Assault on Africa's attic

Paraplegic climber sets his sights on summit of Kilimanjaro

Brian Metzler, Special to the News

Published July 27, 2006 at midnight

Text size

More More Outdoors

More stories »

In a few weeks, Darol Kubacz hopes to climb to the 19,341-foot summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. But there is more at stake for the Colorado native than just reaching the highest peak on the African continent.

Kubacz, who is paralyzed from the chest down, hopes to set an inspiring example for other people with disabilities in his attempt to become the first paraplegic to reach the top of Kilimanjaro without direct assistance.

Using adaptive climbing equipment, Kubacz, who lives in Flagstaff, Ariz., will climb with a group that includes three other disabled individuals in an expedition called the Uhuru Ascent. Uhuru, which means "freedom" in Swahili, is the name of the highest point on Kilimanjaro.

The group will leave for Tanzania in early August and attempt the climb Aug. 7.

"In many ways, Kilimanjaro is the Everest for people with spinal-cord injuries," said Kubacz, 32, who was injured during an Army training accident at Fort Knox, Ky., in 1993. "First, it's a little more accessible and easier, but it's still a big challenge. Several (paraplegics) have attempted it, but no one has done it unassisted under their own power. Every climb of that nature requires assistance, but we're talking about not being pushed, pulled or carried."

Kubacz will use a hand-driven, three- wheeled mountain cycle from the beginning of the climb up to about 16,000 feet. For the final push to the top, he'll use two customized ascending devices that incorporate conventional rock-climbing gear, ropes, winches and anchoring devices.

"On the mountain, I think the greatest challenge is going to be not knowing what the upper elevations are like and having enough tricks in our bag to be able to reach the summit," Kubacz said. "We're bringing as much gear as we can, so it's just going to be a matter of figuring it out."

Two years ago, Kubacz started Freedom For Life, a nonprofit organization dedicated to redefining the way people with disabilities approach life by introducing them to outdoor sports and wilderness adventures.

When he returns from Tanzania, he plans to offer rafting, mountain climbing and skiing trips for people with disabilities through the organization. He has been trying to raise money to purchase 10 specialized climbers such as the one he'll use on Kilimanjaro.

Kubacz developed an affinity for the mountains after he was injured. It was while living in Vail during the mid-1990s that he realized there were a lot more things he could experience in the outdoors if he had the right equipment.

Shortly thereafter, he got involved in developing mountaineering equipment and took a job with the U.S. Forest Service, developing wilderness trail access projects.

Since then, he has participated in snow skiing, water skiing, scuba diving, mountain biking and mountaineering. Kubacz said he has drawn inspiration from Golden's Erik Weihenmayer, a blind athlete who has done everything from completing a 10-day adventure race to climbing Mount Everest, and Vail resident Eric Alexander, a friend who takes groups of at-risk and disabled teens on backcountry expeditions in Colorado and guided Weihenmayer on his Everest ascent.

In July, Kubacz did some training with Alexander in the Vail area. Kubacz also spent time climbing Imogene Pass near Telluride, but since then primarily has been training in Arizona, where the conditions are similar to that of Tanzania.

His regimen has included climbing mountains in his hand cycle and riding his adaptive road bike for three hours at a time to build his endurance. The rest of his days are filled finalizing travel plans, organizing the gear the team will take and other logistical details.

"I wish I was there right now. I'm so tired of training," said Kubacz, who was born in Ellicott on the plains east of Colorado Springs but grew up in South Carolina. "The anticipation is huge, and there's lots of excitement and a little bit of very respectful fear."

The climbing party will include 20 people, some of whom will help Kubacz set ropes but will not physically assist him in his attempt up the mountain. Kubacz organized the expedition, but it will be led by veteran mountaineer Kevin Cherilla, who has guided numerous clients up Mount Kilimanjaro during the past three years and served as base-camp manager for a 2001 Mount Everest expedition that included Weihenmayer.

Among the other climbers on the team are Pisey Tan, a double amputee Army veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom; Nate Hansen, an Army linguist and combat- flight medic who served in the demilitarized zone of Korea and suffers from paranoia as the result of his service; and John Bell, a walking quadriplegic who broke his neck during a fall as a child in Liberia.

A film crew will accompany the team to document the climb. Freedom For Life will show the film to disabled veterans and other groups around the country.

"Our intention is to provide an example and raise awareness around disabled veterans' issues and really to be an example for the disabled community in general," Kubacz said. "We don't expect most people to go to Kilimanjaro. But we want them to see this and believe they can do things right in front of them that are as big as Kilimanjaro in their own minds."

Subscribe to the Rocky Mountain News