WEBSTER GROVES, MO, USA -- Bob Wheeler of Webster Groves 85, climbed the 19,340-foot of Mount Kilimanjaro with his son, Jack Wheeler; he reached the summit in Tanzania on Oct. 2,setting the new world record for the Oldest man to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, according to the World Record Academy:www.worldrecordacademy.com/.
Photo: Dr. Robert J. Wheeler and his son Jack summited Mount Kilimanjaro. Bob Wheeler of Webster Groves reached the summit in Tanzania on Oct. 2, making the 19,340-foot climb with his son, Jack Wheeler. Bob Wheeler is 85. Wheeler has previously climbed Mt. Fuji in Japan and Mt. Aconcagua in Argentina. He is retired from the Army and as a psychology professor at Saint Louis University. Photo: Wheeler family(enlarge photo)
The Guinness World Records' record for the oldest man to climb Mount Kilimanjaro is Robert Wheeler (USA, b. 15 March 1929), who reached the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, aged 85 years 201 days, on 2 October 2014.
Guinness World Records also recognized the world record for the fastest ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro on crutches; it is 4 days 20 hours 30 minutes and was achieved by John Sandford Hart (UK) from 24 to 29 October 2009. They left camp at 9.45 am on the 24th of October arrived at the summit (Uhuru) on October 29th at 6.15 am.
The first part of Wheeler's "adventure" was a three-day, 20-mile hike to a base camp at 15,500 feet, the St. Louis Post Dispatch reportes.
After a two-day acclimation and rest period, the Wheelers made a steep nine-hour climb to the summit.
"That was the tough part," said Wheeler, who has also climbed Mt. Fuji in Japan and Mt. Aconcagua in Argentina (the highest peak outside of Asia).
Wheeler grew up in Webster Groves and graduated from the U.S. Military Academy. He is retired from two careers: first as an Army lieutenant colonel, and then as a psychology professor at St. Louis University.
He and his wife, June, still live in Webster Groves, where they raised three children — Jack, Joe Wheeler and Karen Ostrander.