Pol Tarres’ altitude record on a motorcycle? Bill de Garis did it on a two-stroke in 1973

Pol Tarres reaching a new world record height on a motorcycle of 6,756 metres on a YZ450FX was some achievement but he’s following in the epic wheel tracks Bill de Garis who scaled 5,895 metres up Mount Kilimanjaro in 1973, on a CZ 250cc two-stroke.

Back in the day, when times were very different, the endeavour and drive for certain individuals to ‘go the extra mile’ was exactly the same. “It was the hardest thing I have ever done!” Bill de Garis tells Enduro21 talking about his ascent of Kilimanjaro in 1973. This as Bill is about to embark on yet another US National Trials season, these days in the over-75 class.

How different do things look for Bill de Garis and his team scaling the heights of Africa’s highest mountain​ back in 1973 compared to team Tarres scaling Chile’s highest in 2024? Not so different? 

Bill’s life story is a remarkable one: world traveller, adventurer, road racer, multiple US trials champion and author…that’s just scratching the surface of a guy who was born in the UK, grew up in New Zealand and then spent a large chunk of his life doing the kind of things the rest of us wouldn’t have the balls to.

That includes riding a 250cc Jawa from Australia to England via India, Afghanistan and Iran. He’s also a Kenyan motorcycle champion, has ridden the Scottish Six Days Trial, road raced in India and Sri Lanka as well as completing the Kilimanjaro record in ‘73.

You can read all about Bill’s remarkable life story in his book, Foo Foo Rider, available here on Amazon. 

These days Bill is an author living in Canada and sent Enduro21 the awesome images above of his climb to the top of Kilimanjaro back in the day.

Read more about Tarres’ record here: Pol Tarres sets world altitude record with Yamaha Ténéré and YZ450FX

In the forest on an overgrown track heading up to the first camp at about 7,000ft.

At high altitude, about 11,000ft., on the way to the second camp.

On top of the scree just below Gilmans Point on the crater rim at about 17,500ft.

Bill sitting on his CZ at the Uhuru Peak, the top of Mount Kilimanjaro alongside his friend Chris Sharp at 19,340ft, March 7, 1973.

Photo Credit: Doug Parry