Blogpost: Machu Picchu!
Fresh off my trip to Bend, Oregon, where I test drove a manual mountain bike wheelchair #AdvenChair and with my recent fundraiser that granted me the opportunity to buy it. Which 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 use the chair continually and spread God’s message of love, peace, and grace everywhere I travel. Such trips include the redwoods, Australia, Banff, Yellowstone, Sedona, and the Amazon (not the warehouse the jungle haha). Hopefully I go so often I can quickly broaden my horizon and tour more east then California and then on to Europe. I’m going to try to take over the world. (in my best pinky and the brain accent)
BY TEAM KAPEN
Featured on the KapenWrites blog
Robert Kapen demos the AdvenChair all-terrain wheelchair in Bend, Oregon
Fresh off my trip to Bend, Oregon, where I test drove a manual mountain bike wheelchair #AdvenChair and with my recent fundraiser that granted me the opportunity to buy it. Which 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 use the chair continually and spread God’s message of love, peace, and grace everywhere I travel. Such trips include the redwoods, Australia, Banff, Yellowstone, Sedona, and the Amazon (not the warehouse the jungle haha). Hopefully I go so often I can quickly broaden my horizon and tour more east then California and then on to Europe. I’m going to try to take over the world. (in my best pinky and the brain accent)
Robert Kapen at the airport with his wife Nelly and the AdvenChair
But in the meantime, my sights and emotions were fixed on Machu Picchu. Now the challenge was figuring out how to get the chair, all its parts, and clothes there. Luckily, we had Nelly’s sister and her family. Also, when we got to the LATAM (Latin America airlines) counter we found out the duffle bag we shoved the third wheel, clothes, and some miscellaneous items could be considered my one medical bag so it was free! The flight is about 9 hours. We took the red eye so I watched one movie and slept the rest of the way. With the AdvenChair I only needed one chair. When it is quick movement on flat ground, I can just use the standard wheelchair, but if it is bumpy, uneven, and long trips I can but out and use the third wheel.
When we got to Peru, I was anxious to see how the chair fared the airplane. Not that I had any doubt but when they first brought it out after we landed, there wasn’t even a scratch on it. It was now time for the first couple of walls we had to figure out how to get around. The first wall was finding a rental vehicle that would be able to carry everything. Well, we did but when we got to the Airbnb unfortunately the nice house was not accessible. There were stairs everywhere, stairs into the house, into the living room, the kitchen, and the bedroom. The chair did amazingly, we were able to figure out the terrain. A few days stuffing our faces with Peruvian food, then we were off to Cuzco.
Nelly and Robert Kapen on their Machu Picchu adventure with the AdvenChair
Once again transferring in and out of the chair and flying to Cuzco was a breeze. What wasn’t a breeze was the taxi we had to take to the hotel. Once again by God’s grace we figured it out. Once at the hotel we were able to secure a taxi truck with a driver. That’s what I recommend, because he was always there when we needed a car, he knew where he was going, and he had great recommendations. While we were settling in altitude sickness hit Nelly hard, but for me it was gradual because by the end of the trip I couldn’t sleep or breathe. The hotel had oxygen tanks and coca leaf tea which helped. Yes, that coca but these are leaves before they add all the poisons, its very natural.
In the following days we went to the Sacred Valley, natural salt pools, old Incan fortress and cliff pods (you spend the night in a clear pod hanging on the side of a mountain.) we had a lot of practice with the wheelchair on the trails. Oh! Not to mention more food. I had an alpaca burger! That’s where we did most of our shopping because the dollar is four times stronger. We either bought the best quality of a item or 100 of something because we could. My favorite was when we walked up to a stand and asked the lady, if we could buy all of her llama key chains?” her face lit up. It was nice to help her out with a big payday, just because that is their livelihood.
It is the night before the big trip and I was nervous. I was praying so hard because I had no clue what to expect. The variety of ways to get freaked out were endless. We had to go to bed early and wake up at 4AM to catch a train and make the most of the day. That being understandably way too hard for Nelly’s sister. She has three kids, well 4 if you count her husband lol (shout out to Yeiz) they left a day early to the city under Machu Picchu. Which was a blessing, because like so many times before they were able to scope scope the area for me.
Robert Kapen contemplates his Peruvian adventure in the AdvenChair
It is 5AM at the train station because it was an away from the hotel. Bobbies (stray dogs) and mishis (stray cats) everywhere. When it was the time to board, we hit a wall. The train had steep stairs, no aisle seat, and we had narrow space to work with. Perurail I recommend investing in an aisle chair, making it more accessible to more people and essentially more money. Please make the investment. Don’t you want more money? What had happened was, my team had to carry me in, then I had to penguin waddle to my seat. The shinning light in all of this was God’s grace, mercy, and providence not with just this situation but the whole trip. We had so many issues come up and somehow, we were always able to overcome. Looking back, we totally saw God’s hands in everything.
The second winner was the AdvenChair because it held up to everything, we threw at it. From taking it apart and putting it together, transferring in and out, and storing the chair and its parts. It was very intuitive. My team of family members picked it up and quickly to over for Nelly. While we were hiking during our many excursions, if we needed help people knew where to grab. If we brought my other chair people would jump in and start accidentally ripping off parts, “oops hope you don’t need that.” Again having just this one chair made everything easier as far as space, durability, and safety. I felt safer in this chair with all the belts, shocks, and handle bars I could hold to.
We have arrived at the town at the bottom of Machu Picchu. BAM! The next wall. Similar to the train I had to be carried in the bus. Once aboard we started our ascent and I started praying. Then it hit me, “I’m praying for trust in God but what does that mean? What does that look like?” the increasing heights and winding turns didn’t help. the road was one lane, but when two buses come together what happens? One bus gets as close to the edge as they can and the other gets as close to the hill as possible and then they try to squeeze by. At the top of the mountain trees block the steep steep drop off. Not knowing anything we went through the front entrance and quickly realized the Incas didn’t think about wheelchairs because mine wasn’t going to fit.
Robert Kapen going along the treacherous steep path up Machu Picchu in the AdvenChair.
Robert Kapen at Machu Picchu in the AdvenChair
Round two, one of the guides saw us struggling so he offered to take us through the exit. It was the same views but the path is wider. He took us to a roped off patch of grass and told us, “you can stay as long as you want just don’t move.” It was between a rock ledge and a hut that block the view to infinity. Then Nelly said, “you can open your eyes now.” Yes because my eyes were jammed closed and my knuckles were whiter than snow. We took pictures and videos. Praised God for not dying, and thanked Him for sunglasses so you couldn’t see my eyes closed the whole time. Then it hit me again. This is what I prayed for, God delivered. My fear wasn’t washed away but by trusting Him, He brought me to an area of some comfort. Where we were between a wall and hut, I was able to open my eyes, talk, and release my grip so my hands got some color back. And during that moment there was an inner peace like I knew God was helping me. That continued as we finished and drove back down the mountain and watched the sunset on the train ride home.
Robert Kapen on the AdvenChair with Nelly’s extended family
A beaming Robert Kapen and wife Nelly at Machu Picchu in the the AdvenChair
Video: AdvenChair, a Bend-made, all-terrain wheelchair, helping more Central Oregonians enjoy the outdoors
AdvenChair, an all-terrain wheelchair designed by Bend resident, Geoff Babb, aims to help people with mobility restrictions enjoy the outdoors.
“I was always mountain biking or skiing or being outside and the main bulk of my career was spent in national resources so I was always outside,” Babb said.
AdvenChair, an all-terrain wheelchair designed by Bend resident, Geoff Babb, aims to help people with mobility restrictions enjoy the outdoors.
“I was always mountain biking or skiing or being outside and the main bulk of my career was spent in national resources so I was always outside,” Babb said.
Babb, a former wildland firefighter, suffered a near-fatal brain stem stroke almost 16 years ago, affecting his mobility. “Surviving that, I realized that being outside is where I really need to be but my standard wheelchair was not going to do it for me,” Babb said. Rather than lobby for wheelchair-accessible wilderness trails, Babb chose to develop a wheelchair capable of adapting to trails.
Jack Arnold, a retired product development engineer partnered with Babb to help create the all-terrain Advenchair. “We built this specifically around mountain bike parts. They’re more robust than wheelchair parts, they’re more readily available,” said Arnold. Both men say the device is made almost exclusively in Central Oregon.
Kirin Stryker, of Cogwild Mountain Bike Tours, said Babb used the bike skills course by her business to test run the wheelchair during its development phases. She thinks it’s great to see him do something great for the community.
“We’re trying to normalize all abilities in recreation and so for our clients who are on mountain bikes to see Jeff and his clients accessing the outdoors on the same trials via a slightly different method is great,” Stryker said.
The wheelchair can hold all sizes from a small child to a full-grown adult. “That’s always been a big incentive of ours to make the outdoors accessible for kids as well for older folks,” Babb said.
Sales have begun and "demo days" are coming up for AdvenChair.
The AdvenChair team will be hosting demo days where they will be demonstrating how to use the chair to the public beginning August 7th.
For those wanting a longer excursion after the demo, AdvenChair will be available for rent on each of the following Sundays — August 8, September 12, and October 10 — at just $75 for a half-day (four hours).
Also this summer, AdvenChair is available for free hikes through Oregon Adaptive Sports (OAS) Community Hiking Days. On alternating Tuesdays, members of the OAS team are guiding outings on some of Central Oregon’s favorite trails, including the Deschutes River Trail and Shevlin Park. Hikes are scheduled for August 10 and August 24, departing at 8 am and returning at around 2 pm. For more information and registration, visit oregonadaptivesports.org.
Just two AdvenChairs are still available for immediate purchase.
AdvenChair Sells First Shipment of All-Terrain Wheelchairs; Rolls Out Free Demo Rides on Local Trails
A state that is known for extraordinary sightings in the wilderness, is about to have quite a few more. But rather than catching a fleeting glimpse of a large apelike creature, local hikers can expect to get a good look at an agile, bright orange, all-terrain wheelchair — known in these parts as AdvenChair.
AdvenChair off road hiking chair by the Deschutes River in Oregon
A state that is known for extraordinary sightings in the wilderness, is about to have quite a few more. But rather than catching a fleeting glimpse of a large apelike creature, local hikers can expect to get a good look at an agile, bright orange, all-terrain wheelchair — known in these parts as AdvenChair.
AdvenChair is the missing link that allows people with mobility challenges to go off the beaten path with family and friends. It combines mountain bike parts with a three-wheeled ergonomic design, an adjustable seat, disc brakes, and multiple straps and contact points for navigating rugged trails and unstable terrain.
“At the beginning of last month, there was only one AdvenChair roaming the Cascade trails,” said AdvenChairman CEO Geoff Babb, who devised the souped-up wheelchair as a way to keep exploring the wilderness after surviving two brain-stem strokes. “Now we’ve got a whole fleet of them out there.”
AdvenChair has just completed its first production run of ten chairs. Six of them are on their way to families and groups for team-oriented outdoor adventures in various parts of the world. Two will be used for free demonstration rides and rentals this summer, giving Central Oregonians and visitors unique opportunities to experience the wild in an incredibly rugged and nimble all-terrain wheelchair. And that leaves just two AdvenChairs remaining for sale.
For starters, AdvenChair is collaborating with Cog Wild and LOGE Camp Bend to host a series of free Demo Days. Located on Century Drive on the far west side of Bend, LOGE Camp has its own Mountain Bike Skills Course meandering around the perimeter of the property.
“The variety of rock gardens, tight turns, and ramps makes it the ideal proving ground for AdvenChair riders and family members,” said Jack Arnold, AdvenChair’s chief designer. “Better yet, from the LOGE Camp’s setting, we can take a short hike on the adjacent Rimrock trail system, which offers a rewarding real-world experience.”
AdvenChair’s Demo Days are scheduled on three different Saturdays — August 7, September 11, and October 9. Groups can sign up for one of four 90-minute sessions scheduled throughout each day, all of which meet at Cog Wild’s outdoor headquarters in the southeast corner of the LOGE Camp property.
For those wanting a longer excursion after the demo, AdvenChair will be available for rent on each of the following Sundays — August 8, September 12, and October 10 — at just $75 for a half-day (four hours).
Also this summer, AdvenChair is available for free hikes through Oregon Adaptive Sports (OAS) Community Hiking Days. On alternating Tuesdays, members of the OAS team are guiding outings on some of Central Oregon’s favorite trails, including the Deschutes River Trail and Shevlin Park. Hikes are scheduled for July 27, August 10 and August 24, departing at 8am and returning at around 2pm. For more information and registration, visit oregonadaptivesports.org.
On top of all that, AdvenChair can also be seen at SOAR 2021, Destination Rehab’s special all-day event at the Bend Pavilion, Saturday, July 31 starting at 9 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.
Another reason for AdvenChair’s increased visibility this year is an upcoming feature on one of Oregon Public Broadcasting’s signature programs: Oregon Field Guide. A crew from OPB visited Bend for interviews with Geoff Babb and other AdvenChair team members in mid-June, while the fleet of chairs was being assembled. They will be returning on August 2 for an extended hike at Smith Rock State Park that will become the focus of a seven-minute segment that can be seen during Oregon Field Guide’s 2021 fall season.
“We couldn’t be more excited by the progress we’re making and the exposure we’re receiving,” said Babb. “We definitely had to make some adjustments to our business plan during the pandemic, as most businesses did. But people are craving health and rejuvenation in wild places more than ever. And we are ready to help them get there.”
Just two AdvenChairs are still available for immediate purchase.
About AdvenChair:
AdvenChair is an all-terrain wheelchair designed for people with mobility challenges who want to venture off the beaten path and experience the grandeur of the wilderness. It is the brainchild of Geoff Babb, a fire ecologist and avid outdoorsman from Bend, Oregon, who loved to ski, mountain bike, and backpack with his wife and twin boys until a near-fatal brain stem stroke on November 10, 2005, forced him to use a wheelchair.
While the stroke forever changed his ability to move, Babb soon discovered that the biggest obstacle to experiencing a simple outing on local trails with his family again was not so much his body, but the frailties of common wheelchairs. Rather than lobbying for wheelchair-accessible wilderness trails, Babb chose to develop a wheelchair capable of adapting to the trails, and the AdvenChair was born.
On November 10, 2017, exactly 12 years to the day after his stroke, Babb survived a second brain stem stroke, which was a major setback. Yet it made him more determined than ever to share his all-terrain chair with other people with limited mobility.
While developing the first AdvenChair, Babb also launched The Onward Project, LLC, to inspire, encourage and enable outdoor adventures for people of all abilities, and invites them to share their experiences and stories online.
Blogpost: The Chair
I just had a phenomenal weekend. I was able to go hiking, be in nature, and hang out by a river for the first time in 10+ years. How you might ask? Your power chair doesn’t go off-road and your manual chair doesn’t either. Well, the answer starts with God’s provision.
BY TEAM KAPEN
Featured on the KapenWrites blog
Robert Kapen by the Deschutes River in Bend, Oregon in the AdvenChair all-terrain wheelchair
I just had a phenomenal weekend. I was able to go hiking, be in nature, and hang out by a river for the first time in 10+ years. How you might ask? Your power chair doesn’t go off-road and your manual chair doesn’t either. Well, the answer starts with God’s provision.
One week earlier… we were at church, serving, and we had free time before church started. Nelly leaned over to show me a new type of chair. I said, “cool” and that was the end of that. Then Nelly took my advice of “ just ask, you never know, the worst they can say is “no”.” Then she sent an email to the makers of the chair and they replied before church ended. This was the start of a two-week menagerie. Looking back I saw God’s hands through all of the plans. Starting with Nelly having to go to the northwest the coming week for work.
When Nelly reached out to the AdvenChair people, she explained that we were going to Machu Picchu in Peru. Tickets were paid, we just needed a chair. Our proposition was to cut us a break in the purchase and we will gladly give them promotion for the chair which included photos, videos, blogs, and reviews. The deal seemed mutual beneficial because they are a newer company, they have never been international with the chair, and Machu Picchu was on their list of places to try the chair. And we were new to going to Machu Picchu in a wheelchair, we didn’t know all of the options, and the tour companies for people in wheelchairs cost a pretty penny. The expenses kept adding up until financially it didn’t make sense. Ultimately we were thrilled to find this chair but initially there was hesitancy from both sides. With a couple zoom meetings over the course of a week, we had the skeleton of an agreement and we got to know them on a personal level. One question? How was I going to try the chair and see if it was a fit? I am in cali and they are in Oregon. Insert God’s helping hand.
The next Tuesday we flew to Tacoma, WA for Nelly’s work. Side note we stayed down the street from the glass blowing museum, we didn’t have time to go to it on this trip but having previously gone I highly recommend it. The first day was nice finally being able to put faces to the name’s Nelly always talks about. That night we stayed at the hotel because it was the MLB all-star game. The halos that played in the game had a couple of good plays and it was fun to watch. The next night we met up with an old roommate of Nelly’s and had the best Indian food that I’ve ever had. With a night of reminiscing and laughter we shut the place down and we had to lock-up when we left. lol! That Thursday we had yet another hang out with different friends from church who had recently moved. We met at a park and had fun catching up, eating, and taking a stroll around the lake with them and there kid. How many times do we make plans to see friends and family on trips but only seeing 1 of 4 groups? I truly believe that time in WA was God ordained. It just flowed so easily. Thank you Jesus that time was good for my soul.
Robert Kapen (middle) meets Geoff Babb (on right), originator of the AdvenChair
The next day we headed off to Bend, OR. The original blessings were the owners of the chair company were nice and genuine people. We had a hard time finding hotels and rentals cars, when they offered to give us a ride and graciously open up their house to us. The first night their was perfect weather so we ate dinner outside as we compared outlandish stories of our handicapped journey. They had to be true because you can’t make these stories up. We quickly realized the wives were similar and that the husband and I were oddly really similar. From our personalities, mannerisms due to the very similar type of stroke we had, to the meds we have taken. We ended the night early to get ready for the busy day we had the next and the real reason we were there, the hike with the wheelchair.
Debriefing on the LOGE Bend AdvenChair Demo Course
Waking up before the sun is not fun but it was necessary to get going so we wouldn’t be hiking during the hottest part of the day. Once we got to the trail head it was like I had a flashback of all the reasons I wanted to be a parks and rec major. I love nature! It was cool because the designer of the chair grew up in Torrance so we got to connect over that. My excitement only grew as he was breaking down the info of the chair. Next was the safety debriefing and a mapping out of the trail. Then we were off. Onward!
It was thrilling! But it didn’t meet mountain biking standards not because anything they did, but it was the unattainable expectations I had for myself and lack of mobility that made me not feel the mountain bike experience. This bike was awesome it was a close second to being on the trail again. With the right perspective I was able to really enjoy myself and really take everything in. I had a blast.
Robert Kapen on the AdvenChair Demo Course at the LOGE Bend
Robert Kapen tests out more terrain on the LOGE Bend AdvenChair Demo Course with Jack Arnold of the AdvenChair team
When we got home we had dinner with a member of the AdvenChair society. We again related over various similarities. It was just the perfect ending to the weekend.
Even though I had a grand time socializing and testing the chair. The reality is I still need help fundraising to purchase it. It’s a pretty nice piece of equipment and we need to put a sizable down payment before we go to Peru. Please prayerfully consider donating before AUG 5th to a great cause of allowing me to be in nature again and giving me all the old feels back. Go to https://gofund.me/201b3591 if you would like to help. And to get more info or get in contact with the chair company visit AdvenChair.com
My next step is Machu Picchu, so keep an ear out for updates.
Creating an AdvenChair for the Outdoors
After surviving two near-fatal strokes in the last 15 years, Geoff Babb is more determined than ever to enjoy the outdoors.
Babb and his team have developed the AdvenChair—a modified all-terrain wheelchair with bigger tires, high-grade aluminum components, and a design that enables a small team to guide a rider through steep terrain. Today, Babb is continuing to refine the design and hopes to attract investors so more people with disabilities can access and enjoy the outdoors beyond paved surfaces.
Published in Winter/Spring 2021 Issue
Your National Forests Magazine
AdvenChair off road hiking chair by the Deschutes River in Oregon
After surviving two near-fatal strokes in the last 15 years, Geoff Babb is more determined than ever to enjoy the outdoors.
Babb and his team have developed the AdvenChair—a modified wheelchair with bigger tires, high-grade aluminum components, and a design that enables a small team to guide a rider through steep terrain. Today, Babb is continuing to refine the design and hopes to attract investors so more people with disabilities can access and enjoy the outdoors beyond paved surfaces.
What inspired you to develop the AdvenChair?
After my first stroke in 2005, I realized that wheelchairs were not made for the outdoors and I wanted to be active. My family tried to take me outside in a standard wheelchair with little success. I wanted to help others have access to the outdoors like they otherwise would; that meant having a chair that could be easily pulled and pushed by others.
An excursion to Mathieu Lake with a crew of friends and supporters.
What modifications have you made to the AdvenChair during development?
Initially we envisioned a lightweight chair with a front wheel that could easily be stowed when indoors. However, we quickly realized, coming out of the parking lot actually, that the wheel was super light and bent almost immediately. We changed the wheel size and used a stronger frame.
After that modification, we also angled the wheels to provide more stability. Once we changed the wheel angle, we modified the seat so it could be wider as well.
What’s next for AdvenChair?
We hope to make a lightweight and “lighter duty” chair to be used in more urban settings or in the front country. We also hope it can be less expensive. We may also explore building a chair that incorporates fat tires for traveling on snow and sand. However, one important design criteria is that the chair needs to be less than 32 inches to fit through a door. Fat tires would make it too wide. Part of the whole design process is give and take: make it lighter, it won’t be durable; make it wider, it won’t easily go through doors.
What are other improvements in the industry that you hope to see in the future to make public lands and outdoor recreation more accessible for all?
I would like to see more durable chairs with wider tires that allow a team to be able to help you. Currently there are several off-road hand cycles that rely on people being able to propel themselves. Whereas the AdvenChair can be pushed and pulled by a team or family. Equipment like the AdvenChair enables families to continue to have shared experiences outdoors.
Photo by Pat Addabbo
A visit to Grand Canyon National Park in the original AdvenChair prototype.
What might surprise readers about your own outdoor experiences?
I ride a horse about once a week at the Healing Reins Therapeutic Riding Center. I’ve also been a downhill skier for ten years with Oregon Adaptive Sports where I like to ski at Mt. Bachelor on the Deschutes National Forest. I continue to participate on the boards of local organizations that enable users of all abilities to experience the outdoors.
What are some of your favorite National Forests to visit and explore?
I am surrounded by the Deschutes National Forest and near the Newberry National Volcanic Monument which we frequently explore. We have plans to hopefully visit the Willamette and Mt. Hood National Forests.
Not a National Forest, but the Grand Canyon provided an experience that inspired the current chair. The chair broke less than two miles onto the trail. That was the best thing that could have happened; it made us rethink our design and pushed us to use mountain bike parts for today’s successful model.
Geoff Babb is the creator of the AdvenChair and lives with his family in Bend, Oregon.
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