 |
| View from the Summit |
At 5,895m (19,340 ft), Mt. Kilimanjaro is the highest point on the continent, earning it the title "The Roof of Africa." Its snow-covered peaks have fascinated locals and visitors for years: from Ernest Hemingway, who called the mountain "as wide as all the world", to the local tribes, who call it Kilema Kyaro - "that which cannot be conquered." Kilimanjaro lies 205 miles south of the equator and stands on Tanzania’s northern border with Kenya.
Mt. Kilimanjaro also draws hundreds of people to its grassy slopes each year, attracted by the possibility of climbing such a formidable mountain without the need for technical equipment. Kilimanjaro's peak, Kibo, is a giant crater, and reachable by anyone in fairly good shape.
From equatorial to artic conditions - you'll find it on Kilimanjaro. At the base of the mountain is the Kilimanjaro National Park, a lush rainforest that is home to many animals including Cape buffalo, elephants, monkeys and leopards. As you ascend the mountain the greenery changes to low-lying grasses, heather and groundsels, and finally to the snowy glaciers covering Kilimanjaro's peak.
Kilimanjaro is a giant stratovolcano, not currently active, with fumaroles that emit gas in the crater on the main summit of Kibo. Scientists concluded in 2003 that molten magma is just 400 metres below the summit crater. Although new activity is not expected, there are fears the volcano may collapse, causing a major eruption similar to the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. Several collapses and landslides have occurred on Kibo in the past, one creating the area known as the western breach. Although there is no recorded history of eruptions, local legend speaks of activity around 170 years ago.
View the Lemosho – Lava Tower Route details (opens in a new browser window).
 |
| The Ascent |
|