Video: THE GREAT OUTDOORS: New AdvenChair tours are making tough Central Oregon hikes wheelchair accessible

New wheelchair-accessible tours are now available for Central Oregonians who want to experience hiking in some of the rougher terrain of our region. A special chair is making the adventure tours possible.

Central Oregon Daily

Imagine you’ve been an outdoor enthusiast all your life and you suddenly experience a medical problem that prevents you from exploring like you did before. That’s what happened to a Bend man who endured two strokes and ended up wheelchair-bound, cut off from the places he loved going.

But rather than give up, Geoff Babb designed a wheelchair that can go pretty much anywhere.

It’s called the AdvenChair. It’s basically a wheelchair built sturdy as a mountain bike on a long, durable three-wheel frame that can roll over uneven terrain.

"Our philosophy is anywhere somebody can physically take you, you can go. The chair will do it," said Jon Hunsaker, a friend of Babb. "Eleven people took him to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Four days and three nights to go down and back up, 10 miles both directions. The fitter you are, the better, but if you want to go around Shevlin Park, Geoff and I do it, just the two of us. I can push him and be fine on a level paved surface."

Babb helped invent the AdvenChair after suffering two strokes that limited his ability to reach the places he loves. It's obvious watching him riding in the AdvenChair, taking in the scenery, that outdoors is where he prefers to be.

"It means a lot because I used to live outside. Being able to get into a place and working hard with good people. It’s just like I was hiking or climbing myself. It means a lot," Babb said.

In the rough stuff, like the trails at Smith Rock State Park, the rider must have assistance.

"You can do it fairly easily with four. One person up front. It depends on whether you are going uphill or downhill. Two people on the sides to keep it balanced, to keep the center of gravity from going too far," Hunsaker said. "Then a driver who actually drives with handlebars like a bicycle. They have disc brakes that are designed for the mountain bike industry."

This excursion marks the launch of wheelchair accessible tours—called AdvenTours -- in association with Wanderlust Tours of Bend to places previously thought unreachable.

"I think it went really well," said Jared Garfield, Wanderlust Tours co-owner. "Our mission is to get people outside in whatever capacity they are ready for. We want to meet people where they are at."

Wanderlust Tours of Bend is scheduling more AdvenTours for people riding in these all-terrain wheelchairs. They can also arrange private tours. But the wheelchair rider must bring friends who are willing and physically able to help push, pull and stabilize the chair as it passes over uneven terrain.

Darren McLoed introduced himself as a volunteer, a team leader, a chair leader and "a mule."

"My job is to keep people safe. Making sure people are hooked up the right way. Making sure people aren’t overexerting themselves, expending energy we shouldn’t and making sure it’s enjoyable. Rotating people so we aren’t all worn out. Making sure we get to good viewpoints. Scout it out. Check the trail. Making sure everyone is hydrated."

Was the first organized wheelchair tour of Smith Rock a success?

"Yes. Absolutely."

"When we have family and friends come visit us, one of the first places we take them is Smith Rock, and we always have to stop right here at the parking lot," said Kathy Foreman of Bend. "So being able to go down further, much further into the park so my husband, Lincoln, can look up close and touch things and hear more geological information about the area, it’s great for him."

Hunsaker described taking a person in the AdvenChair on a trail as a team sport. "It’s a family sport. We highly encourage people to be involved. It brings people together."

Though it appears the rider in the chair is letting the mules do all the work, they are in fact helping by maintaining their balance by holding on to handgrips and shifting their body as the chair angles and pitches over the terrain.

"One of the passions of what I’m doing here and what I’ve become involved in is seeing the smiles of accomplishment on the faces of the people we are taking out," McLoed said. "When we accomplish that, their caregivers, their families, everyone around them, it grows from there. To come out here and see that on people’s faces that need help getting where we are going. That’s the part that drives me."

This was the farthest Lincoln Foreman had gone on a rough trail in the AdvenChair.

"It’s good. Kind of narrow and steep, but it’s pretty," he said.

Does he trust his mules?

"I have no choice," he responded, which earned him a round of laughs from the mules who just finished pushing and pulling him up a steep hill.

"For our athlete today, he’s been to Smith Rock before. He hasn’t made it more than 100 feet from the parking lot. In addition to that, today was the first day he got to see Monkey Face. That’s the kind of stuff that makes me so happy. It really reminds me this is why I do what I do," Garfield said.

AdvenChair, Wanderlust Tours team up for AdvenTours, accessible guided outings in special Central Oregon places

Getty Images

The first AdvenTour will be offered the morning of Saturday, July 13 at Smith Rock State Park.
image courtesy of SmithRock.com

What do you get when you combine AdvenChair, developer of the world’s most durable all-terrain wheelchair, with Wanderlust Tours, Central Oregon’s leader in naturalist-guided adventures? You get AdvenTours, a variety of accessible outings that allow people with mobility challenges to explore Central Oregon’s most iconic wild places with expert guidance. 

Thanks to a grant from Visit Central Oregon’s Future Fund, a program that supports local tourism projects benefiting both visitors and residents, AdvenChair is making two new chairs available to Wanderlust Tours and kicking off a season of both publicly offered and private accessible tours – AdvenTours, if you will. 

As Oregon makes strides in providing access to the outdoors across the state, locals and visitors alike will be able to take advantage of this new partnership. For people with mobility challenges looking to take in Central Oregon’s most spectacular natural sights, or even a wobbly grandparent who wants to join a family outing, one of these guided adventures could be just the ticket. 

“We are thrilled to be partnering with the AdvenChair team to facilitate accessible tours in the Bend area,” said Courtney Braun, Owner of Wanderlust Tours. “For more than 30 years, Wanderlust has led folks into Central Oregon’s great outdoors to let Mother Nature do her magic. And now, those with mobility challenges can join us for adventures in these beautiful areas to come away inspired, educated and with great stories to tell.”

The first AdvenTour will be offered the morning of Saturday, July 13 at Smith Rock State Park. Adventurers will have more than two hours to take in views from the rim of the canyon, as well as explore trails along the Crooked River, where they can get close-up glimpses at climbers challenging the walls. 

Video: ‘Dreams are coming true’: ‘DREAM BOLDLY The Grand AdvenChair’ film, featuring inventor Geoff Babb, to debut at COCC

KTVZ interviews Babb and Outback Film Director Marcia Volk a few days prior to the event.

"DREAM BOLDLY: The Grand AdvenChair" is a documentary film that's making its debut Friday evening at Central Oregon Community College.

The 48-minute documentary features the story of Bend adventurer, entrepreneur and disability advocate Geoff Babb and the effort that led to the creation of the AdvenChair.

Babb suffered a near-fatal brain stem stroke that left him in a wheelchair and with only limited use of one hand. While the stroke forever changed his ability to move, Babb created a different way to enjoy the outdoors.

"His incredible and infectious will to dream boldly made me want to do the same," film director Marcia Volk said of Babb. "It was always my dream to create a documentary, and now we’ve both realized huge dreams.”

The AdvenChair, Babb's invention, is an all-terrain human-powered wheelchair that lets people with disabilities get off the beaten path.

"We built this chair from the ground up," Babb said Wednesday. "We used mountain bike parts, mountain bike wheels, brakes and a seat from a sit-ski." Babb said.

In the film, he takes the wheelchair on a rigorous four-day expedition down and back out of the Grand Canyon. 

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"After a stroke or some injury or illness, things will be different. But it doesn't mean you can't do things. You just have to find a different way to do them." Babb said. "Until you're really there, it's hard to imagine what it was like. I'm really excited to share that."

The documentary is currently in review by film festivals from coast to coast, and even the famous festival in Cannes, France.

"Thanks to Geoff, both of our dreams are coming true." Volk said.

The debut event takes place on Friday from 5-7 p.m. at Wille Hall on COCC’s Bend campus and will feature a presentation and Q&A with the filmmakers and expedition team following the film.  Tickets are free, but donations are encouraged to support the film.

The Oregon Outdoor Alliance and Stroke Awareness Oregon also will be attending, to share information about their organizations’ important work in Central Oregon.

Video: Annual Christmas Bird Count returns to Sunriver

This year, once again, the resort and Sunriver Nature Center are hosting the 2023 Christmas Bird Count, a nationwide Audubon Society tradition dating back 124 years. The birding event is a citizen science activity where participants count as many of the birds as they can find in a local 15-mile diameter circle. Geoff Babb joined the tradition with his AdvenChair.

Video: Central Oregon Makers: The AdvenChair

Thank you Visit Central Oregon for including AdvenChair in the Central Oregon Makers series. We are proud to help make the beauty of the region accessible to those with mobility challenges.

Geoff Babb is a former BLM fire ecologist and avid outdoorsman in Bend, Oregon. In 2005, a near-fatal brain stem stroke left him in a wheelchair with only the use of one hand. However, Geoff was determined to get back outside and found that his biggest obstacle to experiencing the great outdoors again was his inflexible wheelchair. With the help of his team, Geoff designed the AdvenChair 1.0 and then AdvenChair 2.0- an all-terrain wheelchair designed from mountain bike parts featuring an adjustable sit-ski seat, adjustable handlebars, larger 27.5-inch mountain bike wheels and high-grade aluminum mountain bike components throughout.