Mt Kilimanjaro is a triple
volcano with the youngest and central peak of Kibo being about 14km long. Mt
Kilimanjaro volcano is deemed to be a dormant volcano, created during the formation of
the Great Rift Valley. It is
situated within Kilimanjaro
National Park, which comprises all of the mountain mass of Kilimanjaro, above the tree line.
The
name 'Kilimanjaro' has varying interpretations, from
"Mountain of Greatness", Mountain of Whiteness",
"Mountain of Caravans", and "Small Mountain of
Caravans" which are all names derived from the Swahili, or
Chagga dialects. In addition, there is a word in Swahili, “kilima”
which means top of the hill.
Kilimanjaro was first documented by Ptolemy in the second century AD, where he recorded a
land with man-eating barbarians and a great snow mountain. The First recorded
successful ascent was in 1889.
Kilimanjaro
is one of the easier mountains to climb as its summit can be reached
without the use of ropes and climbing equipment. It takes on average, 6
days to climb Kilimanjaro and return to the base, but extra days can be
added to take in other sights, or for acclimatisation to the altitude.
Kilimanjaro can be ascended via 6 different routes;
Machame,
Marangu,
Lemosho,
Umbwe,
Shira or
Rongai, each one
offering their own unique scenery and sights en-route, and each varying in
difficulty. The easiest and fastest ascent is via
Marangu followed by
Rongai, but the most
scenic, is
Machame. To further aid with acclimatisation, many people do a
pre-climb of Mt Meru, Kilimanjaro's sister
volcano. Mt Meru can be completed in 3 or 4
days.
Climbing
Kilimanjaro is an incredible journey of scenery and experience. For
more information on the different routes to ascend Kilimanjaro, a map of
the region or expected weather, follow the links below or send us an
e-mail with any of your questions.
The warmest months with the clearest trekking days for
Kilimanjaro and Mt Meru, are from mid to late December, January, February, September and October. The rains often come in
April and the start of May with the possibility of some snow.
