Dr. Robert J. Wheeler is the oldest person in the world to climb to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro. His feat was documented fully and is expected to be entered successfully into Guinness World Records(TM). On October 2, 2014, Wheeler, who is over 85 and a half years old, summited Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest peak and the world's highest freestanding mountain (19,340 feet tall). Wheeler trekked to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro in northeastern Tanzania, with adventure travel outfitter Adventures Within Reach.
Wheeler and his son, William "Jack" Wheeler, 46, began their seven-day trek on the Marangu Route, the most popular route to the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, in late September 2014, after spending two nights acclimatizing to the altitude. Robert Wheeler told his son that summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro was the hardest thing he's ever done, even harder than climbing to the top of Aconcaqua (22,841 feet high) in 1985 because of Robert's age. Wheeler published stories of his and his son's climbs in his book, Mountains and Minds, which alternates climbing stories with research results about why people pursue difficult tasks like mountain climbing. Wheeler will add a research chapter and an account of his Kilimanjaro climb to his book (second edition to be available at www.wheelerrj.com).
Robin Paschall, owner of Adventures Within Reach, says "Robert Wheeler is an inspiration to climbers on Mt. Kilimanjaro, and to all of us. Wheeler's amazing accomplishment of reaching the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro shows us the power of the determination, at any age, to put one foot in front of the other. We at Adventures Within Reach are proud to have served both Wheeler and Dick Byerley, a previous Guinness World Record holder for oldest man to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro." Adventures Within Reach, based in Boulder, CO, is a travel tour operator that specializes in customized, affordable adventures. Jack Wheeler commended the Adventure Within Reach's guides by saying, "Our guides did a great job, making it possible for us to summit."