Kilimanjaro, with its three volcanic cones, Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira, is an inactive stratovolcano in north-eastern Tanzania and the highest mountain in Africa at 5,895 metres or 19,341 ft above sea level (the Uhuru Peak/Kibo Peak).Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest freestanding mountain as well as the 4th most prominent mountain in the world, rising 5,882 metres or 19,298 ft from the base.
Kilimanjaro is composed of three distinct volcanic cones: Kibo 5,895 m (19,341 ft); Mawenzi 5,149 m (16,893 ft); and Shira 3,962 m (13,000 ft). Uhuru Peak is the highest summit on Kibo's crater rim.
Kilimanjaro is a giant stratovolcano that began forming a million years ago, when lava spilled from the Rift Valley zone. Two of its three peaks, Mawenzi and Shira, are extinct while Kibo (the highest peak) is dormant and could erupt again. The last major eruption has been dated to 360,000 years ago, while the most recent activity was recorded just 200 years ago.
Although it is dormant, Kilimanjaro has fumaroles that emit gas in the crater on the main summit of Kibo. Scientists concluded in 2003 that molten magma is just 400 m (1,310 ft) below the summit crater.[citation needed] Several collapses and landslides have occurred on Kibo in the past, one creating the area known as the Western Breach.
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My ascent to Kilimanjaro was done with a group of Grannies to Grannies raising funds for the Stephen Lewis foundation.
After months of fundraising, the Kilimanjaro Grannies had already raised $78,336.50 for their African counterparts, and on October 3rd, 2007 the team boarded a plane bound for Tanzania. “We had the right team, we had the right climbing company, and we had the right motivation. Everything was in place to make sure we succeeded," Gisèle recalls.
Upon our arrival, the team met their head guide, Tanzanian-born Saimon Minja, who has been a Tusker Trail mountain guide for over 10 years. Saimon was fabulous, he seemed to know us better then we knew ourselves. Keeping the unique capability of the group in mind, Saimon took pains to adjust the trek to ensure that each climber had the best chance of success.
On the final day of the climb, when the team hiked from Barafu Camp (15,000 ft.) to Stella Point (18,700 ft.), the altitude began to take its toll. The team left camp at sunrise, and Saimon, who was equipped with oxygen tanks and state of the art gear, kept a hawk-like watch on his team.
Around 2 p.m. on summit day, after already hiking for 8 hours, the guides called a halt. It was time for a medical check. While taking Gisèle’s vitals it became clear that she was showing signs of acute mountain sickness (AMS). Hooking her up to oxygen, the guides were able to reduce her symptoms and monitor her as they watched her normalize within 15 minutes of treatment. The guides took detailed note of her condition before giving her the green light to continue the climb.
After reaching Stella Point, continuing 2 hours further to the summit seemed inconceivable for the exhausted team, but Saimon encouraged the Grannies to keep moving. Saimon knew that if they did not push forward, they might not summit. Saimon also knew that his team could make it physically, if they pushed themselves mentally and emotionally. In retrospect, Gisèle says, “I understand why Saimon pushed us, but at the time we were very angry because we felt like he was pushing us and we couldn’t continue. Little did I know, but that was our altered mental status at altitude.” Gathering their final reserves, they continued to inch up the mountain. Their tenacity paid off, and late in the day on October 12th, 2007, the five teammates hit the summit of Kilimanjaro on a glorious, sunny afternoon.
Gisèle recalls their triumphant moment –“By the time we reached Uhuru it was pure joy; euphoria washed over us. I just bathed in the moment, hoping I would remember it.” Uhuru Peak is the highest point on the African continent, and awards those who summit with breathtaking views of the lands below. As the shadows grew long, the team stood on the crown of Africa, grateful, fulfilled and depleted.
There are many tour operators who offer trecks on all the major official routes, as well as our famous alternative version of the Rongai Route to Kilimanjaro. The Rongai Route has been specifically designed to combine the best of everything the mountain has to offer: exotic wildlife, fantastic scenery and a wonderful wilderness experience away from the crowds. It is also a route that offers the greatest chance of reaching the summit.
There is a wide range of prearranged treks that you can choose to join to climb Kilimanjaro, allowing you to share your experience with other trekkers. Alternatively, you can arrange to have your own private trek - so you can choose the dates you wish to climb, and the route you wish to take up the mountain! The routes include:
- Machame Probably the most popular trail on the mountain - and not without reason!
- Marangu For those who don’t want to sleep under canvas, here’s the original Kilimanjaro route - and a beautiful one it is too!
- Umbwe For those who think they’re tough enough, the steepest route on the mountain!
- Lemosho A personal favourite - quiet, beautiful, varied - and just lovely.
The treks vary from six to eight days. The exact length of each trek is written on the Trekking dates and prices page. You can, of course, ask for treks that are longer than eight days and can be arranged with the operator.
The treks will be led by a local guide who is employed because of their knowledge, expertise and experience on the mountain. The head guides used by TK are widely regarded as amongst the best currently working on the mountain. Please note that there is one guide for every two climbers.
A reasonable level of fitness is required to climb Kilimanjaro. You can read more about this subject by following this link to our Fitness for Kilimanjaro page.
Note that those hoping to sleep in the Crater Camp must understand the dangers of sleeping at 5730m above altitude, and the extra stress this puts on the body. As such, you should be of considerably above average condition to book a night at Crater Camp.
Treks are done in groups sizes to a maximum of eight to ten people; any bigger, and t the group starts to feel a little too large and unwieldy.
You can rest assured that with all of the treks booked, the aim is to maximise your chances of making it to the top. By monitoring the pace of the trek, the amount of food and rest that each trekker gets and their overall health and well-being, the operators maximise the chances of treckers to stand on the Roof of Africa.
That said, the ambition for all these treks is to make sure that all trekkers fulfil their potential - which does not necessarily mean reaching the summit. The operators and guides will not jeopardise the health of anybody just so that we can say that all our trekkers have reached the top.
Operators and guides want you to enjoy your trek, to have a fantastic experience and to love the mountain almost as much as they do. And they want you to feel that you have done the best you can. But above all else, they want you to be safe. Everything else is of secondary importance. So if it is felt that you are not well enough to reach the top, you will not be allowed to try.