Welcome to MT. Kilimanjaro
1.
Kilimanjaro National Park
The Largest freestanding volcanic
mass in the world
Kilimanjaro National Park, in the East
African country of Tanzania, is home to the continent's highest mountain,
snow-capped Mt. Kilimanjaro. Around the base of its tallest peak, relatively
accessible hiking trails wind through rainforest inhabited by colobus monkeys
and past the volcanic caldera of Lake Chala. Approaching the summit of Uhuru
Peak, the slopes steepen and are studded with glacial ice fields.
Kilimanjaro National Park is a Tanzanian
national park, located 300 kilometres (190 mi) south of the equator and in
Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania. The park is located near the city of Moshi. The
park includes the whole of Mount Kilimanjaro above the tree line and the
surrounding montane forest belt above 1,820 metres (5,970 ft.). It covers an
area of 1,688 square kilometres (652 sq. mi), 2°50'–3°10'S latitude,
37°10'–37°40'E longitude. The park is administered by the Tanzania National
Parks Authority (TANAPA).
Mount Kilimanjaro, at 5,895 meters, is the
highest point in the African continent and largest freestanding volcanic mass
in the entire world. On a clear day, it
can be seen from over 100 miles away.
That National Park surrounding the mountain covers approximately 75,575
ha. The mountain is noted as a
breathtaking natural phenomenon; its snowy peak is a stark contrast to the
surrounding plains.
A forest also encircles the mountain,
harboring numerous species of animals.
Mammals are particularly abundant and many species are endangered. The
mountain has three main volcanic peaks: Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira. The oldest peak is Shira, which is a
relatively flat plateau on the western side of the mountain. The Mawenzi peak is located on the eastern
side and is rugged due to erosion. Kibo
is the most recent of the peaks, consisting of two craters.
Many people are able to reach the crater of
the mountain without much equipment other than proper clothing and a walking
stick. However, to reach higher
locations such as Uhuru point, the summit of the mountain, or Gillman’s Point
is much more challenging.
History of Kilimanjaro National Park
Mount Kilimanjaro began to form about one
million years ago. Originally, there was
most likely a river where the mountain now is.
However, the formation of the Great Rift Valley approximately two or
three millions years ago caused fractures to form in the earth’s crust. This allowed volcanoes to begin forming,
giving rise to Kilimanjaro and other volcanoes in the region.
About three quarters of a million years ago
Mawenzia, Kibo, and Shira began to form as lava broke through the surface. Of the three, Shira became extinct first, the
northeast side becoming covered from Kibo eruptions. Erosion caused a plateau to form. Mawenzi and Kibo continued to be active
volcanic formations, their lava forming what is commonly referred to as the
Saddle of Kilimanjaro, a plateau-like formation between Kibo and Mawenzi. When Mawenzi became extinct, its center collapsed
and lava crept through crags, giving this part of the mountain its
characteristic jagged and eroded look.
The Volcanic Coned of Kilimanjaro
There are three volcanic cones that make up
Kilimanjaro: Kibo is the summit; Mawenzi at 16,893 feet (5,149 meters); and
Shira at 13,000 feet (3,962 meters). Uhuru Peak is the highest summit on Kibo's
crater rim. Uhuru, Swahili for "Freedom," was named in 1961 when
Tanganyika gained its independence. Tanganyika later joined with the islands of
Zanzibar to form Tanzania.
While the other two volcanic formations are
extinct — meaning that they are highly unlikely to erupt again — Kibo (the
highest peak) is merely dormant, so there is the possibility that it could
erupt. Estimates have the last major eruption dated to 360,000 years ago, but
volcanic activity was recorded just 200 years ago.
While Kibo is dormant, gas is emitted into
the crater, causing several collapses and landslides, with the most extensive
ones creating the area known as the Western Breach.
While the name Kilimanjaro has its origins
in the KiChagga word for "white," it is becoming increasingly less
so. While it still covered with ice caps and glaciers at higher levels, global
warming is quickly changing the climate and scientists expect the famed snows
of Kilimanjaro to disappear sometime between 2022 and 2033.
Climbing Kilimanjaro Mountain
About 30,000 people climb Kilimanjaro each
year and about three-quarters of those reach the summit. It is a relatively
safe climb, and most climbers who fail to summit experience altitude-related
issues or harsh weather near the peak. Temperatures at the peak can be 0
degrees F (minus 18 C), and if the winds are blowing, the wind chills reach
dangerous levels.
The climb can be done any time of year but
the rainy winter season make the summer and early fall a popular time to climb
Kilimanjaro has five climbing routes to the
summit: Marangu Route; Machame Route; Rongai Route; Lemosho Route; and Mweka
Route. The popular Machame and Lemosho routes are scenic, while the busy
Marangu is the easiest until the difficult final ascent to the rim of the
crater.
In 1861, the German officer Baron Carl
Claus von der Decken and British geologist Richard Thornton made a first
attempt to climb Kibo, but had to turn back at 8,200 feet (2,500 meters).
Von der Decken tried a second time the
following year, and with Otto Kersten got as far as 14,000 feet (4,280 meters).
In 1887, during his first attempt to climb
Kilimanjaro, German geology professor Hans Meyer reached the base of Kibo, but
was not properly equipped to handle the deep snow and ice and retreated.
On Oct. 5, 1889, Meyer, Marangu scout Yoanas Kinyala Lauwo and
Austrian Ludwig Purtscheller were the first team to reach the summit. They were
the first to confirm that Kibo has a crater, which was filled with ice at the
time.
Kilimanjaro encompasses a wide variety of
ecosystems, including tropical jungle, savannah, and desert to montane forests,
subalpine plants, and the alpine zone above timberline.
Kilimanjaro has a large variety of forest
types that harbor 1,200 vascular plant species. Montane Ocotea forests occur on
the wet southern slope. Cassipourea and Juniperus forests grow on the dry
northern slope. Subalpine Erica forests at 13,451 feet (4,100 meters) represent
the highest elevation cloud forests in Africa.
Another feature of the forests of
Kilimanjaro is the lack of a bamboo zone, which occurs on all other tall
mountains in East Africa with a similarly high rainfall. Because there is no
bamboo zone there is a limited supply of food for animals.
Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain
in Africa and the highest free standing mountain in the world. By
free-standing, or non-massif, we mean it is not part of a mountain range.
The summit on Mount Kilimanjaro is called
Uhuru Peak and stands at 5,895m or 19,341 feet.
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