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As wide as all the world, great, high and
unbelievably white in the sun was the square top of
Mount Kilimanjaro", wrote Ernest Hemingway of this
highest mountain in Africa rising to 5,895 metres
above sea level. Situated near the town of Moshi in
northern Tanzania, Mount Kilimanjaro rises from the
dry plains, through a wide belt of forest and high
alpine heath to an almost bare desert and finally
the snow capped summit, Uhuru Peak, just 3 degrees
south of the Equator. One of the world’s highest
free standing mountains, Mt. Kilimanjaro is composed
of three extinct volcanoes: Kibo 5895 m (19340 ft.),
Mawenzi 5149 m (16896 ft.) & Shira 3962 m (13000
ft.).
On the Marangu Route, accommodation is in
alpine huts while on Machame Route it is camping
throughout. While expert guides and porters will
accompany you on your climb, unlike Mount Everest,
no technical equipment is required.
WHO CAN CLIMB
The National Park Authorities have set the
minimum age for trekking to Uhuru Peak as 10 years
old. However should any member of your group be
under sixteen at the time of the ascent then please
discuss this with us before booking.
There is no upper limit to the age of climbers and
people in their seventies and eighties regularly
make the summit. But don't let this fool you
youngsters into thinking that the climb will be a
breeze for you - most of these older people are
experienced mountain people and some of the more
doddery ones are practically carried up by vast
armies of porters!
WHEN TO CLIMB
Mt. Kilimanjaro can be climbed throughout the year
but seasonal variations in climate and traffic need
to be considered.
January, February and March have the best weather,
being warm and almost devoid of cloud. April through
to mid June is still warm but there may be some
rainfall on the lower slopes and bands of cloud may
reduce visibility around the forest area.
Late June, July and August can become very cold at
night but in return, the sky is usually completely
clear above 3,000m. Traffic is high.
September to October are perhaps the best months to
plan a climb with steadily increasing
temperatures, low rainfall and relatively few
people.
November and December are for the more adventurous
climbers. Thunderstorms are possible in the
afternoon and there can be heavy snow showers
towards the summit but night and early morning bring
excellent visibility. November is very quiet, but
late December the holiday traffic is very heavy. |
