| |
Mount Kilimanjaro is the crown of Tanzania. With an altitude of 5895m
(19.340ft), it is the highest peak in Africa, the highest freestanding
mountain in the world, and one of the largest volcanoes. The base
of the immense mountain has a diameter of about 70 km. On a clear
day his impressive formation can be seen from more than 160 km away,
and although it is only three degrees below the Equator, his peak
is permanently covered with snow and ice. Elephants,
leopards, lions and colobus monkeys are among the residents of the
park. The encircling rain forests ensure the fertility of the lush,
lower lying countryside, where the Chagga cultuvate their coffee,
maize and bananas.
Mount Kilimanjaro can be climbed most of the year,
although it is inadvisable during the rainy season, which is April
and May, and during the short rains in November. The summit of Kilimanjaro
is definitely a challenge, and there are risks involved, but it
can be reached by any reasonably fit person who enjoys hiking, and
reaching the summit will be an experience of a lifetime! The youngest
person to make it was seven years old - the oldest seventy-eight!
While thousands of people scramble to the top of
Kilimanjaro each year, there are also trails off the beaten track
and some technical climbs for the experienced mountaineer.
There are five principal trails up the mountain:
Marangu,
Mweka, Umbwe, Shira and Machame.
These are all hiking routes. The most popular route is the Marangu
route. It takes about five days and involves walking about 85 kilometres.
Click here for a map
|
|
