Mount Kilimanjaro – Kilimanjaro Climb & Tanzania Safaris

Trekking Mount Kilimanjaro

Mountain Kilimanjaro is a dormant volcanic mountain in Tanzania, it has three volcanic cones namely Shira, Mawenzi, and Kibo. It’s the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain in the world. Raising up to 5895 meters above sea level and about 4900m above its plateau base.

Mountain Kilimanjaro has five ecological zonations, starting with the cultivation zone which starts from 1000m up to 1800m these are the area where natives of Mount Kilimanjaro slopes dominantly the changing community conducts their agricultural activities while observing best conservation practices, key crops being coffee and banner plantations.

The second zone is the montane forest, the tropical moist forest ecoregion in the tropical forest zone, which starts from 2500 meters and goes up to 3800 meters. Many small mammals, such as hyraxes, and many bird species, such as canaries and robins, retire to the forest at night. Sunbirds with brightly plumaged feathers plunge their needle-like curved beaks into the nectar tubes of scented tropical flowers, many of them you are more likely to hear than to see.

The third zone is heath and moorland, this starts immediately after the montane forest zone a relief from the moist forest and gives a brilliant view of everlasting flower, lobelia dekenii, and dendrocenecio Kilimanjaro, these are shrubland habitats found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and characterized by open, low-growing woody vegetation. 4000m-5000m.

What to Expect

The fourth zone comprises of Alpine desert this zone has sparse vegetation adapted to harsh conditions and unsuitable soil and little rainfall these areas are characterized by bare rocks and the temperature is usually as low as the freezing point at night and warmer in the day

The fifth and last zone is the arctic or summit zone with temperatures below the freezing point and always covered by snow and heavy glacier throughout the year

There are seven routes in total

Six Ascending routes are Londos, Lemosho, Machame, Umbwe, Mweka,
Marangu and Rongai all descend through Mweka.
And those who ascend from the Longai route will descend through the Marangu route.
One special case is Marangu is used for both ascending and descending.

What makes Kilimanjaro so famous?

Several facts make Kilimanjaro stand out and become the most popular climbing spot not only in Africa but in the entire world.
It’s African highest mountain 5895 Meters /19,340 feet
Its the world’s largest free-standing mountain it doe not belong to any mountain range
On its bottle, the mountain is surrounded by six surrounding forest corridors,
The snow-capped Kibo summit “the Uhuru peak” is a unique feature in sub-Sahara tropical weather.
The volcanic mountain which is believed to be dormant by scientists there is a future possibility of erupting on its three cones Kibo at 5895m has chances of erupting in the future, while Mawezi 4149m and Shira 3962m are the two that have no possibility of erupting at all
Kilimanjaro has seven mountain summits however only three are commonly known

What makes each route different from the other?

There are is a number of reason to highlight and gives you a reason for your choice of the ascending route to the Kilimanjaro summit which makes each one special from the other and hence gives hikers choice and preference.