Mount Kilimanjaro

Mount Kilimanjaro… not for the faint and weary!

Mount Kilimanjaro is a volcano mountain with three volcanic peaks, Mawenzi, Shira and Kibo, and the first two are extinct, while Kibo is dormant, and is located in Kilimanjaro National Park in Tanzania, Africa.
At 5,895 metres (19,341 feet), Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest African mountain and highest mountain that is free-standing on earth, as well as one of the largest volcanoes.
The name ‘Kilimanjaro’ of ‘Mount Kilimanjaro’ is often regarded to mean ‘Mountain of Greatness’, although ‘Kilima’ means ‘hill’, while it also could be called ‘Mountain of Caravans’ or ‘Mountain of Light’, and is often spelt incorrectly as ‘Mount Kilamanjaro’.
The summit of Mount Kilimanjaro was first climbed successfully by German Hans Meyer, a geologist, and Austrian Ludwig Purtscheller, a mountaineer, and their team in 1889.
Mount Kilimanjaro covers an area of around 388,000 hectares (958,000 acres), and its summit can be reached by 7 official paths, taking around 5 to 8 days.

It is said that 6 to 8 people die on Mount Kilimanjaro every year, often caused by heart attacks, hypothermia, or altitude sickness.
Mount Kilimanjaro is the native home of the giant groundsel plant, among other vegetation found on the mountain, and in the forest areas, although seen rarely, there are honey badgers, primates, leopards, bush pigs, rodents, birds and bugs.
Mount Kilimanjaro’s peak was originally covered by a glacier, although over 80% has melted, and it is said that the ice will possibly disappear by 2022 to 2033.
Mount Kilimanjaro is visited by approximately 35,000 people every year, and while no special skills are necessary to climb the mountain, many thousands never reach the summit due to altitude sickness, not being properly equipped, and lack of fitness.
In 2010, Spanish 22 year old Kilian Jornet became the record holder for the fastest two way climb of Mount Kilimanjaro, and completed the round trip in 6 hours and 29 minutes.

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