Mount Kilimanjaro Challenge my all terrain Mountain Trike wheelchair

11th October 2014

MT Adventures

Iain Fryatt, 24, from Kent, UK has a condition called Friedreich’s Ataxia which he was diagnosed with at the age of nine. It is a degenerative disease that primarily affects the nervous system and the heart, meaning that Iain needs to use a wheelchair.

In October 2014 Iain achieved something he never thought would be possible – a first for Iain and a world first for Mountain Trike.

Here is his story…

KILIMANJARO BY MOUNTAIN TRIKE

On 13^th October 2014 at 10.46 I reached Uhuru Peak on Mt Kilimanjaro. At 5895m this is the highest free standing mountain in the world. A feat attempted by 15,000 people a year, but completed by only 40%.

The difference between their attempts and mine is that I completed the climb in a Mountain Trike!!

I followed the Rongai Route, taking 8 days to climb the mountain, and 2 days to descend it.

We started at the Rongai Gate, passing through plantations, rain forests and finally through bush country, stopping at Simba Camp (2650m).

The next day we trekked through bush and heath to Second Cave Camp (3450m), where we spent two days acclimatisation.

After the two days we traversed through moorland and over several ridges to Third Cave Camp (3979m), where again we spent two days acclimatisation.

The last camp before our ascent to the top of the mountain was called School Hut (4700m), which to get to meant negotiating moorland and scree slopes. Again this was a two day stop over for acclimatisation.

Our final climb day started at 3 am, up steep scree to Gilman’s Point (5685m) and then along the crater rim to Stella Point (5756m) and finally to Uhuru Peak !!

Although I have listed the variety of landscapes I went through on the trike, they all had one thing in common … rocks!!

At times these sorely tested the mettle of the Mountain Trike, at other times they meant that I had to be pulled, pushed or lifted to get round them.

Despite these obstacles the Mountain Trike survived the trek, having only sustained a broken steering cable. Meanwhile it helped me take part in an adventure which only a few years ago I couldn’t even dream of doing .

Watch this space for the next adventure …

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