Mount
Kilimanjaro
Mount Kilimanjaro is described as a ‘trekkers’ mountain (requiring no previous technical or trekking experience), and is open and receiving trekkers of all ages and abilities. That said, Tanzania National Parks Authority stipulates that a trekker needs to be at least 10 years of age to trek above 3,700m, though with prior representation (and payment) to the relevant department, this can occasionally be stretched below this age.
As regards the required abilities of trekkers, for some, the mental challenge of reaching the summit is tougher than the physical. Trekkers are advised not to underestimate this very important fundamental aspect when planning on attempting their trek.
It has been our privilege to assist amputees, transplant patients and wheel-chair bound trekkers to Uhuru Peak (the mountain summit), so it shows that with the right mental planning, preparation and support, achieving the summit is a very real objective for a lot of trekkers. On average, approximately 35,000 trekkers will annually attempt to summit the mountain.
Mount Kilimanjaro is a dormant stratovolcano
comprising 3 separate volcanic cones.
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Shira
To the west (4,005m / 13,140ft)
Extinct and collapsed
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Mawenzi
To the east (5,149m / 16,893ft)
Extinct but very present, and climbable by those with experience and the appropriate climbing gear and permits
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Kibo
In the middle (5,895m / 19,341ft)
Dormant - with the last activity here being detailed as 150,000 – 200,000 years ago - the main peak of Mount Kilimanjaro with Uhuru Peak at its ultimate summit. Mount Kilimanjaro, including all 3 ‘cones’, is estimated to have been created over 3 million years ago. Mount Kilimanjaro's caldera is 2.5kms / 1.6 miles wide.
Trekkers will experience 5 distinct climatic
zones en route to the summit:
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Cultivated zone
800 m – 1,800 m (2,600 ft – 5,900 ft)
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Rainforest Zone
1,800 m – 2,800 m (5,900 ft – 9,200 ft)
Heather / Moorland
2,800 m – 4,000 m (9,200 ft – 13,100 ft)
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Alpine Desert Zone
4,000 m – 5,000 m (13,100 ft– 16,400 ft)
Arctic Zone
5,000 m – 5,895 m (16,400 ft – 19,300 ft).
Mount Kilimanjaro sits 3 degrees below the equator, just inside the northern border of Tanzania and is reached primarily from the southern flanks, though you can travel by vehicle to reach some northern approach routes.
One of the prized 'Seven Summits', Mount Kilimanjaro is described as the largest free-standing mountain in the world, is non-technical for the majority of trekkers, and exists within the northern safari circuit zone (which includes the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengeti National Park).
A lot of adventurers will choose to take on the challenge of summiting ‘Kibo’ for numerous personal reasons - such as just for the challenge or in memory of someone close to them, or perhaps for charity; and they will then frequently follow this with a celebration safari game drive or a beach relax and recovery session on the paradise beaches of Zanzibar.
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This is where Mettle Adventures can assist, in conjunction with our partner company: Kilimanjaro Experts
