair
For more than 60 years, Oregon’s outdoor schools have offered life-changing educational experiences, allowing 5th and 6th graders to immerse themselves in hands-on science projects in the wild. For children with disabilities, however, trails and rugged terrain have always made participation an uphill battle, if not utterly impossible.
But thanks to AdvenChair, the pathways to outdoor learning are now wide open for every student at the Northwest Outdoor Science School (NWOSS).
“We are so grateful for our partnership with AdvenChair,” said Akari Jensen, Principal of NWOSS. “We have been able to provide access for at least ten different students this school year for reasons spanning from a physical disability to injury-related mobility issues.
"Having the AdvenChair on hand not only allowed all of these students to participate in the hiking, games, and field-based science activities, but to build connections and camaraderie with fellow students and staff members." The AdvenChair team was instrumental in helping the school make the most of the chair.
“The AdvenChair team made our entire staff feel more prepared to meet our students’ needs, as well as to be advocates for disability justice in our own lives. They led trainings with our staff and are always available to help us when we have questions about the AdvenChair. Outdoor School would not be as accessible without them!”
Principal Jensen also reports that AdvenChair is very easy for staff members to use, adjust and maneuver. And Geoff is there every step of the way when they have questions.
“Not only that,” Jensen says, “Geoff occasionally came up to the Portland area from Bend to meet directly with students who would need to be fitted for the chair in advance of their week at Outdoor School. The impact of this was palpable. I watched these students see themselves in Geoff and realize that their disability is not a barrier to doing amazing things.”
ROLL BOLDLY Winter 2022
As we close out 2022, we have so much gratitude for all the support and encouragement we have received from our team, sponsors, donors, volunteers, and people that we have met along the way. Every year of our journey has been significant. This year in particular has been influenced by COVID-19 (again), wildfire smoke, heat domes, and the economy. Nevertheless, it has still been a very successful one for us.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
BY GEOFF BABB
As we close out 2022, we have so much gratitude for all the support and encouragement we have received from our team, sponsors, donors, volunteers, and people that we have met along the way. Every year of our journey has been significant. This year in particular has been influenced by COVID-19 (again), wildfire smoke, heat domes, and the economy. Nevertheless, it has still been a very successful one for us.
Our top accomplishments in 2022 include:
AdvenChair brought smiles to young and old as two multi-generational families were able to celebrate significant milestones; allowed students to enjoy the full outdoor school experience, including touching the Pacific Ocean; and helped a Veteran physically and emotionally on his own journey.
Several first wheelchair ascents, including Burma Road, Gray Butte, and the Green Lakes in the Three Sisters Wilderness.
Completing the Bright Angel Trail in Grand Canyon National Park – the four-day, 20- mile trip was the ultimate validation of the AdvenChair durability and versatility.
Registration of our "convertible wheelchair" patent.
The sale of an AdvenChair to Multnomah Education Service District for their Outdoor School programs, plus four week-long rentals for other camps throughout Oregon.
Collaboration with Oregon State University-Cascades campus including a Capstone project for students in the Outdoor Products program and presentations to Doctor of Physical Therapy and Tourism, Recreation and Adventure Leadership (TRAL) students.
AdvenChair top accomplishments in 2022
On top of all that, we recently took an AdvenChair to the Midwest to visit both of our sons – a trip that involved five airports, four plane flights, and hundreds of road miles. The AdvenChair easily handled all the bumps and ruts of Cory’s Firelight Farm in Arkansas and explored park trails in Illinois and river trails in Missouri. The chair breezed through the airports and fit into the rental minivan without needing to be disassembled.
In winter/spring of 2023, we will be building and shipping the next batch of AdvenChairs. There are still a couple left unclaimed, so now is your chance to secure yours and be ready for spring and summer hiking. Each batch is limited in number, so don’t wait!
If you are interested in purchasing an AdvenChair at this time, please complete the order form and we will contact you regarding payment and delivery options. If you need financial assistance, check out Possible Funding Opportunities on our website. Schools and outdoor school providers in Oregon are encouraged to contact the OSU Extension Outdoor School Office for support.
The Babb family
We wish you and yours the best of holidays and look forward to seeing what lies ahead on the trail in 2023. Watch for the Spring edition of Rolling Boldly! And, as always, check our website, Facebook page and Instagram for the latest news and adventures. Thanks for your continued support.
Roll boldly!
Geoff Babb
Thank you for supporting our adventure!
ROLL BOLDLY Summer/Fall 2022
It's been almost four months and I'm still basking in the glow of the Grand Advenchair 2 – our incredibly challenging, yet transformative and magical journey with an AdvenChair on the Bright Angel Trail to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back. And then we received two pieces of great news.
BY GEOFF BABB
It's been almost four months and I'm still basking in the glow of the Grand Advenchair 2 – our incredibly challenging, yet transformative and magical journey with an AdvenChair on the Bright Angel Trail to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back. Scroll down for Cam Davis' story about the trip.
On the two-and-a-half-day trip from Bend, OR to Grand Canyon National Park, we received two pieces of great news. First came confirmation that we had sold our last chair of Production Run #1 to Multnomah Education Service District (MESD). This is both symbolic – in that MESD hired me 40 years ago for my first job in environmental education and has been my inspiration to make Outdoor School accessible to all – and significant in that it is a model ODS program in Oregon. Read below for the story about MESD.
The second piece of good news came when we received word that our patent application for a "convertible" wheelchair had been approved by the U.S. Patent and Trade Office! Read about it below.
Once we were back home I was able to help the Jacobs family in Southern California achieve an important family celebration. Read the story below. While the trip on the Bright Angel Trail was epic, the lives brightened by AdvenChair are priceless. I hope that you will enjoy these stories and look forward to seeing you out on the trails.
With Production Run #1 completely sold out, we are now taking pre-orders for PR 2. Get yours in soon.
AdvenChair's grandest achievement yet: Bright Angel Trail in Grand Canyon National Park.
AdvenChair hiking wheelchair on Bright Angel Trail in Grand Canyon National Park
In 1869, when John Wesley Powell led the first crew of explorers down the Colorado River into what is now known as the Grand Canyon, he had no idea what kind of destructive forces lay ahead. In fact, shortly after beginning the journey, one of their wooden boats overturned in a rock-filled cataract and almost instantly split apart into kindling, destroying a full third of the group’s provisions. It only got worse from there.
Similarly, when Geoff Babb took a team of adventurers down the Bright Angel Trail in 2016, attempting to reach the Colorado River in a modified human-powered wheelchair, he was not prepared for the destructive forces that lay ahead either. In his case, it was the virtually endless assortment of water bars – large logs or rocks that stick up across the trail to divert rain and snow melt. After going up and over several hundred of them within the first two miles, the axle on his chair gave way and Babb’s journey was over.
However, just like Powell a century-and-a-half before, Babb and his team were not to be deterred. And, having learned from the first experience, they vowed to return with equipment much better suited for the challenge. Did they ever?
Less than six years after his breakdown, Babb went back to “the Big Ditch” in late April with a totally new chair – AdvenChair 3.0 – which he and his team helped create. And succeeded.
“Breaking down on our Grand AdvenChair in 2016 is the best thing that could’ve happened to the first chair,” said Babb, whose mobility remains severely limited following two brain stem strokes. “It made us take a step back and look at strengthening every aspect of the chair and the team.”
Babb brought in design engineer Jack Arnold, who became instrumental in developing an all-terrain wheelchair using mountain bike parts for durability, versatility and easy maintenance. He also added multiple contact points to allow the crew to steer, pull, brake and lift.
With shock-absorbing mountain bike tires, adjustable handlebars and hand brakes, an adjustable seat and harness, a team of one to six people can navigate AdvenChair 3.0 over all types of rugged terrain, mud, sand and snow, allowing people with mobility challenges to experience the serenity and grandeur of wild places with family and friends.
The prototype AdvenChair 2.0 debuted in December of 2019 with a dazzling orange powder-coat finish and went through extensive testing and a few modifications in 2020.
“What’s unique about AdvenChair is that it’s as versatile as it is durable,” said Arnold. “The seat can adjust to handle young children as well as large adults. And since it easily converts into a normal-size wheelchair, it can go indoors and be transported on planes, trains and buses, not to mention the trunk of a car.”
Despite the inevitable complications due to the COVID 19 pandemic, Babb began taking orders and received his first shipment of upgraded AdvenChair 3.0 chairs in June of 2021. Already, the chairs have found their way into some pretty incredible places, including the ancient city of Machu Picchu in Peru, an outdoor school near Eugene, and the televisions of countless Oregonians on Oregon Field Guide.
In training for the Grand AdvenChair 2 over the past three months, the team made first ascents of Burma Road at Smith Rock State Park and Grey Butte, which requires a climb of more than 2,600 feet.
The Grand Canyon’s Bright Angel Trail presented a vertical drop of more than 4,800 feet over 10 miles, complicated by more than 3,000 water bars with protruding rebar, as well as countless natural rock obstacles, plus stretches of mud and sand. The return trip brought the same challenges in reverse with temperatures hovering well over 90 degrees.
“We knew the Bright Angel Trail would be difficult,” said Babb. “There’s simply no way to prepare for the relentless water bars, some of them more than a foot tall and at awkward angles. It really gives you no break for the entire 10 miles to Phantom Ranch.”
AdvenChair hiking wheelchair guided down a rocky section of Bright Angel Trail
Human "mules" guide the offroad hiking chair AdvenChair over water bars at the Grand Canyon
A group of 10 men and women, (affectionately known as “mules”) took shifts pushing, pulling, lifting and braking Babb down and back up the 10-mile Bright Angel Trail over the course of four days. Another 14 volunteers provided support at a campground on the canyon rim.
“I just can’t say enough about this chair and my incredible team of mules,” said Babb. They all performed well beyond my expectations. We couldn’t possibly replicate the difficulty of this trail in our training ventures. But through our selfless teamwork and collective problem-solving skills, we were able to handle everything the trail could dish out. ”
Not only that, the team managed to keep Babb stretched out, well fed, relatively sunburn free and even cooled his feet in a frog-filled creek.
“I’m also extremely grateful for the additional support of local companies like Food for the Sole, Picky Bars, Laird Superfood, Smith Rock Coffee Roasters and Hydaway who helped us all stay nourished and hydrated every step of the way,” added Babb.
As an avid hiker, mountain biker and backpacker in his younger days, Babb sees AdvenChair as the conduit for a lifelong passion to be active outdoors. He also envisions the chair fulfilling his firm belief that people with limited mobility can still experience the splendor and uplifting serenity of wild places beyond where the pavement ends.
“Exploring the Grand Canyon has been a dream of mine, especially since our initial failure,” said Babb. “I got to experience the grandeur of the canyon rocks, the prickly pear cactus hanging from its walls and the princess plume flower that reaches its yellow blooms to the sky. Completing this trip validates that we have created a chair that can take dreamers like me to amazing depths – and heights – with a little help from our friends.”
Our thanks to the River and Rim teams that got Geoff down to the Colorado River, and, most importantly, back to the Rim!
River Team
Yvonne Babb, Dennis Fiore*, Dave Green, Adam Peterson, Patty Caballero, Dave Zimmerman, David Taylor, Lucas Eschelbach*, Kirk Metzger, Cam Davis, Matt Nugent, Jinny Reed, Ethan Mentzer and Geoff Babb. *Dennis and Lucas were with us in spirit as last-minute medical issues kept them at home.
Rim Team
Jack Arnold, Amy Kazmier, John Hunsaker, Mark McGraw, Sandy Gebhard, Clover Earl, Tom Zell, Tracy Ayers, Uriel Fox, Julie Hunsaker, Phil Henderson, Mike Turner, Shelly Arnold, Glen Corbett (and Paxey), Jodi Gregston, Valerie Reed and Nancy McGraw.
And for the support of our Sponsors and Donors.
AdvenChair's Grand Adventure sponsors
FOR OUTDOOR SCHOOLS
AdvenChair proves to be a game-changer for kids at Outdoor Schools.
Albert Einstein once said, “Keep sowing your seed, for you never know which will grow – perhaps it all will.”
When Geoff Babb got his first job in environmental education with the Multnomah Education Service District (MESD) in 1982, he had no idea that it would bear fruit when he launched his AdvenChair hiking wheelchair business almost 40 years later. But that’s exactly what happened when MESD purchased the tenth and final chair of AdvenChair’s first-ever production run earlier this year.
MESD’s program serves all 6th-grade students throughout the Multnomah County area and has a number of wheelchairs to accommodate various student needs. Not surprisingly, most of these wheelchairs were either donated or purchased many years ago and have limited abilities for off-road use. So when Jennifer Basham, the district’s Senior Outdoor School Program Administrator, discovered AdvenChair through the Outdoor School network, seeds of change immediately took root.
Jennifer met AdvenChairman Geoff Babb at a conference where he shared the benefits of the chair for students attending Outdoor School. Through newsletters and videos on the web, she also learned that other Outdoor School programs, like CampFire Wilani in Springfield, Oregon, were using the chair with great success. As CampFire Wilani CEO, Elissa Kobrin describes it:
“When a school calls me and says, ‘We have a student with limited mobility who’s in a wheelchair,’ it’s really great to have the AdvenChair on hand and be able to say, ‘Yes, you can come!’
It was so exciting this year to bring Scarlett down our steep steps all the way down to the canoe area. And to see her laughing and smiling and being in a canoe because of the AdvenChair was so amazing. To be able to see every child have access here, it just changes your life.”
For MESD, many of their chairs had outdated functionality, as well as components that aren’t easily fixed or replaced. The deciding factor for Jennifer in purchasing the AdvenChair was that most of the components are mountain bike parts, which gives us the ability to easily service and maintain the chair.
“Knowing that we are able to keep the chair in top working condition for the number of students who will use it is invaluable!” she exclaimed.
MESD also chose AdvenChair for its versatility both as a regular wheelchair and as an easy-to-use hiking vehicle for kids of all shapes and sizes.
“The team at AdvenChair is phenomenal!” exclaimed Jennifer. “I was in awe with the tutorial on how to utilize the chair and the incredible adaptability. From the locking mechanisms to the adjustable head and foot rests that can be positioned comfortably to support any body shape, they have truly thought of everything."
“In addition to the tutorial on how to adjust the AdvenChair, we were able to take it for a trial ride to test it out. This gave us the perfect opportunity to understand and see it in action before taking it out with a student.”
Ultimately, the real value of getting an AdvenChair became apparent after the purchase, when students participated in guiding companions with disabilities over rugged terrain and up steep hills.
“One of the most amazing aspects of this chair is the ability for all of our students to participate in all aspects of the Outdoor School program and become fully immersed in nature,” said Jennifer. “Having an AdvenChair on-site provides a sense of belonging during the experience that cannot be measured.
“Not only will this chair support students who come to our program in a wheelchair, but it will also help to build a stronger connection and relationships between students who are steering or pulling the chair up or down various terrain.”
Team building and bonding is an outcome Geoff Babb has come to expect whenever friends join him for an AdvenChair outing. He is thrilled to see it take place on a daily basis with MESD.
“Since we invented AdvenChair, it has been my inspiration to make Outdoor School accessible to all,” said Geoff. “With my roots at MESD, it’s even more gratifying to see it come to fruition.”
The Oregon State University Extension Outdoor School Office also supports and guides outdoor schools in Oregon. Its staff is dedicated to supporting the needs of schools and providers to ensure that all students have access to equipment to help students fully participate in outdoor school activities. If an AdvenChair or any other piece of equipment will help do that, please reach out to the OSU Extension Outdoor School Office https://outdoorschool.oregonstate.edu/.
“Every day at Outdoor School is spectacular when you can enjoy it with your classmates,” added Jennifer. “And that experience will last long after students return home.”
Albert Einstein probably couldn’t agree more.
Demo Day
Corvallis, September 24
Want to check out AdvenChair in the Willamette Valley?
Join us for Demo Day in Corvallis, September 24
We are excited to be working with the OSU Research Forests to organize an AdvenChair Demo Day at the Peavy Arboretum at NW Peavy Arboretum Rd, Corvallis, on Saturday, September 24 from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. Go here for more information and/or follow us on Facebook or Instagram.
If you are interested, even just partly, interested in attending, please drop us a note at info@advenchair.com so that we can plan accordingly.
AdvenChair is available for rent
By the day or week.
(Including Outdoor School)
Click here to get started.
AdvenChair hits the Patent Jackpot.
A funny thing happened on the way to the Grand Canyon. Well, maybe not ha-ha funny. But on the eve of our recent Grand AdvenChair expedition, the AdvenChair team received some news that left us positively giddy.
About 2-1/2 years ago, AdvenChair filed a claim to patent a number of significant innovations – 17 to be exact. In a nutshell, these claims included:
The system that converts from wheelchair mode to all-terrain mode.
The frame design (including the wheel cage handholds).
The forward beam (front wheel).
The tensioning line attachment points (for the straps).
The trailing link suspension on the front wheel.
The rotatable caster wheels.
The adjustable footrest.
The adjustable seating system.
The adjustable steering column.
And the entire three-wheeled all-terrain wheelchair.
Just before arriving at the Grand Canyon, we were informed that we had received a patent covering all of those specific claims.
What does that mean exactly? Quite simply, it guarantees that no other all-terrain wheelchair can copy our design without infringing on our granted patent claims. And that’s huge in terms of potential licensing agreements or the outright sale of the AdvenChair intellectual property.
Now that’s a chair that’s really going places!
AdvenChair extended family helps California clan fulfill an important dream.
Jacobs clan with the AdvenChair hiking wheelchair in Ojai, California
AdvenChair is making amazing things happen in new and unexpected places.
Allan Jacobs was a well-respected attorney in his hometown of Ojai, California, where he served his community in estate planning, trusts, wills and conservatorships. Allan’s love for the Ojai Valley and preserving open space for current and future generations led him to become an active board member of the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy (OVLC), a Southern California non-profit land protection organization that works to retain and restore open space, wildlife habitat, and watersheds. Through his work and dedication to land preservation in the Ojai Valley, Allan helped in the acquisition of countless acres of land, and raised significant amounts of money for the OVLC to secure and protect open land space and public access.
Until he passed away in October of 2017 at age 77, Allan could often be found hiking in the Ventura River Preserve and the nearby Los Padres National Forest. In fact, for his birthday every year, he encouraged family and friends to make the strenuous 12-mile climb with him to the top of Nordhoff Peak, an ascent of more than 3,000 feet.
To commemorate Allan’s contributions and dedication to the Ojai community, the OVLC established a 1.4-mile trail in his honor, fittingly named the Allan Jacobs Trail, or the “AJT” for short. Allan’s family, including his children and grandchildren helped build the AJT along with many volunteers and OVLC staff. At the halfway point of the trail, the OVLC put in a beautiful redwood bench where hikers can rest and enjoy spectacular views of the valley. The bench features a plaque dedicated to Allan and his surviving wife Janet.
When the trail was finished , Allan’s children, Anzac, Sarah, and Jesse set their mind to celebrate Allan’s birthday by taking a group hike on the trail with their extended families and friends. But there was one considerable problem: How to get 81-year-old Janet from the trailhead to the bench.
“The goal was for all of us to be together with Dad in spirit on the trail and at the bench,” said Anzac. “And since this year would’ve been their 50th wedding anniversary, it wouldn’t have been the same if Mom had to stay at home. She still gets around the house well, but she’s not fit for a hike on a rugged trail.”
The trail wasn’t wide enough for a quad ATV and riding a horse at Janet’s age was out of the question. So, Anzac began exploring off-road wheelchairs as a way to maneuver her along the trail and soon discovered AdvenChair on the Internet.
“AdvenChair was the first one I found made in the United States,” said Anzac. “It looked like it could do the job, so I contacted (AdvenChairman) Geoff Babb.”
Geoff responded right away and eventually connected Anzac with Robert and Nelly Kapan, the couple that took their AdvenChair to Machu Picchu last year.
“Since Anzac was only looking to do one outing, it made sense to have him borrow a chair,” said Geoff. “Luckily, Robert and Nelly live relatively close and were more than happy to offer a short-term rental of their AdvenChair and serve as ambassadors.”
Anzac received a thorough demonstration of the chair from the Kapans and after a few test runs on trails around the neighborhood, they were ready to go.
“I am not too mechanically inclined,” said Anzac. “But I had no trouble loading the AdvenChair into the car and getting the third wheel set up for the trail.
The trek was planned for Memorial Day and more than 40 family members, friends and kids of all ages met at the trailhead for the three-hour loop on a picture-perfect day.
Janet Jacob in the AdvenChair hiking wheelchair
“Mom felt very comfortable and safe in the AdvenChair and loved being the center of attention,” said Anzac. “The Land Conservancy set us up with a shortcut to my dad’s trail and there were about three or four of us pushing and pulling my mom. It was pretty intense, but the chair performed beautifully and we got her there!”
In addition to being a devoted wife and busy mom, Janet was a school teacher and potter. Hiking is not her passion, but she greatly appreciates the majestic beauty of Ojai’s open spaces, and the efforts of Allan and the OVLC to protect the land for all to enjoy.
“At Mom’s age, it’s easy to think that an outing like this would not be possible,” said Anzac. “We wouldn’t have been able to do it without Geoff’s chair. It created such a priceless memory for myself and my family. I can’t thank you guys enough.”
Geoff Babb, AdvenChairman
Thank you for supporting our adventure!
AdvenChair.com
AdvenChair team readies for the Grand AdvenChair 2 with successful first ascent of Gray Butte.
There may be no way to truly replicate the arduous 4,000-foot elevation change in tackling the Grand Canyon’s Bright Angel Trail to the Colorado River and back. But some of the training missions the AdvenChair team has taken on over the past few weeks come pretty close.
The AdvenChair team on the first wheelchair ascent of Gray Butte
There may be no way to truly replicate the arduous 4,000-foot elevation change in tackling the Grand Canyon’s Bright Angel Trail to the Colorado River and back. But some of the training missions the AdvenChair team has taken on over the past few weeks come pretty close.
After managing the first successful wheelchair ascents of Horse Butte and Burma Road at Smith Rock State Park in Oregon (read here), Geoff Babb and his merry band of “mules” concluded their training for this spring’s venture to the bottom of the Grand Canyon by becoming the first wheelchair team to summit Gray Butte, just east of Smith Rock.
From April 25-28, a team of a dozen hearty men and women will accompany Geoff on the “Grand AdvenChair 2,” his second attempt to reach the Colorado River via the Bright Angel Trail. Another 15 folks from as far away as Wisconsin and Florida will be providing support on the Canyon Rim. This time Geoff will be riding in his amazing AdvenChair 3.0, an all-terrain wheelchair that is nimble and durable enough to handle the 3,000+ water bars that turn the demanding trail into a 10-mile obstacle course.
Climbing Gray Butte on April 9 was the perfect warmup for the Grand Canyon and further proof that AdvenChair is the ultimate vehicle for exploring wild places. From the Skull Hollow trailhead, the elevation gain over the four-mile route to the summit of Gray Butte is 3,108 ft. By comparison, the last push up the Bright Angel Trail climbs 3,080 ft in five miles.
“After our climb of Gray Butte, the AdvenChair team is confident that we are ready for the Bright Angel Trail,” said Geoff. “The mules are doing a great job of communicating, problem-solving, and making the most of the equipment.”
AdvenChair would like to thank everyone, including our sponsors, who have helped us get this far. We hope everyone will follow us on Instagram and Facebook for updates on this historic and epic trek. Onward!
Getting Outdoors When You’re Disabled
People are disabled in countless different ways, so there are a few practical tips that will apply to everyone. Yet a few key things can improve your experience. Here are a few featured in this great article from Outside Online.
Image courtesy of Outdoor Online
People are disabled in countless different ways, so there are few practical tips that will apply to everyone. Yet a few key things can improve your experience.
In 2015, I developed multiple tickborne illnesses after a day hike on Minnesota’s north shore. I remember pulling a tick from my sleeve, marveling that it was, quite literally, the size of a poppy seed. Two weeks later, I had a fever of 104. My body has never quite been the same since; more than that, my mind, my understanding of life, has changed. How can anything in the world be predictable when your own body isn’t? In the months and years it took to return to anything resembling my previous health, any period of time without symptoms felt like a winning streak at a casino—destined, with each good day, to come to a more crashing end.
It may not be easy to get outdoors when you’re working with new—or long-term—limitations, but it can still be meaningful. When Mike Passo, Executive Director of American Trails, was 20, he broke his back while mountain biking. “The thing that occurred to me in the hospital,” he told me, “was that I wasn’t bummed because I couldn’t walk anymore, or that I needed to go to the bathroom differently. I was bummed because I couldn’t mountain bike anymore.” The epiphany he had—that people define themselves by recreation; that it is, in fact, an act of self-creation—has shaped the course of his career as a trails advocate. “I think maybe people don’t realize how important that recreation is.”
When I was sickest, I sat outside. That alone was hard. The sky was too bright; the air too cold, or else too hot. And though at other times in my life I’d had grand outdoor adventures–a thru-hike, arctic expeditions–it was some of those simple moments, teeth chattering on the porch in 65 degrees, that felt both hardest and most important. It’s one of the reasons I care so much now about breaking down conceptions of outdoor achievement, that false, hierarchical value system that says climbing mountains is more important, more admirable than enjoying the warm sunlight, or watching a caterpillar in the grass. Because even when I felt my worst, I could still get a little bit outside myself by, well, getting outside. My thoughts and worries were human, and nature was where I could go to escape them.
People are disabled in countless different ways, so there are few practical tips that will apply to everyone. But some things can help: breaking down preconceptions, being gentle with yourself, and keeping your expectations fluid. It’s about finding the place of overlap between what your body and your spirit both need.
Try Just Being
If hiking or moving through nature isn’t in the cards for you right now, try going outside and just being. Bring things that will keep you comfortable—snacks, water, blankets—and go to a place where you’ll be undisturbed, or ask a friend to drop you off and pick you up again a bit later. While you’re there, you can journal, make art, watch birds, meditate, read, play on your phone—whatever you’re drawn to do. There’s a lot of research to show that just being in nature has psychological benefits, but in this case, you’re doing your own research: figuring out what feels right for you.
Get Information
The fact that every disabled person’s needs are different means there’s no universal standard for what makes a trail or outdoor space “accessible.” Instead, activists for accessible outdoors often focus on information. “Instead of saying a trail is accessible,” Passo explains, “you say, well, this trail has 30 percent grades for 60 feet, and it gets narrow, down to 28 inches wide for 20 feet… So you can decide for yourself if you can navigate that steep grade or that narrow section.”
Last year, he and other activists testified before congress about adding in-depth trail descriptions to recreation.gov, a federal website that lists access points on public land. A project is underway to update the site with more information. Until then, there are other ways to look up info about where you’re going—although they’re still too limited. Naturefortheblind.com offers a directory of international braille trails, including context about trail distance, surface, guide ropes, and whether they’re wheelchair accessible. And regional resources, like Wisconsin’s Open Outdoors, might help you to learn more about possibilities in your area.
Explore a Water Trail
Passo loves water trails: routes through nature (often gentle rivers) that you can canoe or kayak instead of traveling on land, if that works better for you. You can search for local options through the National Water Trails System.
Be Open to Changing Plans
Try to build in a few options for what you’ll do on a given day outside. For instance, you might choose a trail that has shortcuts back, or different loops, so you can decide at multiple points whether you want to keep going or not. Or you might choose an activity, like fishing, stargazing, or foraging in a small area, that gives you flexibility to leave—or stay—at any time. If you have the idea that “success” means going a certain distance or reaching a certain point, try to reframe that mindset; a successful outing isn’t one that looks a certain way on paper, but one that leaves you happier for having done it.
Find a Community
You may find that the outdoors community you resonate with most is largely able-bodied—maybe a group of local mycologists, for instance, if you love identifying mushrooms. But the internet can help you connect with a disabled outdoors community, too—people who cheer each other on, share resources, and organize for change. Check out Syren Nagakyrie’s Disabled Hikers on Instagram; their first book, The Disabled Hiker’s Guide to Western Washington and Oregon, will be available in summer 2022 (and is available for pre-order now). Other inclusive outdoors groups, like Jenny Bruso’s Unlikely Hikers, can offer inspiration, encouragement, and support.
Figure Out What the Outdoors Means to You
If you’ll allow me a tangent: when people take hunter safety classes, at some point—in between learning about game laws, field dressing, and wildlife identification—they learn the five stages of hunter development. These start with the Shooting Stage, when fledgling hunters just want to shoot things, and progress to the Trophy Stage—which seems like it might be the peak. But no, there’s a twist: after that, the hunting itself becomes less important. Stage four is about technique. And the highest level, stage five—the “Sportsman’s Stage”—is about simply being there for the experience. Whatever your feelings on hunting (perhaps your level is vegetarian), the wisdom in this hierarchy runs deep. The highest level of “achievement” isn’t the one with the greatest deliverables. The real triumph is about having the perspective to be present, to let go of expectations and encounter something as it really is.
ROLL BOLDLY Happy New Year 2022
I know that Fall Roll Boldly newsletter was just two short holiday months ago but I wanted to share a few things that have happened since then.
BY GEOFF BABB
I know that Fall Roll Boldly newsletter was just two short holiday months ago but I wanted to share a few things that have happened since then:
We had a white Christmas in Bend and a peaceful walk with friends along the Deschutes River.
Geoff and Yvonne Babb enjoy a White Christmas in the AdvenChair hiking wheelchair along the Deschutes River in Bend, Oregon.
Elizabeth Ruiz of Scripps News Service produced a very nice follow-up video to one that she had done a year ago. I particularly like this one because it includes Patrik Nabulek and Anne Trehue as they share their experiences and visions with their AdvenChair. Thank you for telling our story Elizabeth!
Patrik Nabulek in the AdvenChair adventure wheelchair with his mother, Anne Trehue
Jule Gilfillen of Oregon Public Broadcasting told the story of the Advenchair on Oregon Field Guide. Marcia Volk of Smithrock.com provided the background on the filming of the Adventure Wheelchair at Smith Rock State Park.
The really neat backstory is that Jule and I discovered early on that her dad, Warren “Mr. Gil” Gilfillen, interviewed me for my first position with Multnomah County, Oregon, (Portland) Outdoor School 40 years ago. This job was not only the impetus for wanting to use the AdvenChair to give kids with disabilities the opportunity to fully participate in outdoor school, but it also allowed me to meet my wife of now 36 years!
Adventure Wheelchair filming for Oregon Field Guide for Oregon Public Broadcasting
I am grateful that we were able to help Robert and Nelly Kapen to knock Machu Picchu off their bucket list. Travel to Peru with this compilation by Cam Davis and blog and videos by “Team Kapen”.
Robert Kapen going along the treacherous steep path up Machu Picchu in the AdvenChair.
Team Kapen the AdvenChair adventure wheelchair in Machu Picchu
I am thankful for the financial support of Mark Meyers and his family toward an update to the AdvenChair brochure.
I am ever so grateful for the incredible work of the AdvenChair Leadership Team consisting of Jack Arnold, Dave Green, Brian Leininger, John Hunsaker, Amy Kazmier, and Brian Tandy, and office support of Lizzie Schneider.
And finally, many thanks to the Backcountry Information Center staff at Grand Canyon National Park for our permit to camp on the Bright Angel Trail for Grand AdvenChair 2 in April 2022.
Thanks to so many for so much!
Geoff Babb, AdvenChairman
Thank you for supporting our adventure!
AdvenChair.com
AdvenChair knocks Machu Picchu off the bucket list.
So much for starting slowly and gradually picking up speed. Less than three months off the assembly line, one of the first ten AdvenChairs ever made has already explored one of the eight wonders of the world.
Team Kapen at Machu Picchu with the AdvenChair
So much for starting slowly and gradually picking up speed. Less than three months off the assembly line, one of the first ten AdvenChairs ever made has already explored one of the eight wonders of the world.
“We wanted to make an all-terrain chair that would enable people with disabilities and physical challenges to roll boldly into wild places and achieve important milestones with the help of family and friends,” said Geoff Babb, AdvenChairman and Founder of AdvenChair. “Team Kapen wasted no time in doing just that.”
“Team Kapen” is spearheaded by 33-year-old Robert Kapen, who survived a brain stem stroke at the early age of 23, and his wife Nelly, who was born and raised in Peru. Their venture to the ancient Incan city of Machu Picchu in August was a dream come true for both of them. Nelly finally got to see her country’s most famous landmark. And Robert finally found a vehicle that could quench his burning desire to explore off the beaten path with minimal limitations.
After struggling to engage with the wilderness in his regular wheelchair, the couple from southern California discovered AdvenChair with its durable and nimble mountain-bike inspired design. With their proposed family trip to Machu Picchu just a few weeks away, they took a side trip to Bend on a visit to the Northwest and did an extensive test drive of the AdvenChair and got well acquainted with Geoff and Yvonne Babb.
Robert Kapen going along the treacherous steep path up Machu Picchu in the AdvenChair.
As a fellow brain stem stroke survivor and outdoor lover, Robert Kapen found a kindred spirit in Geoff Babb, and was immediately drawn to AdvenChair’s mountain bike components and safety features, like brakes, wheels and tires, and handlebars.
“When my other chair needed to be lifted over obstacles, people would jump in and start accidentally ripping off parts,” said Robert. “They’d say, ‘Oops, hope you don’t need that.’ But on our first excursions with AdvenChair, if we needed help, they immediately knew where to grab. I felt much safer in this chair with all the belts, shocks and handlebars.”
With the help of Team Kapen’s fundraising efforts, purchasing an AdvenChair and taking it almost directly to Peru was a no-brainer.
“Having just this one chair was so convenient in terms of space, durability, and safety,” said Nelly. “The AdvenChair held up to everything we threw at it, from taking it apart and putting it together, transferring in and out of vehicles. But most importantly, climbing the trail at extreme altitude couldn’t have been easier. "
The ancient Incans obviously didn’t design the trails to the remote Andes city with AdvenChair in mind. Nor did the modern trains and taxis in Cuzco for that matter. But with a little ingenuity and perseverance, Nelly and her family were able to maneuver Robert through airports, on to shuttle buses and trains in its wheelchair mode. Then after making the easy switch to all-terrain mode on the big day, the team was able to use the slightly wider and safer return path to reach Machu Picchu.
“We couldn’t have done this trip without AdvenChair,” said Robert. “I feel so blessed, grateful, and loved that the people I call my community stepped up and faithfully gave money. The only way I know to truly thank them and God for the awesome providence they bestowed on me is to use the chair continually and spread God’s message of love, peace, and grace everywhere I travel.”
You can’t ask for a better testimonial than that. To see Team Kapen’s photo-packed account of their Machu Picchu expedition check out their Instagram reels below and then visit the blogpost on our website.
ROLL BOLDLY Fall 2021
Just when we all thought it was safe to take our masks off and venture outside again...Along came the second half of 2021, which was especially challenging for the AdvenChair team and me personally.
Oregon Field Guide films the AdvenChair at Smith Rock State Park for its “Adventure Wheelchair’ on Oregon Public Broadcasting.
BY GEOFF BABB
Just when we all thought it was safe to take our masks off and venture outside again...Along came the second half of 2021, which was especially challenging for the AdvenChair team and me personally.
Not only did the world get hit with a COVID variant that was nastier than the original:
AdvenChair’s Demo Days were all but wiped out by wildfire smoke and poor air quality.
The Portland Parkinson's Cycling Fair was canceled by heat dome (a new extreme weather event) and Destination Rehab’s SOAR Day did not go as planned.
I ended up spending two stints in the hospital to untwist my colon.
But the past six months have been far from tragedy and disappointment. We had numerous rewarding demo and orientation hikes. We delivered almost all of our first production run of 10 AdvenChairs and watched them go off to Machu Picchu in Peru (see below), an outdoor school in Oregon, and other amazing places. And we had a trifecta of videographers tell our story in three unique ways for KTVZ News, Central Oregon Daily, and OPB’s Oregon Field Guide (see our press library)
Yes, these are turbulent, yet exciting, times to be sure. But we're making steady progress and learning a ton along the way. And most importantly, we are now accepting orders for Production Run #2 in 2022. So we begin the next exciting stage of our journey.
But first, it’s the perfect time of year to say how grateful I am for all of the team and family members, doctors and nurses, firefighters and frontline COVID-fighters, and all people who love the outdoors for their dedication, perseverance and support.
Onward! (Or as our Peruvian amigos say, Adelante!)
—Geoff Babb, AdvenChairman
AdvenChair knocks Machu Picchu off the bucket list.
Team Kapen at Machu Picchu with the AdvenChair
So much for starting slowly and gradually picking up speed. Less than three months off the assembly line, one of the first ten AdvenChairs ever made has already explored one of the eight wonders of the world.
“We wanted to make an all-terrain chair that would enable people with disabilities and physical challenges to roll boldly into wild places and achieve important milestones with the help of family and friends,” said Geoff Babb, AdvenChairman and Founder of AdvenChair. “Team Kapen wasted no time in doing just that.”
“Team Kapen” is spearheaded by 33-year-old Robert Kapen, who survived a brain stem stroke at the early age of 23, and his wife Nelly, who was born and raised in Peru. Their venture to the ancient Incan city of Machu Picchu in August was a dream come true for both of them. Nelly finally got to see her country’s most famous landmark. And Robert finally found a vehicle that could quench his burning desire to explore off the beaten path with minimal limitations.
After struggling to engage with the wilderness in his regular wheelchair, the couple from southern California discovered AdvenChair with its durable and nimble mountain-bike inspired design. With their proposed family trip to Machu Picchu just a few weeks away, they took a side trip to Bend on a visit to the Northwest and did an extensive test drive of the AdvenChair and got well acquainted with Geoff and Yvonne Babb.
Robert Kapen going along the treacherous steep path up Machu Picchu in the AdvenChair.
As a fellow brain stem stroke survivor and outdoor lover, Robert Kapen found a kindred spirit in Geoff Babb, and was immediately drawn to AdvenChair’s mountain bike components and safety features, like brakes, wheels and tires, and handlebars.
“When my other chair needed to be lifted over obstacles, people would jump in and start accidentally ripping off parts,” said Robert. “They’d say, ‘Oops, hope you don’t need that.’ But on our first excursions with AdvenChair, if we needed help, they immediately knew where to grab. I felt much safer in this chair with all the belts, shocks and handlebars.”
With the help of Team Kapen’s fundraising efforts, purchasing an AdvenChair and taking it almost directly to Peru was a no-brainer.
“Having just this one chair was so convenient in terms of space, durability, and safety,” said Nelly. “The AdvenChair held up to everything we threw at it, from taking it apart and putting it together, transferring in and out of vehicles. But most importantly, climbing the trail at extreme altitude couldn’t have been easier. "
The ancient Incans obviously didn’t design the trails to the remote Andes city with AdvenChair in mind. Nor did the modern trains and taxis in Cuzco for that matter. But with a little ingenuity and perseverance, Nelly and her family were able to maneuver Robert through airports, on to shuttle buses and trains in its wheelchair mode. Then after making the easy switch to all-terrain mode on the big day, the team was able to use the slightly wider and safer return path to reach Machu Picchu.
“We couldn’t have done this trip without AdvenChair,” said Robert. “I feel so blessed, grateful, and loved that the people I call my community stepped up and faithfully gave money. The only way I know to truly thank them and God for the awesome providence they bestowed on me is to use the chair continually and spread God’s message of love, peace, and grace everywhere I travel.”
You can’t ask for a better testimonial than that. To see Team Kapen’s photo-packed account of their Machu Picchu expedition check out their Instagram reels below and then visit the blogpost on our website.
Lights. Camera. AdvenChair!
Geoff Babb from Central Oregon Daily News Shevlin Park video
A busy summer on the trails has thrust AdvenChair into the spotlight in the past few weeks. Not one. Not two. But three different news and lifestyle programs have done feature stories about AdvenChair recently.
In August, KTVZ’s Leslie Cano reported on how the mountain bike circuit course surrounding The Loge in Bend is the perfect place for people to check out the AdvenChair and take free demo rides into the nearby wilderness. The scheduled Demo Days got off to a bit of a rocky start with smoky skies coming earlier than usual last summer. But you can bet the AdvenChair team will be out offering more rides as soon as the trails clear next spring. Check out the video here.
On a brisk morning in September, storyteller Eric Lindstrom of Central Oregon Daily News met the AdvenChair and Oregon Adaptive Sports crews for a hike through Shevlin Park. With the enthusiastic Kim O’Kelley-Leigh along for the ride, Lindstrom shared about the healing and rejuvenating power of being outdoors, and how AdvenChair is an absolute game changer for people with mobility challenges, offering them a better quality of life. View the Central Oregon Daily News video here.
Also this summer, AdvenChair’s unique and uplifting story caught the attention of Jule Gilfillan, a producer with Oregon Public Broadcasting’s long-running Oregon Field Guide program. A crew from OPB joined Geoff and Bend college student Isaac Shannon for a spirited trek through Smith Rock State Park in August and the seven-minute video segment premiered on Thursday, November 11 at 8:30 pm. Check out the short teaser video here, then click below for the full episode.
As a side note, Geoff and Jule made an important connection right away: Jule’s dad, Warren Gilfillen (aka Mr. Gil), had interviewed Geoff for his first job with Multnomah Outdoor School in 1981. This was not only the beginning of his connection to outdoor education but was where he met his future wife Yvonne.)
“Getting featured on Oregon Field Guide, as well as locally on Central Oregon Daily and KTVZ News recently is very rewarding for us,” said Geoff. “People are starting to take notice and frequently know who we are when they see us in Central Oregon. Hopefully, it will be the same way when we venture into other parts of the Northwest next year.”
Rolling into production 2022. Order your AdvenChair now.
Like most popular hikes in the Cascades or any other mountain range, 2021 has had its share of ups and downs. But as we approach the summit, we definitely like the view from where we are and can’t wait to see what lies ahead in 2022. We already know that AdvenChairs from our first production run will be exploring trails from Canada to New Zealand; and plans are in the works to take on the famous Camino de Santiago in Spain and the Bright Angel Trail to the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
The question is, where will you take your AdvenChair when the next fleet arrives next summer? We are now taking orders for our second production run and suggest you place your order soon. We know the holidays are approaching and budgets are tight. But this is a great time of year for fundraising. And flexible payment plans are available. To order an Advenchair for yourself, your loved one or your organization, visit advenchair.com/products. Please contact us directly if you have any questions at info@advenchair.com.
Until next time, keep on rolling boldly.
ROLL BOLDLY Summer 2021
As I watched the assembly of the first production run of AdvenChairs – about 12 months and a brutal pandemic later than initially anticipated – I am so thankful for all the incredible help and support that we have received so far to bring the project to this point. When I started this letter, we had sold five chairs, but just today a check came in for chair number six and the first installment for number seven is in the mail. Yet, for all of our accomplishments over the past tumultuous year, I think that Scarlett’s smile in the photo above shows why we’ve worked so hard to get where we are today.
AdvenChairman of The Onward Project, LLC and the visionary of the AdvenChair, Geoff Babb.
BY GEOFF BABB
As I watched the assembly of the first production run of AdvenChairs – about 12 months and a brutal pandemic later than initially anticipated – I am so thankful for all the incredible help and support that we have received so far to bring the project to this point.
We were in the HeliLadder shop, generously donated by owners Dale and Susie Neubauer. Over the course of a week, the team of 20 volunteers was led by design engineer Jack Arnold and included a highly skilled group of production and mechanical engineers, as well as bike, auto and motorcycle mechanics, and a computer programmer. In other words, people who pay attention to detail.
When I started this letter, we had sold five chairs, but just today a check came in for chair number six and the first installment for number seven is in the mail. Now the buyer of chair number eight is committed to a point where we can put a “sold” tag on it. We now have two chairs left to sell! Order yours now to buy at the original introductory price of $9,950.
We're excited that an AdvenChair was rented by an outdoor school operated by Campfire, meeting our goals of reaching the rental, environmental education, and youth camp audiences.
And we are honored to have our story told by Oregon Field Guide, during the upcoming season of this long-running program on Oregon Public Broadcasting.
We have a busy summer of events ahead, including opportunities to demo and rent AdvenChair (read on for details) and we hope to see many of you out there soon.
Yet, for all of our accomplishments over the past tumultuous year, I think that Scarlett’s smile in the photo above shows why we’ve worked so hard to get where we are today. Thank you all for your support.
Onward!
AdvenChair Makes Happier Campers
Scarlett is a happy camper in the AdvenChair all-terrain wheelchair
Songs and skits around the campfire. Laughing with friends in the cabins. Wearing wood-cookie name tags with our camp name. We all have our favorite memories from outdoor school. But for Scarlett, a 5th grader from an elementary school near Eugene, Oregon, just being able to experience outdoor school with her classmates was a special memory in and of itself. And it’s all thanks to AdvenChair.
Scarlett’s standard wheelchair would not have negotiated the trails at Camp Wilani Outdoor School near Veneta, Oregon. So her school rented an AdvenChair for the week. Executive Director, Elissa Kobrin, took advantage of Measure 99 funding through the Oregon State University Extension Service Outdoor School Program to pay for it. Measure 99 is funded by the Oregon Lottery and provides $22 million annually to support Outdoor Schools in the state.
“What an amazing opportunity AdvenChair gave this 5th grader!” said Gina Huckins, Scarlett’s teacher. “Scarlett was able to access so many new experiences and learning opportunities that wouldn't have been available to her with her regular wheelchair. Thank you, AdvenChair, for allowing her to have the experience of a lifetime!”
Campfire Wilani Council, which provides the facility and staff for the school, was so impressed with the AdvenChair that it applied for, and received, additional Measure 99 funding to purchase a chair to use in their year-round youth programs.
Said Kobrin: “We are so grateful to receive the funding from OSU Extension so that we will be able to offer an AdvenChair to those needing help for years to come.”
For more information about the OSU Extension Service Outdoor School Program, contact outdoorschool@oregonstate.edu. The AdvenChair will be available for weekly rental by outdoor schools in the fall of 2021. Contact info@advenchair.com for more information.
Wild Places Here We Come!
Have you seen the reports on social media? Hikers in the forests of Oregon have been catching fleeting glimpses of a mysterious fast-moving object. It leaves very distinct tracks on the dirt trails. But rather than being dark, lumbering and apelike, it’s bright orange, streamlined and extremely agile.
It’s called the AdvenChair, of course. It’s the missing link that allows people with mobility challenges to explore the wilderness off the beaten path. And now it can be revealed that there is not just one AdvenChair roaming the terrain, but a whole fleet of them! And soon, they will frequently be seen on trails in the Pacific Northwest and well beyond.
The first ten AdvenChairs have been meticulously assembled by our team of 20 volunteers, led by Design Engineer Jack Arnold; and eight of them are being delivered to their proud new owners.
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The privilege of purchasing the very first AdvenChair goes to Jason deVries of Portland, Oregon. You may remember, Jason originally planned to use his AdvenChair to take his dad, Vern, who has Parkinson’s Disease, on hikes into the Cascades, including his favorite outing to Marion Lakes. Unfortunately, Vern’s health took a turn for the worse over the past year and he may not be able to venture far from the Veteran’s Home in Lebanon, Oregon, where he lives. So Jason plans to offer the AdvenChair to everyone at the Veteran’s Home. He is working closely with the director of activities to make sure the staff is trained to use it, so other veterans can enjoy it as well.
Here’s what Jason had to say about purchasing the first AdvenChair:
“It’s really an honor, knowing the great person Geoff [Babb] is, his passion for adventure, and his vision to help assist people in getting outdoors. It’s even more of an honor after having had the opportunity to meet some of the team working on getting these out into the world when I picked up my dad’s AdvenChair.”
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Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, Florida is a public garden that has 250,000 visitors annually. Their purchase of an AdvenChair comes at an important time as the garden is ramping up its mobility efforts for visitors. It will also give AdvenChair great exposure on the East Coast.
“We have just purchased more electric carts and wheelchairs, and the AdvenChair will provide great access off the pathed paths on to mulched and gravel trails,” said David Price, Executive Director of the Gardens.
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The Trehu-Nabelek family from Corvallis, Oregon was able to test drive an AdvenChair before placing their order. Patrik has muscular dystrophy and uses a power chair for his daily activities, which include teaching mathematics at Oregon State University. He has big plans for his AdvenChair – a cross-country trip to Maine and a Christmas-time visit to New Zealand. We can't wait to see pictures from those trips!
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And speaking of international travel, Floyd McGregor's pilgrimage in an AdvenChair on the Camino de Santiago in Spain, delayed by the pandemic, is now back on the calendar for June 2022. Floyd suffers from myositis and his journey is meant to raise awareness of this muscle-wasting disease. Once he completes the trip he will donate the AdvenChair to another would-be Camino pilgrim. Floyd's need to change his body position frequently when in the AdvenChair inspired the design of the upper footrest option.
"Sometimes our goals are broadsided by no fault of our own, but the goal never dies,“ said Floyd. “A pandemic may delay us, yet our determination will keep us going.“
If you would like to help Floyd reach his goal, he has started a GoFundMe campaign to fund his chair: https://gofund.me. We wish him "buen Camino!"
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April Katz, Executive Director of The AIROW Project (Accessible Inclusive Recreation of Whatcom) in Bellingham, Washington is raising money to purchase an AdvenChair for her program. If you are interested in helping this young adaptive recreation program continue to grow contact https://airowproject.com/support-us.
It’s exciting to think that the AdvenChair will be used by young and old from Bellingham to Florida, and internationally in Spain and New Zealand!
AdvenChair Takes a Hike with Oregon Field Guide
After being featured on OPB Radio and NPR, AdvenChair is in the midst of completing the trifecta – a full seven-minute segment on the upcoming season of Oregon Field Guide.
Earlier this month, OPB Executive Producer Jule Gilfillan and videographer Stephani Gordon visited the HeliLadder headquarters to film the assembly of our new fleet of AdvenChairs. They also conducted extensive interviews with Geoff and Yvonne Babb, AdvenChair user Isaac Shannon, and Design Engineer Jack Arnold. When the recent scorching temperatures drop back to normal, OFG will return to film the AdvenChair team on a hike at Smith Rock State Park.
“We couldn’t be more honored or excited to get some attention from such a wonderful Oregon institution,” said AdvenChairman Geoff Babb. “I can’t wait until October or November to see how it turns out.”
Come See How We Roll
After a long COVID winter that seemed to last a whole year, summer is finally here and the trails are calling. To get you out there, we’re offering several opportunities to check out AdvenChair in Central Oregon this summer.
In collaboration with Cog Wild and LOGE Camp Bend, we will host three Demo Days where the AdvenChair team will explain and demonstrate how to use the chair on the LOGE Camp skills course and on the adjacent Rimrock trail system.
“The skills course loops and meander around the entire LOGE Camp property,” notes David Green, a frequent AdvenChair “mule”. “The variety of rock gardens, tight turns, and ramps provide the ideal proving ground for new AdvenChair riders and family members. And a short hike on the Rimrock trail offers a satisfying real-world experience.”
Demo Days take place Saturdays, July 10, August 7, and September 11. And if that whets your appetite for a longer hike along the Rimrock and Deschutes River trails, AdvenChairs will be available for half-day (4-hour) rentals, also at Cog Wild, on each of the following Sundays – July 11, August 8, and September 12,
To reserve your place for a free Demo Day ride, register at advenchair.com/demo-days. To rent an AdvenChair for $75/four hours, register at advenchair.com/rental-days.
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Also this summer, Oregon Adaptive Sports (OAS) will be offering free Community Hiking Days with AdvenChairs on four different Tuesdays (July 13 & 27, and August 10 & 24). OAS staff members will lead groups along some of Central Oregon’s favorite trails, including the Deschutes River Trail and Shevlin Park, from approximately 8:00 am to 2:00 pm. For more information, visit oregonadaptivesports.org/events/.
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And last but not least, you can check out AdvenChair at SOAR 2021, Destination Rehab’s special all-day event at the Bend Pavilion, Saturday, July 31 starting at 9:00 am. It’s designed to benefit individuals who have conditions such as stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, and Parkinson's disease.
“SOAR is an exciting day of wellness, sport, and outdoor activities specifically created for people with physical challenges and disabilities,” said Taylor Kopecky of Destination Rehab. “We encourage everyone to bring their family and friends for a free lunch and all kinds of activities”
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All of these events are subject to weather and healthy outdoor conditions. Extreme heat, thunderstorms, or smoke may cause cancellations on short notice. For up-to-date information, email info@advenchair.com.
Just Say "Yes" to Life
Just Say “Yes” to Life, a new book for stroke survivors and their families and caregivers, will be published in summer 2021 by Stroke Awareness Oregon in Bend. The book features stories of 23 stroke survivors from all over the U.S., ranging in ages from 17 to 71. Written to give solace to current survivors, the stories in Just Say “Yes” to Life detail how each person coped physically, emotionally, and psychologically in the aftermath of stroke.
The book will be available on Amazon in print (ISBN: 978-1-7372450-0-1), digital, and audio forms. https://strokeawarenessoregon.org/
Kerry Chaput tells Geoff Babb's story in “Rolling Boldly”.
Rolling Boldly—Geoff Babb
by Kerry Chaput
Geoff Babb will tell you that he didn’t suffer a stroke. He will tell you he survived one.
In 2005 Geoff was active in his career as a Bureau of Land Management fire ecologist, and an avid outdoorsman. He scaled rocks and hiked mountain peaks. His world revolved around connecting with nature and people, whether it be fighting wildfires or adventuring with his family through the Pacific Northwest’s stunning landscapes. He was an active father of twin boys, Cory and Emory, and a devoted husband to his wife, Yvonne.
On November 10, 2005, he had a headache and vomiting that lasted hours. Thinking it was simply dehydration, he monitored his symptoms and didn’t think too much of it. But twelve hours later the headache still persisted, and his speech started slurring. They knew it was time for a trip to the hospital.
“Things started to go downhill,” he said. “At one point I couldn’t hold my breath for more than a few seconds. They prepared to put me under to give me a breathing tube. I was getting pretty scared by then.” He was nervous about leaving his family, or not being what they needed. By 10pm he couldn’t move his left side, and by noon the next day, he was on a respirator.
When Yvonne visited him in the ICU the next day, the only thing he could do was blink his eyes. She kept her support positive, but he was fighting a lung infection, so she had to face the fear that he might not make it. Geoff could move his eyebrows and make minimal motions of his head, and so they began to learn new ways to communicate with each other. He started visualizing climbing Sisters mountain near his home in central Oregon, dreaming of the progress he hoped to make. Yvonne liked to think of his stroke as “just one more mountain to climb.”
Days were measured in centimeters of movement, tubes, surgeries, and needles. They learned right away to rejoice in every ounce of improvement, a twitch of a smile, a raise of an eyebrow. His circle of friends and family held the family up, showering them with support. Less than two weeks into his recovery, his firefighter friends hosted a barbeque in the hospital parking lot. The nurses were able to get him in a chair and wheel him to the window, where fifty people below cheered for him. Yvonne propped up his elbow so he could wave back. People continued to show up for their family in so many ways, and it gave them both the strength to keep fighting.
He was convinced that he needed to get out of the hospital. Even the rehabilitation facility didn’t feel right. “I wanted to be home. I felt that my progress would be better there.” While at rehab, he opted out of the power wheelchair, choosing instead to stay in a manual wheelchair, against the advice from some healthcare professionals. It was more work, and painstaking at times. But Geoff needed to feel the movement in his body. He soon discovered another benefit of the manual chair. “I found that moving slower, I was able to connect with people in the hospital. Those brief but deep connections with people were meaningful. I wouldn’t have had those moments if I used the power chair like the therapists wanted me to.”
Geoff returned home, and he and Yvonne faced new challenges. The progress Geoff was hoping for at home didn’t come. “A new body required a new response,” he said. Yvonne remembered that Geoff was so motivated that he wanted to exercise all the time, and over time that eventually began to wear on her. “I was the morning, afternoon, and night shift,” she said. “He once said, ‘if you could stretch me more,’ and I cut him off and said, ‘no, I can’t do more.’” She took baby steps towards a more balanced life for herself by leaning on her support group, and making time for walks with friends, and occasionally biking to work. She learned how to let family and friends assist Geoff with his two-hour nighttime routine so she could get a night off. Geoff was thankful, and his gratitude and patience helped her move forward.
His family faced another mountain to climb once he came home. “You become aware of all the barriers in the world when you are in a wheelchair,” Yvonne said. They were all on a new journey and learned as they went. One day Yvonne had a heart to heart with one of their sons, Cory, who was thirteen at the time. “I wanted to explain to him that things were going to be different. He said to me, ‘How? My dad is still my dad.’ That gave me strength.” Moreover, his sons lifted Geoff when he would fall and jumped at any opportunity to help their dad.
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As soon as he could, Geoff turned to the place that always restored him. Nature. Even sitting in his yard and taking in the fresh air and the views reset his frame of mind. The breeze, the clear air, and the quiet sounds of nature helped settle his worries and refocus him. He decided that nothing was going to stop him from returning to work and getting connected again with nature.
To his delight, his colleagues at the fire camp, whom he calls his summer family, approached him and asked how they could help get him back out in the field the next fire season. They set to work building a yurt with a ramp and access to a special ADA bathroom. The next season, he was out in the field again, creating plans to fight local wildfires. “These men would work sixteen-hour days and then help Geoff with his clothes and bathing,” Yvonne said. “ It brought me to tears.”
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Along the rushing Deschutes River in central Oregon lies a trail that Geoff has traversed many times. It’s a special place where pine trees gather, and black lava rock splits the river. Views of waterfalls and the meandering water create a hiker’s paradise. Geoff wasn’t about to let a stroke stop him from experiencing that again. He knew he needed a wheelchair that could get him into the outdoors. A dream was born. To create a wheelchair that would take him anywhere he desired.
Geoff enlisted the help of his friend Dale, a helicopter mechanic, to modify his regular wheelchair with more rugged tires, a detachable front wheel, handbrakes, and a harness. He called it the “Advenchair 1.0.” With help from friends and family, he hit the trail in his new wheelchair.
Unable to maneuver AdvenChair 1.0 over a difficult patch of rocks, his hiking partners lowered him to the ground, where he experienced the sensation that he remembered from rock climbing. “We had some great adventures in my original ‘AdvenChair,’” said Geoff, “all of which prepared us for a trip to the bottom of the Grand Canyon in 2016 … more or less.” After a broken axle on the Bright Angel Trail less than two miles down into the Grand Canyon, nature showed Geoff once again not what he couldn’t do, but what he could work towards. The wheelchairs available were not going to cut it, but Geoff wasn’t about to give up. It was back to the drawing board. “Each setback is a gift,” Geoff said. It provides another opportunity for improvement.
It was time to get creative. Pulling from the creativity he never realized was inside of him, he began to work on the design of an all-terrain wheelchair. He needed something sturdy that could stand up to the rugged terrain of his favorite hiking trails. He knew that his biggest obstacle was not his stroke, but the equipment available to him. He worked with a CAD designer and Yvonne and Dale to create the next version of the AdvenChair, one that could take him back out to the therapeutic power of nature. He believed that with the right chair, nothing was off limits.
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On November 10, 2017, it all came to a grinding halt when he experienced another stroke, on the other side of his brainstem. Twelve years to the day of his initial incident, he was back in the hospital, fighting through another stroke. Yvonne remembered the doctors shocking his heart to stabilize his atrial fibrillation. “As they’re shocking him with the paddles, I was cheering him from behind the curtain in between sobs.”
He had to relearn how to swallow, how to speak, and use his right hand. Severe muscle spasms required a pump implanted in his stomach. His body once again fought infection after infection through months in the hospital. People like to joke with him, telling him to avoid November 10 like it’s jinxed. He says it’s the opposite. “I say it’s a day to celebrate. Celebrate the things I’ve overcome and the gift of discovering what I’m capable of.”
Because of his physical limitations, Geoff had to retire. Leaving a decades long career meant having to redefine his identity. He had to say goodbye to his summer family. Instead of focusing on what he’d lost, he put all his energy into his new dream of improving the AdvenChair.
With his newly-regained entrepreneurial spirit, he went back to work on the chair with the CAD designer and Yvonne and Dale. The new chair, the AdvenChair 2.0, was revised and improved, tested and improved again. The team finally created a prototype that passed all the tests. It’s an all-terrain wheelchair with an adjustable sit-ski seat, adjustable handlebars, 27.5-inch mountain bike wheels, and fitted with high-grade aluminum mountain bike components throughout, scheduled for rollout in summer 2021. It will be the first of its kind in the world.
Geoff knew that the AdvenChair 2.0 could take him over rocks and along streams, through the Grand Canyon and camping in the forests. What he began to realize, is that it could give others that gift, too. He connected with people on hospice and families with terminally-ill children, all longing for the gift of family time in nature. When he could, he also joined the boards of Healing Reins Therapeutic Riding Center and Oregon Adaptive Sports, both in Bend. When the second stroke took away his career, it gave him the gift of purpose, one that now belonged to helping others.
It’s been fifteen years of rolling boldly for Geoff Babb, and he has no plans to slow down. Beyond the Grand Canyon, Geoff and Yvonne plan to climb the Great Wall of China and hike the Camino de Santiago, a five-hundred-mile trek through Spain’s fifteen regions.
“Retiring was an end, but it was also a beginning. It was a chance to focus on a new adventure. I never imagined myself creating something like this, but I soon discovered how much I wanted to make a difference.” Geoff committed to his new purpose, and now he loves connecting with others who want to enjoy nature with their families. He likes to quote J. K. Rowling, who wrote: “Fate shoved you through an unexpected door, and you lit the way for others.”
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What helped Geoff and his family through?
On the day Geoff went to the hospital after his first stroke, a community began to form around him, Yvonne, and the boys. Friends near and far sent messages and gifts and words of encouragement. Over time, they organized themselves into teams, some of which helped at home, and others which helped get Geoff back outside. “Our lives have become so rich because of the people around us,” Geoff said. “I realized that not only did we need help, but people needed to help us. People have gifts to offer, and our whole journey has been about accepting those gifts.” The community of people supporting Geoff and Yvonne and their sons only grows larger with time.
Geoff’s strokes challenged him and his family in ways they never thought possible. But it also brightened their lives in unexpected ways. “It’s brought us closer as a family.”
Geoff’s AdvenChair is taking him on physical journeys to all corners of the world, but it has also taken him on a spiritual journey. Through his stroke recovery he not only discovered a motivation to share his gifts with others, but that our physical bodies are no match for the amazing capability of our minds.