Combat Wounded Veterans Take on Kilimanjaro

AMS is honored to be working with our favorite group of Veterans again––the Combat Wounded Veteran Challenge folks based in Tarpon Springs, Florida. Veterans from this organization have been coming to Alaska for the past several years to participate in mountaineering courses, climbs and rafting but now we've teamed up to climb Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa.

AMS Director, Colby Coombs and Lead Guide, Tim Hewette will be the expedition guides. Tim has been the instructor on past CVW courses at AMS.

During the expedition, the team will be tracking and testing the mechanical and non-mechanical qualities of those team members who are physically compromised to help evaluate their prosthetic devices and enable clinical providers to further improve performance and functionality of these prosthetics based on field research and scientific application.

Wounded Veteran climbers include 3 single leg below knee amputees and 1 single leg above knee amputee as well as one hand amputee with a fully functioning prosthetic bio mechanical robotic hand. Additionally, 2 soldiers recovering from severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD will be evaluated on the basis of physical and emotional stress in a team and individual environment adding invaluable research data to the understanding of this complex physical and emotional condition.

Master Chief Will Wilson (ret) gets his toenails painted at an AMS bbq in 2011. Will has taken a Mountaineering Course and Denali Expedition with us and now he's off to Kilimanjaro. Too bad Lisle can't paint his toenails before he goes!

The expedition is January 20 through February 2, 2013 on the Rongai route. This route approaches Kilimanjaro from the north, close to the Kenyan border. Though gaining popularity amongst climbers, the Rongai route still experiences low traffic.

We've formed a friendship with many of the team members from their time here in Alaska and are very proud to be associated with them again on international terrain.

We will post updates on the expedition as we receive them.