Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro

Mount Kilimanjaro

Mount Kilimanjaro is by far the most recognizable and Iconic landmark in Tanzania, rivaled only in its fame by the Serengeti National Park. The Mountain sits at the boarder with Kenya and can be seen for hundreds of miles around, Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest freestanding Mountain in the world, and tallest peak in the whole of Africa. Standing at 5,895ms tall, the once ever snow capped mountain is a wonder of the world that attracts tourists to face the challenging 5 day (minimum) climb, or simply to gaze upon it from afar. 

Believe it or not, Kilimanjaro is a dormant stratovolcano that is made up of three volcanic cones; the highest of the there being Kibo, then followed by Mawenzi, and then Shira. Little is known about the volcanic contents due to the lack of erosion and the last estimated volcanic activity was 1.9 million years ago. The name ‘Kilimanjaro’ is reported by early Europeans to be the Swahili name for the mountain; although, there has been some debate about what the name actually means. 

Climb Kilimanjaro

Climbing Kilimanjaro has been a challenge set by climbers for hundreds of years. The first recorded successful summit was made in 1889 by Hans Meyer and Ludwig Purtscheller, although local climbers may well have made it there first. In more recent time, the Kilimanjaro Trek is one of the top ten reasons for tourists to come to Tanzania and thousands of people successfully climb the mountain every year. The main routs include:

• The Marangu Route or Coca Cola (5 or 6 Day Trek)
• The Machame Route (6 or 7 Days Trek)
• The Umbuwe Route (7 Day Trek)
• The Rongai Route (7 Days)
• The Lemosho Route (7 or 8 Days)