Mt. Kilimanjaro Facts
Ten Things You Need To Know About Climbing Kilimanjaro
Ten More Things You Need To Know About Climbing Kilimanjaro
Location
Mount Kilimanjaro is situated entirely within the borders of Tanzania, although it is situated close to the border of Kenya.
It is situated 3 degrees, or about 340 km, south of the Equator.
Kilimanjaro comprises three distinct volcanic cones:
Kibo 19,340 feet (5,895 meters)
Mawenzi 16,896 feet (5,149 meters)
Shira 13,000 feet (3,962 meters)
Most of the area Kilimanjaro is defined by the Kilimanjaro National Park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
There are five common routes used to climb Kilimanjaro:
- Marangu Route
- Machame Route
- Rongai Route
- Lemosho Route
- Mweka Route (usually used only to descend)
History
Shira was first volcano to become extinct, followed by Mawenzi. Kibo remains active as a dormant active volcano. A strong smell of sulphur still emanates from the inner ash pit.
In 1889, German geographer Hans Meyer and Austrian mountain climber Ludwig Purtscheller were the first to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro.
There are many disputed theories on the origin of the name, so it remains a mystery.
Trivia
While Kilimanjaro obviously doesn’t have the highest elevation of any mountain in the world, it is the tallest freestanding mountain rise in the world, rising 15,100 feet (4,600 meters) from its base.
Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain in Africa
Climbing Kilimanjaro
Around 25,000 people per year attempt to summit the top of Africa.
Uhuru peak is the highest summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. The highest peak on Mawenzi is Hans Meyer Point, which can only be reached by mountaineers.
Kilimanjaro contains an example of virtually every ecosystem on earth – glacier, snowfields, deserts, alpine moorland, savannah, and tropical jungle, all of which found on the mountain.
The city of Moshi is just over 30 km from the summit, and is the most common pre and post-trip base for climbers.