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Mount Kilimanjaro
Kibo Summit of Kilimanjaro
Elevation	5,895 metres (19,341 ft)
Location	Tanzania
Prominence	5,885 m (19,308 ft) Ranked 4th
Coordinates	03°04′33″S 37°21′12″E / -3.07583, 37.35333Coordinates: 03°04′33″S 37°21′12″E / -3.07583, 37.35333
Type	Stratovolcano
Last eruption	None in recorded history
First ascent	1889 by Hans Meyer, Ludwig Purtscheller, Yohanas Kinyala Lauwo
Easiest route	hike

Kilimanjaro with its three volcanic cones, Kibo, Mawensi, and Shira, is an inactive stratovolcano in north-eastern Tanzania. Although it does not have the highest elevation, Kilimanjaro is the tallest free-standing mountain rise^[1] in the world,^[2] rising 4,600 m (15,100 ft) from its base, and includes the highest peak in Africa at 5,895 meters (19,340 ft), providing a dramatic view from the surrounding plains. Kilimanjaro is a Maasai word meaning Large Rock. ^[3]

Contents 1 Description 1.1 Name 2 Current conditions 3 Climbing routes 3.1 Machame route 4 National Parks in the Kilimanjaro area 5 In popular culture 6 See also 7 References 8 External links

The highest point is Uhuru Peak on the volcano Kibo, 5,895 meters (19,340 ft). Kibo has a 1.5 mile wide crater on the top of it. 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 metres, 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.

An ascent of Mawenzi requires rock climbing and/or snow/ice climbing skills. The climb to Uhuru Peak is considered to be a relatively straightforward endeavour; however, ample time must still be provided for proper acclimatization to prevent altitude sickness. The three easiest routes, Marangu, Rongai and Machame can be climbed by a person of good health, and require no mountaineering experience. Many who climb employ altitude-sickness medication and find this to be helpful in preventing the pounding headaches that plague many travellers. Those who travel on the Marangu route usually take 4-5 days to complete their climb. Huts with cooking facilities, bathrooms, and (sometimes) electricity are available at the end of each day's journey, as of October 2007 these are generally disused apart from on the lower parts of the Marangu route and climbers will need to camp. The final part of the climb, from Kibo hut at 15,500 ft (4,720 m) to the summit, is generally undertaken at night, because the scree is frozen together, making the climb significantly easier. Gilman's Point, on the rim of the crater, but about 1½ hours hike from Uhuru, is attained at 5:00 - 6:00 am; those who have the strength to continue may then hike on to Uhuru in the growing sunlight and rising temperatures. Another route is the Western Breach, which is much more technical in nature. Annually, approximately 15,000 people attempt to climb the mountain, of whom 40% reach the summit.

At the summit, there is a sign posted by the Tanzanian government. The sign (printed in English only) reads "Congratulations! You are now at Uhuru Peak, Tanzania, 5,895 m. AMSL. Africa's Highest Point. World's Highest Free-Standing Mountain. One of World's Largest Volcanos. Welcome." The sign is covered in travel stickers from past trekkers who have left their mark on the top of the peak. Near this famous sign is a box containing a log that many climbers have signed. As of January, 2007 this box has either been removed or buried.

Due to the mountain's equatorial location as well as its high elevation, climbers can experience almost every climate type on earth during the journey to the top. It is also known to many for its year round snow-topped summit.

The summit of Kilimanjaro is covered by a GSM mobile phone network, provided by Vodacom. It lost its claim as the highest point in the world with mobile phone service, as China Mobile now provides coverage at the top of Mt. Everest, the highest point in the world.

It is unknown where the name Kilimanjaro comes from, but a number of theories exist. European explorers had adopted it by 1860 and reported that it was its Swahili name,^[4] assuming that Kilimanjaro breaks up into Kilima (Swahili for "hill, little mountain") and Njaro,^[5] whose supposed origin varies according to the theory—for some it's an ancient Swahili word for white or for shining,^[2] while for others it has non-Swahili origin, e.g. Kichagga word jaro meaning caravan. The problem with all these theories is that they can't explain why the diminutive kilima is used instead of the proper word for mountain, mlima. A different approach is to assume that it comes from Kichagga kilemanjaare or kilemajyaro meaning "which defeats the bird/leopard/caravan". However this theory can't explain the fact that the name Kilimanjaro was not used in Kichagga before European exploration in the mid-1800s.^[4]

In the 1880s the mountain, called Kilimandscharo in German, became a part of German East Africa after Karl Peters had persuaded local chiefs to sign treaties (a common story that Queen Victoria gave the mountain to Kaiser Wilhelm II is not true).^[6] In 1889 Uhuru Peak on Kibo was named Kaiser-Wilhelm-Spitze,^[4] which was used in the German Empire until its defeat in 1918, when the territory became British-administered Tanganyika and the name was dropped.

While it is inactive, Kilimanjaro has fumaroles that emit gas in the crater on the main summit of Kibo. Scientists concluded in 2003 that molten magma is just 400 metres (1,300 ft) below the summit crater. Although new activity is not expected, there are fears the volcano may collapse^{[citation needed]}, 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.^{[citation needed]}

While the volcano appears to be dormant on the inside, events on top of the mountain draw global attention. The top of the mountain has seen a retreat of the most recent covering of glaciers, with the most recent ice cap volume dropping by more than 80% ^[7]. In 2002, a study led by Ohio State University ice core paleoclimatologist Lonnie Thompson ^[8] predicted that ice on top of Africa's tallest peak would be gone between 2015 and 2020 ^{[9] [10]}. In 2007, a team of Austrian scientists from University of Innsbruck predicted that the plateau ice cap will be gone by 2040, but some ice on the slope will remain longer due to local weather conditions ^[11]. A comparison of ice core records suggests conditions today are returning to those of 11,000 years ago. A recent study by Philip Mote of the University of Washington in the United States and Georg Kaser of the University of Innsbruck in Austria indicates that the shrinking of Kilimanjaro's ice cap is not due to global warming but instead driven by solar radiation. ^[12] As of January 2006, the Western Breach route has been closed by the Tanzanian government following a rockslide which killed four people at Arrow Glacier Camp.^{[citation needed]} The rockslide is believed to have been caused by frost action in an area which is no longer permanently frozen.

After the Western Breach route was closed in January 2006, many expeditions that had intended to use this route have instead used the Lemosho/Barafu route. As the Western Breach route, this route starts to the west and goes up the Shira Ridge towards Lava Tower. Instead of going up to Arrow Glacier camp and the breach, however, this route goes around the southern edge of Kili towards Barafu Camp. From Barafu Camp, around 15,200 feet (4,633 m) altitude, a nighttime summit is usually attempted.

There are several routes officially sanctioned for climbing Kilimanjaro. These are:

• Machame
• Marangu
• Rongai
• Londorossi Lemosho
• Umbwe
• Shira
• Mweka (descent only)

The Machame route as of 2006 is described here. The route is typically done on a 6 or 7 day hike.

The campsites and gates (with corresponding elevations) are as follows: [2]

• Machame Gate (start of trek) (5718 ft/1738 m)
• Machame (9927 ft/3018 m)
• Shira (12355 ft/3756 m)
• Barranco (13066 ft/3972 m)
• Karanga (optional camp, used by 6-day climbers)
• Barafu (high camp before summit) (15239 ft/4633 m)
• Mweka (descent) (10204 ft/3102 m)
• Mweka Gate (end of trek) (5423 ft/1649 m)

(The given altitudes are sourced from a GPS device and are accurate to a few hundred feet)

One benefit of the Machame route is its quick rise to relatively high elevations (~10,000 ft/~3,040 metres), and a short ascent to the Lava Tower site (~15,000 ft/~4,560 m) before descending back to Barranco Camp (12,700 ft/3,870 m) on the same day. This follows the climber's adage 'climb high, sleep low', and helps altitude acclimatization. The initial steep ascent also helps climbers acclimatise better.

The Machame route starts from Machame Gate and travels upwards through the montane rainforest, characterized by dense vegetation, a muddy trail and short sections of steep climbs. The first campsite, Machame Camp, is right after the dense tree cover in an area with lower but still thick bushlands.

The second day continues through increasingly sparse trees and bushes into moorlands. Picturesque hanging mosses often cover trees and offer an ethereal quality to the landscape. The day finishes with Shira Camp, which is on a small plateau in the high moorlands, and features views of Kibo in the northwest and Mount Meru towards the east. White necked ravens can be seen throughout the day. There is also a set of small caves a short walk from the campsite known as the Shira Caves.

The third day starts in the moorlands and moves into alpine desert, with less trees and more rocks. The highest point is the base of the Lava Tower, after which the trail descends into the Barranco Valley. More vegetation is present in this zone, especially the area just before the campsite. This area is called the 'Garden of the Senecias' which features many of the huge senecio plants. Shorter lobelia plants are also present.

The fourth day starts with the ascent of the Barranco Wall, which is considered a scramble in climbing terms. The top of the Wall has attractive vistas of Kibo and the surrounding landscape. The trail continues with many up and down sections across small streams and rivulets, and finally crosses the Karanga River to the Karanga campsite.

The fifth day follows the path up and across a rocky zone, finishing at the high camp Barafu. Very little vegetation can be found on the inhospitable terrain. A field of sedimentary rocks litters the ground like many broken mirrors. (Note - the 6 day trek omits the Karanga campsite, and climbers continue directly to Barafu on the same day.)

The summit is usually attempted on the very early morning of the 6th day (around midnight). Barafu is also used as a summit campsite for the Umbwe route. Climbers typically take somewhere between 5-7 hours to ascend, using headlamps and cold weather gear. The first milestone is Stella Point (18,652 ft/5,685 m), which is on the crater rim. Following Stella Point, the trail continues for another 30 mins to the summit - Uhuru Peak.

The descent back to Barafu takes roughly 4 hours. Some climbers 'scree slide' down the slope, which entails skidding/running down the loose gravel at medium speed. From Barafu, climbers typically take a short break, and continue downwards through the alpine desert and ensuing moorlands to Mweka Camp.

The 7th and final day has trekkers continue through the montane forest to Mweka Gate. Troops of black-and-white colobus monkeys can often be seen in the dense growth.

A travelogue of the Machame route can be viewed here.[3] A trip report of the Machame route can be viewed here.[4]

A travelogue of the Londorossi Lemosho route can be viewed here.[5]

• Kilimanjaro National Park covers 753 km² of the mountain, and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
• Amboseli National Park, Kenya is on the northern side.
• Tsavo National Park, Kenya lies to the east.
• Arusha National Park covers neighbouring Mt Meru.

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• Mount Kilimanjaro was the inspiration and backdrop for Ernest Hemingway's classic short story The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1936). He also wrote a non-fiction account of his safari experiences in the 1950s, posthumously published as Under Kilimanjaro (2005).
• Mount Kilimanjaro is referred to in one of Monty Python's Flying Circus skits, "Double Vision." Sir George Head (John Cleese) unwittingly proclaims, "I'm leading this expedition and we're going to climb both peaks of Mount Kilimanjaro," before Bob (Eric Idle) says there is only one peak (there are actually two prominent ones, and a third flatter one).
• Mount Kilimanjaro is mentioned in Toto's 1982 hit, "Africa" ("I know that I must do what's right, sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti"). Unfortunately for the song, the Serengeti is on the other side of the Great Rift Valley, about 250 km away; Amboseli is the principal wildlife reserve at the foot of the mountain.
• Drum and bass artist Ed Rush released the an album titled, Killamanjaro on the Prototype Recordings label.

• Furtwängler Glacier
• Rebmann Glacier
• Kilimanjaro National Park
• Chaga - a Bantu-speaking indigenous African tribe; third largest group in Tanzania.
• Maasai - an indigenous African ethnic group of semi-nomadic people in Kenya and northern Tanzania.
• Pare - an ethnic group inhabiting the Pare Mountains, in Kilimanjaro Administrative Region.
• Moshi - town, east of Arusha, along the southern slopes of Kilimanjaro.
• Tanzania - the nation containing Kilimanjaro, bordering on Kenya.
• Mount Kenya - a collapsed stratovolcano 200 miles (320 km) due north, in Kenya.

• Mount Kilimanjaro on TierraWiki: Trails, Trip Reports, and GPS Routes.
• Uhuru Peak - All about Mt. Kilimanjaro
• Volcano World
• Ohio State University study expedition to Kilimanjaro's glaciers
• NASA Earth Explorer page
• Latest news on all-things Kilimanjaro

v • d • e Seven Summits
Asia: Everest  •  South America: Aconcagua  •  North America: Mount McKinley  •  Africa: Kilimanjaro  •  Europe: Elbrus  •  Antarctica: Vinson Massif  •  Oceania: Puncak Jaya / Kosciuszko

v • d • e Volcanic Seven Summits
South America: Ojos del Salado · Africa: Kilimanjaro · Asia: Damavand · Europe: Elbrus · North America: Pico de Orizaba · Oceania: Giluwe · Antarctica: Sidley