Canadian climbs Kilimanjaro on hands

[rug]

Wednesday, June 20, 2012 5:56pm PDT
By: Kyle DeNuccio



A 31-year-old man from Toronto, Canada, managed to summit Mount Kilimanjaro on Monday, June 18, relying only on his arms to propel him forward.

Spencer West lost both of his legs at age 5 due to a congenital disorder, but that didn't prevent him from climbing Africa's tallest mountain at an impressive pace. In just seven days, West made it from his base camp at 6,552 feet to the summit of Kilimanjaro, which stands 19,340 feet above sea level.

On some occasions, where the terrain would not permit West to climb on his hands, he used a custom wheelchair with mountain-bike style treads on the tires. However, for the majority of his journey, he moved along on his hands, with only a pair of gloves protecting him from the harsh terrain.

The final days before arriving at the summit were difficult, as West encountered below freezing temperatures, altitude sickness, and a barren landscape. When reflecting on the accomplishment of reaching the summit, he wrote on his blog, "After seven grueling days of relentless climbing, after 20,000 feet of our blood, sweat and tears (and, let's face it, vomit) we had actually made it. We were at the top. The summit sign seemed almost like a mirage."

http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/blog/33925/canadian+climbs+kilimanjaro+on+hands/

[malaise]

1. Wonderful

Rec

[rfranklin]

2. A few years back I tried to organize a mountainbike ride down Mt. Kilimanjaro...

I gave up because I thought it would be too difficult. Now I see I was a complete wimp.

[freeplessinseattle]

3. Damn, do I ever feel like a lazy whiny ass

this is just what I needed to light a fire under my duff.

What an incredible feat.

[rug]

4. Don't feel bad. I look for accolades when I make it to the refrigerator.

[freeplessinseattle]

6. I hear ya, thanks:)

I once won an honorable mention for chair surfing.

[sadbear]

5. Whew! I pictured some guy with legs walking on his hands up the mountain.

Not to take anything away from his feat, this isn't quite the accomplishment I had in my mind.