AdvenChair’s Geoff Babb Named One of Conde’ Nast Traveller’s Top 25 People Making the World More Accessible

Taking a break at the river’s edge on the Shevlin Park AdvenTour

It’s not every day that someone from one of the world’s most renowned travel publications puts you on one of their Top 25 lists. So it’s easy to understand why Geoff Babb, founder and co-inventor of AdvenChair, a Bend-based all-terrain wheelchair, was somewhat taken aback when he learned that a writer from Conde’ Nast Traveller spotlighted him last week.

“While we are doing our best to spread the word about AdvenChair, we have never had any contact with Conde’ Nast before,” said Babb. “So I almost thought it was a joke at first.”

Babb soon realized that being one of an elite group featured in an article titled:  Breaking Barriers: 25 people who are making the world more accessible for 2025 was something to take pretty seriously.

As Conde’ Nast writer and internationally known disability influencer Sophie Morgan put it: “Inclusive travel has come a long way in recent years. It’s almost like the travel industry has finally begun to understand more clearly that Disabled travellers are, well, travellers. And who do we have to thank for this progress? The unstoppable, stereotype-shattering champions of accessibility who, like me, are dedicated and determined to turn inaccessibility barriers into a concept as outdated as a fold-out road map.”

Babb earned his place among these most important trailblazers for the world of accessible and inclusive travel by creating a wheelchair that thinks it’s a mountain bike. After surviving a brain stem stroke in 2005, he was committed to continuing his exploration and enjoyment of Central Oregon’s endless trails with his family and friends. Over the course of the past 10 years, the AdvenChair has evolved into a durable, versatile, human-powered vehicle that can handle virtually every type of terrain, while easily converting into a regular wheelchair for indoor excursions and easy transportation.

Since making it available to the public for purchase and rental in 2021, AdvenChair has enabled people of all ages and disabilities to commune with nature, while connecting with those who accompany them. AdvenChairs have taken folks to places like Machu Picchu in Peru, the Camino de Fatima in Portugal, and the floor of the Grand Canyon (and back) via the steep, treacherous Bright Angel Trail, which Babb accomplished with a team of 10 friends (affectionately known as “mules”) in 2022.

“I can only imagine that Ms. Morgan, who is a paraplegic, came across AdvenChair on social media and did some research,” said Babb. “It’s an incredible honor to be included along with two dozen other pioneers and advocates for disabled travel.”

Babb credits partnerships with Wanderlust Tours, Visit Central Oregon and the Oregon Tourism Commission for helping AdvenChair establish connections with international travel entities like Untours Foundation and Conde’ Nast.

“It’s been incredibly helpful for us to receive recognition and support from Sarah Payne at Untours,” said Babb. “I can only imagine what a paragraph in Conde’ Nast Traveller could lead to. I’d love to take Ms. Morgan for an AdvenChair ride and thank her personally.”

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AdvenChair’s Grandest Achievement Yet: Bright Angel Trail in Grand Canyon National Park

All photos courtesy of Ethan Mentzer for AdvenChair

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 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 with temperatures hovering well over 90 degrees.

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AdvenChair clears a water bar on its descent into the Grand Canyon. Click to enlarge.

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Negotiating the Bright Angel Trail in the hiking wheelchair AdvenChair. Click to enlarge.

“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 ten miles to Phantom Ranch.”

A group of ten men and women, (affectionately known as “mules”) took shifts pushing, pulling, lifting and braking Babb down and back up the ten-mile Bright Angel Trail over the course of four days. Another 14 volunteers provided support at a campground on the canyon rim.

Geoff Babb supported by his team of “mules” on the Bright Angel Trail in his hiking wheelchair, the AdvenChair.

“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.

The all-terrain wheelchair AdvenChair doesn't need trails to be accessible.

“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.

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 splendor 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.”

Geoff Babb gets a little help from his friends to complete his dream of wheelchair hiking the Bright Angel Trail of the Grand Canyon. Video by Ethan Mentzer Creative LLC.

Will Wonders Never Cease? AdvenChair Visits Machu Picchu & is Featured on Oregon Field Guide

A year that started off with great hope and promise for AdvenChair, the all-terrain wheelchair, has done nothing but roll onward and upward to new heights. Or downward, as the trails may dictate.

After ordering its first fleet of 10 chairs in January of 2021 and delivering them on schedule in June, the company has seen each one of them head out on exciting adventures that would’ve otherwise been impossible, including a visit to Machu Picchu, 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. “What Team Kapen accomplished is exactly what we’ve been hoping for.”

“Team Kapen” is 33-year-old Robert Kapen, who survived a brain stem stroke at the early age of 23, and his wife Nelly, a native of 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.

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 and up a lesser-used path in all-terrain mode to reach Machu Picchu.

“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.”

As a brain stem stroke survivor and fellow 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 hydraulic brakes and multiple gripping points.

“We couldn’t have done this trip without AdvenChair,” said Robert. “When my other chair needed to be lifted over an obstacle, people would jump in and start accidentally ripping off parts, saying, ‘Oops, hope you don’t need that.’ But if we needed help during our excursions with AdvenChair, they immediately knew where to grab. I felt much safer in this chair with all the belts, shocks and handlebars.”

AdvenChair’s innovative design and attention to detail also impressed the producers of Oregon Public Broadcasting’s long-running Oregon Field Guide program. A crew from OPB joined Geoff Babb and Bend college student Isaac Shannon for a spirited trek through Smith Rock State Park in August and the video segment will be spotlighted on Thursday, November 11 at 8:30pm.

“Getting attention on Oregon Field Guide, as well as locally on Central Oregon Daily and KTVZ News recently is very rewarding for us,” said Babb. “And with AdvenChairs soon to be rolling boldly in several U.S. national parks, Canada, New Zealand and Camino de Santiago in Spain, we know the trail ahead for AdvenChair is pretty exciting.”

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.

AdvenChair Sells First Shipment of All-Terrain Wheelchairs; Rolls Out Free Demo Rides on Local Trails

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.

Revolutionary all-terrain wheelchair passes first trail test with flying colors.

Geoff Babb with his wife Yvonne on Geoff’s first venture onto Central Oregon Trails | photo by Michelle Simmons.

The AdvenChair, a new all-terrain wheelchair developed entirely in Bend, Oregon, left its first tire tracks on local trails this month. Now, the company founded by fire ecologist Geoff Babb faces the challenge of making the product gain traction with the millions of people throughout the country who use wheelchairs, and are typically left stranded at the trailhead when friends and family want to go for a hike.

Since surviving a life-threatening brain stem stroke in 2005, Babb has relied on a highly modified wheelchair with mountain bike tires and handlebar brakes to get off the beaten path. His original primitive version of the “AdvenChair” served him well until he and a team of a dozen friends attempted to reach the bottom of the Grand Canyon via the rugged Bright Angel Trail in 2016. The hundreds of water bars on the trail completely destroyed the bearings on the chair within the first two miles.

The team somehow managed to get Babb back up to the rim safely and he soon went back to the drawing board with his design crew – helicopter mechanic Dale Neubauer and CAD designer Jack Arnold – to create a whole new chair made with high-grade aluminum framing, a seat that adjusts to children as well as adults, adjustable handlebars, beefy 27.5” tires and durable mountain bike components. Unlike other wheelchairs, the human-powered AdvenChair is designed to be efficiently and comfortably pushed by one person or towed by two to four people.

When Babb’s crew began assembling the new AdvenChair 2.0 at Neubauer’s HeliLadder shop on an early December afternoon, it was like Christmas had come early. Not even sub-freezing temperatures could keep Geoff and his wife Yvonne from taking it out for a test ride.

“We are extremely excited about having the first working prototype out of the shop and on the trail,” said Geoff. “We found some things to fix, but overall I’m quite pleased with the prototyping process at this point, as our concept is now a reality.”

Geoff’s wife Yvonne, who typically does most of the AdvenChair driving, concurs: “The difference between the AdvenChair 2.0 and the original version is like night and day,” she says. “It’s much more agile, yet extremely solid.”

With more than three million wheelchair users in the United States alone, Geoff Babb is anxious to offer the new AdvenChair to the public in 2019 through his company’s website advenchair.com. But he knows they still have their work cut out for them before that can happen.

“To thoroughly test the AdvenChair, we need at least four prototypes with different combinations of components – wheelsets, tires and seats – including one for children,” Babb says. “And at a cost of $7,000 each, we still have a lot of fundraising to do before that.” AdvenChair is on its last few days of crowdfunding on IndieGoGo and has received some substantial private donations. The goal is to reach at least $50,000 December 19.

“As someone who has experienced the soul-restoring healing power of many adventures into the wilderness with my family and friends, I know the AdvenChair will do wonders for the physical and mental health of others like me,” says Babb. “It’s great to have the first step of our journey behind us. Now we need to keep the momentum rolling.”

About the AdvenChair:

The 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 forced him to learn how to swallow and eat solid foods all over again. Yet it made him more determined than ever to share his all- terrain chair with other people with disabilities or 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.