Mount KilimanjaroMount Kilimanjaro, the highest Mountain in Africa, is located in northern Tanzania (formerly called Tanganyika). It is located around 200 miles south of the equator. Mount Kilimanjaro is actually a dormant volcano. Its two peaks stand about 11 km (about 7 mi) apart and are connected by a broad ridge. The highest peak, Kibo, rises to 5895 m (19,340 ft) above sea level, and the summit of Mawensi is 5149 m (16,892 ft) above sea level.
The mountain is located within the boundaries of Mount Kilimanjaro National Park. The National Park, 756 square kilometres in size, was originally established as a game reserve in the early 1900's. In 1921, the government of Tanganyika renamed the game reserve to a forest and game reserve. In 1957, the Tanganyika National Parks Authority with support from many local and international conservation organizations and interest groups formally proposed the establishment of a national park at encompassed Mount Kilimanjaro. The area above 2700-meter contour was established as Kilimanjaro National Park and was officially opened for tourism in 1977. In 1989, the World Heritage Convention declared the Park a World Heritage site. The Peaks: In Tanzania, Kibo Peak is known as Uhuru Peak and old Tanganyika maps refer to the peak as Kaiser Spitze Peak; Mawenzi is referred to in old maps as Hans Meyer Peak. Mount Kilimanjaro's volcanic soil has promoted the growth of a variety of vegetation types on the Mountain. Although Kilimanjaro is only 3 degrees south of the equator, an ice cap covers the crater of Kibo year-round. This mountain and it's ice cap was the inspiration for Ernest Hemingway's famous novel: "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" (1938).
There is more than one way to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, but two in particular are more popular than the others. Rongai Route - Kilimanjaro climbers typically choose the Rongai route over other trekking routes (such as Machame Route and Marangu Route) because of its less busy lower sections, and a better chance of clear weather during the rainy seasons. Machame Route - The beautiful Machame Route is highly rated as the most scenic route of all those up Kilimanjaro, with diverse vegetation and wide views as well as a number of possible route choices beyond the Lava Tower Camp at 4630m. Marangu Route - The Marangu Route is the most popular route, and also considerably easier than any of the other trips to the summit. The majority of the route is a wide graded trail and the accommodation is also the best compared to other routes. Remember that the longer you spend climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, the more time you have for acclimatisation and this will greatly increase your chances of a successful trek to the summit. Also, the shorter the route the steeper the climbs.
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