High Life

www.gulfcoasttimes.net, July 2007

Steve and Robin Catron are a high adventure couple.

To them, the outdoors is a way up in life. And this September, the Cape Coral couple has decided to join a group of eight others who will be kicking up dust, fighting the frigid cold, and scaling one of the world’s most dangerous and difficult treks, Mount Kilimanjaro.

“We’ve done a lot of things already,” says Robin, an account executive with ABC-7 television. “We’ve traveled the world, done parasailing, skydiving, long-distance cycling, triathlons, back-packing through the Smokey Mountains and more. And for my 50th birthday, we wanted to do something more exciting, challenging and realistic.”

Mt. Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa. Its highest peak is 19,335.6 feet and on average, less than 50 percent of all climbers who aim to reach the top actually make it there. Technical climbing is not a necessity to scale this mountain, but fitness and relevant experience are key criteria because the voyage does take you through all five eco-zones.

Training involves various different activities. Robin trains at a gym daily for almost two hours. Since Southwest Florida lacks mountains, Steve and Robin have resorted to strengthening their climbing abilities in more creative ways. Realmark, the developer of Cape Harbour, has made their 15-story luxury high-rise stairwell available to the couple for simulation. The hiking is practiced for six to eight-hours straight, on the weekends, through the mountain bike trails of the Caloosahatchee Regional Park or along Fort Myers Beach.

Fitting in training is a bit difficult with their daily schedules, but this brave couple has no doubts about taking on the expedition.

“We are doing nine days on the mountain,” Steve says. “I am expecting probably the hardest nine days that I’ve ever been in. I anticipate this will be the hardest goal we’ve ever tried to achieve just because it is a lot of physical work.”

“Yeah,” Robin chimes in. “I think it’s going to be life changing, actually, because we will be spending nine days seeing what we are truly made out of as far as our abilities, testing our will power and determination.”

Steve and Robin were able to meet another local Mt. Kili climber that they admit was a wealth of information.

“Mike Ellis climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2000 and he has first-hand knowledge of what to expect,” Robin says. “The information he gave us will be invaluable.”

The couple has planned their trip and takes to climbing on September 14. They admit each has a role and a plan to make it to the top, but the strength of their team is their union.

“We’ve been married for 31 years,” Robin says. “I think that we are comfortable with each other and we know each other’s weaknesses and strengths.”

“And we know how play on them too,” Steve adds. “Where I’m weak, Robin can fill in the void and vice versa. We’ve always said that we make a pretty good team.”

The top of Kilimanjaro is awaiting the Catron’s arrival and reaching its summit will leave room only for a big kiss and a quick photo, Steve says. But for Robin, the African adventure will be another great tale and the prelude to their next journey— cross country cycling.