California man scales Machu Picchu in off-roading wheelchair

An off-roading wheelchair allowed Robert and Nelly Kapen to visit Machu Picchu with several family members. 
Courtesy of Nelly and Robert Kapen

By: Ashley Harrell, SFGATE

Robert and Nelly Kapen enjoy a winter afternoon at Torrance County Beach. 
Photo by Ashley Harrell

On an unseasonably cold December afternoon in Southern California, most Angelenos have retreated to their homes. But at Miramar Park, a narrow strip of green space overlooking Torrance County Beach, Robert Kapen and his wife Nelly are out for an adventure. For Kapen — whom Nelly is pushing in a special, off-roading wheelchair — wintry weather is a relatively minor obstacle. During the first 23 years of his life, Kapen was a healthy, outdoorsy person. Then in 2011, he suffered a brain stem stroke that left him paralyzed.

Doctors told his family that he had a 1% chance of survival, and that if he lived, he’d likely be in a vegetative state.
Kapen beat those odds. His mental faculties were unscathed, and he slowly regained some movement and speech through therapy. Eventually, he was able to communicate, eat, operate a motorized wheelchair and write a book. He had another big dream, too.

“Growing up, I fell in love with hiking, being outdoors and the beauty of nature,” he says. That was taken away from him for 10 years, Kapen says, but very recently, a new set of wheels has allowed for his return. It’s called the AdvenChair.

The orange, “all-terrain” wheelchair is human-powered and designed to help people with mobility challenges to venture into the wild. Its wheels, tires, brakes and handlebars are all premium mountain bike parts, and the large tires and suspension system offer a comfortable ride. Thanks to a versatile system of pulleys, bars and straps, teams of one to five people can assist in navigating the AdvenChair over just about any landscape.

Nelly and Robert Kapen enjoy the outdoors together in Sun Valley, Idaho.
Courtesy of Nelly Kapen

The AdvenChair recently enabled Kapen to visit Machu Picchu. Over in Palm Springs,  Floyd McGregor — who has an autoimmune disease of the muscles called myositis — is raising money for an AdvenChair pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago. Isaac Shannon, a Southern Californian with mitochondrial disease, has been using his AdvenChair for regular jaunts around Southern California.

“It’s rejuvenating to be outside, especially as a person with a disability because these resources are not exactly the most accessible,” Shannon says in a video created for the Denver Channel. “So when there is a tool that allows a person to be able to experience life in the most average way possible, I think it’s healing, and it’s nice to be out in nature where you’re not around people.”

Geoff Babb and Floyd McGregor ride in their AdvenChairs on Demo Day in Bend, Ore. 
Courtesy of Geoff Babb

Floyd McGregor goes for a roll in Bend, Ore. 
Photo by Ashley Harrell

Floyd McGregor visits a waterfall in an AdvenChair.
Courtesy of Geoff Babb

An AdvenChair outing at the beach. 
Courtesy of Geoff Babb

The first AdvenChair, 1.0, was a basic wheelchair with off-roading tires and an additional front wheel to help with stability on uneven ground. Babb tested it at several national parks, including Crater Lake, Mount Rainier and the Grand Canyon, where an axle broke. The mishap resulted in AdvenChair 2.0, a full redesign, that Babb constructed with the help of a helicopter mechanic, a CAD designer, and a steering and ergonomic expert.

The new version converts easily from all-terrain to a standard wheelchair mode. The seats, armrests and handgrips are all adjustable, and a wrap-around frame provides stability and numerous places to pull, push, lift and brake the chair. “Large wheels and wide low-pressure tires make for ‘easy rolling and a cushy ride,’” Babb says.

The chair costs $9,950, but Babb offers a rent-to-buy option. To fulfill his dream of visiting Machu Picchu with his Peruvian wife, Kapen took him up on that. He and Nelly traveled to Oregon and stayed with Babb to test out the chair. After that went well, Kapen set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for the rental. “I never thought it could be a reality until now,” he wrote. The page exceeded its goal, and in August, the Kapens flew to Peru with the AdvenChair and met up with some of Nelly’s family to visit Machu Picchu.

Although the chair was convenient to fly with, and worked well as a standard wheelchair, the excursion up to Machu Picchu did present some challenges. Because the hike was very steep, several visitors had to assist in pushing and pulling Kapen, and looking at the uneven terrain made him feel dizzy. “I didn’t like the mosquitoes at the top of the mountain,” he says. “But I loved the people, the train and the food.”

Now that travel has again become possible, Kapen says, he would like to visit the Amazon, Banff National Park, Hawaii, Yellowstone and Australia. “I really want to travel with the chair,” he says. “That’s my New Years’ resolution.”