Further details of Bern’s record wheelchair climb up Kilimanjaro

Friday 19th October 2007

More details are emerging of Bern Goosen’s record-breaking climb up Kilimanjaro (see News 16th October). In particular, we now have a reasonable idea of how much assistance Bern received on his way to the summit.

As mentioned in the previous story of Bern’s ascent, in order to win a place in the Guinness Book of Records he may receive help for no more than 10% of the climb. (In wheelchair climbs it is assumed that the person trying for the record has to receive help over some of the climb because of the rough ground over which they travel, but as long as it is no more than 10% then they can still claim to have climbed it ‘unassisted’).

In Bern’s case, he was well within that 10% figure. Though it is unofficial, the areas over which he received help were said to be as follows:

1) Rock obstacles on approach to 2nd Cave = maximum of 100 metres = 0.1km
2) Rock obstacles on approach to 3rd Cave = maximum of 50 metres = 0.05km
3) Scree slope between Hans Meyer Cave and Gilman’s Point = estimated 50% of 1.7km = 0.85km
4) Between Gilman’s Point and Uhuru Peak = estimated 70% of 1.9km = 1.33km

TOTAL: 2.33 kilometres

Given that the route that he took (the Rongai Route with variations to make it more ‘wheelchair friendly’) was 27.1km, the total figure of 2.33km falls well within the 10% limit of the total climb (being 8.6%) .

In addition to the assistance recorded above, Bern also received help from a ‘steerer’ - somebody who walks in front of the chair and steers it around various obstacles. This form of help is allowed under the rules, as long as the ‘steerer’ doesn’t actually pull the chair whilst steering. As John Rees-Evans of Team Kilimanjaro, who organised the climb, explains:

‘The critical aspect of “assistance” as I understand it is the extent to which he accepts external propulsive force that contributes to his forward and upward motion. Within the context of this definition I am confident that the [figures are], to the best of my knowledge, a reliable and honest estimate.’

We await official confirmation of Bern’s new record time soon.

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