Bob Wheeler makes the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest person to climb Kilimanjaro! It just goes to show that Kilimanjaro can be climbed by people of all ages. Congrats, Bob on a job well done.
Bob Wheeler reached the top of the 19,340-foot mountain on October 2, 2014, along with his son, Jack. Kilimanjaro, located in Tanzania, is the highest peak on the African continent and the tallest freestanding mountain in the world. It took him five days to make the trek, according to the Guinness World Records website.
“I wanted to demonstrate that when elderly, frail, tired, worn out people get to this stage of life, they don’t have to be couch potatoes. They can get out and do something that’s active, like, say climb Mt. Kilimanjaro.”
Wheeler has also climbed Mt. Fuji in Japan and Mt. Aconcagua in Argentina. He published a book on mountain climbing in 2010.
Wheeler is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy in West Point and a retired lieutenant colonel.
**EDIT** Anne Lorimor is the current world record holder for the oldest person to climb Kilimanjaro. She successfully reached the summit at age 89 with Ultimate Kilimanjaro.
