Mount Kilimanjaro

All about the Mountain, treks, routes and Climbs

Introduction;

Mount Kilimanjaro lies on the border of Tanzania and Kenya, just south of the Equator. To the west lies the Great African Rift Valley, created by terrific tectonic forces which also gave birth to a string of other volcanoes. Being the highest mountain in Africa, Kilimanjaro has become a must for adventure seekers coming African safaris. Statistics show that thousands of walkers throng Kilimanjaro each year. For instance on the 1st of January 2000 over 1000 people reached the summit to see the sun rise over a new Millennium.
The number of climbers has shot up over to a thousand a year during the previous 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. Climbers trek the mountain for varied reasons. Some are looking for adventure, some are searching for answers. Many will talk to God during the climb. Some will pray as they gasp for breath in the cold, thinning air of the mountain’s summit. Kilimanjaro, the Everyman’s Everest, is a seemingly easy climb.
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 80km on nothing but their own two feet over the five days it takes to reach the top and return.
Trekking routes up Kilimanjaro
There are several routes by which to climb Mt Kilimanjaro, namely
• Lemosho route
• Umbwe route
• Marangu route
• Western breach route
• Machame route
• Rongai route
• Shira route
Of all the routes, Rongai is the easiest camping route and the Marangu is also easy, but accommodation is in huts. Machame is vividly the most scenic albeit steeper route up the mountain.
Fitness Requirements
Although it is possible to simply trek a route to the summit of Kibo without relying on professional climbing equipment, it remains a tough and serious endeavor that requires a level of physical fitness, stamina and a realistic awareness of the potentially damaging effects of high altitudes. Tour operators demand that clients consult a physician before attempting to scale the mountain, and have a physical check-up for overall fitness.
Phases of the Climb
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.
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.
Trekking Caution
Tanzanian Medical Services around the mountain have expressed concern recently over the current influx of tourists that apparently perceive Kilimanjaro as an easy climb. Many individuals require significant attention during their attempts, and many are forced to abandon the climb. An investigation into the matter concluded that tourists visiting Tanzania were often encouraged to join groups heading up the mountain without being made aware of the significant physical demands the climb makes.
As a result, new procedure requires that persons wishing to climb the mountain should undertake appropriate research and ensure that they are both properly equipped and physically capable. Though the climb is technically very easy, the altitude and low temperature make this a difficult and dangerous trek. Acclimatization is essential, and even then most people suffer some degree of altitude sickness. But all in all, all Kilimanjaro treks are challenging though you need a good level and guidance.
When to Climb; weather considerations
Kilimanjaro can be trekked all year, with advantages and disadvantages every month. Mid-December, Jan, Feb and March are the warmest months, almost clear of clouds. April and early May could get heavy rain or snow, but is good if you want a quiet clear mountain. By late June, July and through August it can be very cold at night but the sky is clear above 3000m so there are great views. Through September and October it gets steadily warmer. October is particularly good if you want little or no rain, mild weather and few people on the mountain. November to mid-December is the short rains season. Possibly afternoon thunderstorms but tends to clear in evening with good views at night and mornings. There can be heavy snow towards the summit.