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AHSMKS001
7 Days
Marangu Route (Mount Kilimanjaro Climb )
AHSMKS002
7 Days
Umbwe Route
(Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro)
AHSMKS003
7 Days Rongai
Route
(Hiking Mount Kilimanjaro)
AHSMKS004
8 Days
Machame Route (Trek Mount Kilimanjaro)
AHSMKS005
8 Days Western
Breach Route
AHSMKS006
9 Days
Lemosho Route
(Trekking Mt Kilimanjaro)
Kilimanjaro with its three volcanic
cones, Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira, is an inactive stratovolcano in
north-eastern Tanzania. Depending on definition, Kilimanjaro may be
considered as having anywhere from the tallest to the fourth tallest
free-standing mountain rise[2] in the world,[3] rising 4,600 m
(15,100 ft) from its base, and is additionally the highest peak in
Africa at 5,895 meters (19,340 ft), providing a dramatic view from
the surrounding plains.
The highest point on Kilimanjaro is Uhuru Peak, on the volcano Kibo
5,895 metres (19,341 ft). The top of Kibo is a 1.5 mile wide crater.
As the highest point in Africa, Uhuru Peak is one of the Seven
Summits. The summit was first reached by the Marangu army scout
Yohanas Kinyala Lauwo, German Hans Meyer and Austrian Ludwig
Purtscheller, on October 6, 1889. Two other peaks are also extinct
volcanoes: Mawenzi (5,149 m, 16,890 ft), the third highest peak in
Africa (after Mount Kenya) and Shira (3,962 m, 13,000 ft). Yohanas'
Notch is named after Lauwo.
Mount Kilimanjaro from the air. July 2007.
Mount Kilimanjaro from the air. July 2007.
Due to Kilimanjaro's equatorial location and high elevation, almost
every climate type on earth is represented, including a year-round
snow-topped summit.
The summit of Kilimanjaro is covered by a GSM mobile phone network,
provided by Vodacom. It was previously the highest point in the
world with mobile phone service; China Mobile now provides coverage
at the top of Mt. Everest, the highest point in the world.
# Kilimanjaro National Park
# Tanzania - the nation containing Kilimanjaro
Tanzania, bordering on Kenya.
# Mount Kenya - a collapsed strato volcano 200 miles (320 km) due
north, in Kenya.
# Mount Kilimanjaro climbing routes |
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SAFARI CODE |
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Mount Kilimanjaro National Park
Kilimanjaro. The name itself is a mystery wreathed in clouds. It might mean
Mountain of Light, Mountain of Greatness or Mountain of Caravans. Or it
might not. The local people, the Wachagga, don't even have a name for the
whole massif, only Kipoo (now known as Kibo) for the familiar snowy peak
that stands imperious, overseer of the continent, the summit of Africa.
Kilimanjaro, by any name, is a metaphor for the compelling beauty of East
Africa. When you see it, you understand why. Not only is this the highest
peak on the African continent; it is also the tallest free-standing mountain
in the world, rising in breathtaking isolation from the surrounding coastal
scrubland – elevation around 900 metres – to an imperious 5,895 metres
(19,336 feet).
Kilimanjaro is one of the world's most accessible high summits, a beacon for
visitors from around the world. Most climbers reach the crater rim with
little more than a walking stick, proper clothing and determination. And
those who reach Uhuru Point, the actual summit, or Gillman's Point on the
lip of the crater, will have earned their climbing certificates.
And their memories.
But there is so much more to Kili than her summit. The ascent of the slopes
is a virtual climatic world tour, from the tropics to the Arctic.
Even before you cross the national park boundary (at the 2,700m contour),
the cultivated footslopes give way to lush montane forest, inhabited by
elusive elephant, leopard, buffalo, the endangered Abbot’s duiker, and other
small antelope and primates. Higher still lies the moorland zone, where a
cover of giant heather is studded with otherworldly giant lobelias.
Above 4,000m, a surreal alpine desert supports little life other than a few
hardy mosses and lichen. Then, finally, the last vestigial vegetation gives
way to a winter wonderland of ice and snow – and the magnificent beauty of
the roof of the continent.
About Kilimanjaro National Park
Size: 755 sq km (292 sq miles).
Location: Northern Tanzania, near the town of Moshi.
Getting there
128 km (80 miles) from Arusha.
About one hour’s drive from Kilimanjaro airport.
What to do
Six usual trekking routes to the summit and other more-demanding
mountaineering routes.
Day or overnight hikes on the Shira plateau. Nature trails on the lower
reaches.
Trout fishing.
Visit the beautiful Chala crater lake on the mountain’s southeastern slopes
of Mt Kilimanjaro.
When to go
Clearest and warmest conditions from December to February, but also dry (and
colder) from July-September.
Accommodation
Huts and campsites on the mountain.
Several hotels and campsites outside the park in the village of Marangu and
town of Moshi.
More info on accommodation
NOTE:
Climb slowly to increase your acclimatization time and maximize your chances
of reaching the summit.
To avoid altitude sickness, allow a minimum of five nights, preferably even
more for the climb. Take your time and enjoy the beauty of the mountain.
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Mount Kilimanjaro National Park
Kilimanjaro. The name itself is a mystery wreathed in clouds. It
might mean Mountain of Light, Mountain of Greatness or Mountain of
Caravans. Or it might not. The local people, the Wachagga, don't
even have a name for the whole massif, only Kipoo (now known as Kibo)
for the familiar snowy peak that stands imperious, overseer of the
continent, the summit of Africa.
Kilimanjaro, by any name, is a metaphor for the compelling beauty of
East Africa. When you see it, you understand why. Not only is this
the highest peak on the African continent; it is also the tallest
free-standing mountain in the world, rising in breathtaking
isolation from the surrounding coastal scrubland – elevation around
900 metres – to an imperious 5,895 metres (19,336 feet).
Kilimanjaro is one of the world's most accessible high summits, a
beacon for visitors from around the world. Most climbers reach the
crater rim with little more than a walking stick, proper clothing
and determination. And those who reach Uhuru Point, the actual
summit, or Gillman's Point on the lip of the crater, will have
earned their climbing certificates.
And their memories.
But there is so much more to Kili than her summit. The ascent of the
slopes is a virtual climatic world tour, from the tropics to the
Arctic.
Even before you cross the national park boundary (at the 2,700m
contour), the cultivated footslopes give way to lush montane forest,
inhabited by elusive elephant, leopard, buffalo, the endangered
Abbot’s duiker, and other small antelope and primates. Higher still
lies the moorland zone, where a cover of giant heather is studded
with otherworldly giant lobelias.
Above 4,000m, a surreal alpine desert supports little life other
than a few hardy mosses and lichen. Then, finally, the last
vestigial vegetation gives way to a winter wonderland of ice and
snow – and the magnificent beauty of the roof of the continent.
About Kilimanjaro National Park
Size: 755 sq km (292 sq miles).
Location: Northern Tanzania, near the town of Moshi.
Getting there
128 km (80 miles) from Arusha.
About one hour’s drive from Kilimanjaro airport.
What to do
Six usual trekking routes to the summit and other more-demanding
mountaineering routes.
Day or overnight hikes on the Shira plateau. Nature trails on the
lower reaches.
Trout fishing.
Visit the beautiful Chala crater lake on the mountain’s southeastern
slopes.
When to go
Clearest and warmest conditions from December to February, but also
dry (and colder) from July-September.
Accommodation
Huts and campsites on the mountain.
Several hotels and campsites outside the park in the village of
Marangu and town of Moshi.
NOTE:
Climb slowly to increase your acclimatization time and maximize your
chances of reaching the summit.
To avoid altitude sickness, allow a minimum of five nights,
preferably even more for the climb. Take your time and enjoy the
beauty of the mountain.
Mount Kilimanjaro Climbing -
All about the Mountain and Climbs
Kilimanjaro is the world's highest free standing, snow-covered
equatorial mountain. Now charted and climbed; stories of her
resident man-eating spirits are relegated to the realms of folklore.
But Mount Kilimanjaro continues to preserve a mysticism that defies
all recent knowledge of her slopes.
Images of the towering snow-covered cone rising majestically from
fertile green foothills have become a powerful motif of Tanzania's
extraordinary extremes. Few could deny a very distinct sense of awe
when the cloud clears to reveal a glimpse of the towering peaks,
shining bright in the equatorial sun.
A Towering Life Force
Kilimanjaro represents a powerful life force for the local Chagga
people and all those who have made their lives around this mountain,
providing rich volcanic soils for agriculture and an endless source
of pure spring waters.
Climbing Kilimanjaro
One of the most amazing aspects of the mountain in the present day
is the accessibility of its peak to climbers with no mountain
climbing equipment or real previous experience of scaling such
heights.
Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain that regular tourists can climb,
although it remains a considerable feat of human endurance! The
breathable oxygen at the top is less than half the amount than is
common at sea level, and climbers cover at least eighty kilometres
on nothing but their own two feet over the five days it takes to
reach the top and return.
Preserving the Mountain
The number of climbers has escalated to over a thousand a year
during the last century, quite a development since Hans Meyer made
history as the first European to scale the highest point of
Kilimanjaro in 1889. The increasing numbers each year have made it
necessary for the National Park to insist that all climbs are
pre-booked, and passes are no longer issued at the last minute at
the park gate.
Overall Fitness Required
Although it is possible to simply trek a route to the pinnacle of
Kibo without relying on professional climbing equipment, it remains
a hard and serious endeavour that requires a level of physical
fitness, stamina and a realistic awareness of the potentially
damaging effects of high altitudes. Many tour operators request that
clients consult a doctor before attempting to scale the mountain,
and have a physical check-up for overall fitness.
Phases of the Climb; First Stage,Tropical Forest
With most of the old lowland forest now cultivated and settled, the
first experience of the mountain environment begins with the dense
vegetation of tropical montane forest between 1850m and around
2800m. Cloud condensation mainly gathers around the forest, so this
area is usually damp or drenched with rainfall, creating an
intriguing mass of plant life and running rivers between endemic
tree species. The area of heath just beyond the tree line also
enjoys a relatively misty and damp environment as cloud clings
around the density of trees. This is covered with heather and shrubs
such as Erica Arborea and Stoebe Kilimandsharica, and a number of
dramatic looking Proteas.
Open Moorland
From around 3,200m a wide expanse of moorland extends beyond the
heath and the cloud line, so that here the skies are generally
clear, making the sunshine intense during the days and the nights
cool and clear. The climbing incline remains gentle, but thinning
oxygen provides less fuel to energise the muscles and can
dramatically slow the pace of walking. Hardy endemic species of
Giant Groundsels (Senecio) and Lobelia (Deckenii) towering up to 4m
high thrive in this moorland zone and give the landscape a strangely
primeval atmosphere.
Alpine Desert, Sparse Vegetation
Even higher, beyond 4,000m, this sensation intensifies as the
landscape develops into a more bizarre alpine desert, with sandy
loose earth and intense weather conditions and temperature
fluctuations so dramatic that barely any plant species survive other
than everlasting flowers, mosses and lichens. Only the odd lichen
survives beyond 5000m, after Kibo Huts and beyond the Saddle, where
the landscape is predominantly rock and ice fields. Here, climbers
experience the final steep push to the summit.
Saddle to Summit
The easterly routes, Marangu, Mweka, Loitokitok and Rongai all
converge west of the saddle near Gillmans Point, between the peaks
of Mawenzi and Kibo. Kibos crater is roughly circular with an inner
cone extending to 5,800m, (100m lower than the summit at Uhuru
Peak). At the centre an inner crater with walls between 12 and 20 m
high contains another concentric minor cone, the centre of which
falls away into the 360m span of the ash pit. This is the 120 metre
deep central core of the volcano, and casts sulphurous boiling smoke
from its depths despite the frozen, snowy outskirts.
Planning your Kilimanjaro Climb
Kili climbs can be arranged for a variety of different routes and
with various options for accommodation. It is really well worth
spending time in the planning stages!
Mount Kilimanjaro
Climbing Safari
Machame route
Marangu Route -
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Thank you
and enjoy!. |
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