Soaring into the sky and dwarfing the land and plains below, Mount Kilimanjaro stands tall and proud dominating everything around. It is the highest mountain in Africa (5895m), a dormant volcanic mountain in Tanzania. It has three distinct cones Kibo, Shira and Mawenzi. Kibo is dormant and has a possibility of erupting while Shira and Mawenzi are extinct. The highest summit is Uhuru at kibo’s crater. Ludwig and Hans Meyer were the first to successfully climb Mount Kilimanjaro in 1889. It is part of the Mount Kilimanjaro national park with plenty of wildlife among them; elephants, zebras, bushbucks, hyenas and cape buffaloes. Vegetation on Mt Kilimanjaro varies with altitude at the base we have agricultural land with maize, sunflower, beans, wheat and coffee. The natural forest cover, savannah, mosses that depends on fog, bushes, heathlands, bear land with rocks. The main routes to climb Mount Kilimanjaro are; Rongai Shira, Mweka, Machame, Lemosho Umbwe, Marangu.
The Mount Kilimanjaro hike sees a higher number of climbers than Mt Kenya, with an equally high rate of unsuccessful ascent caused by high altitude illness. Though climbing Mt Kilimanjaro is difficult it is not impossible. Simply follow your guide’s advice and carry only what is necessary. The right equipment a reasonable level of fitness and plenty of time to acclimatize. All in all, anyone with a desire and determination can reach the Mount Kilimanjaro summit regardless of age.