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.