Mount Kilimanjaro is a dormant volcano in Tanzania. It is the highest mountain in Africa and the tallest free-standing mountain in the world. It is also the fourth most topographically prominent peak on Earth.
The mountain has three volcanic cones: Shira, Mawenzi, and Kibo. It stands at 5,895 meters above sea level. Kibo is the highest peak, followed by Mawenzi at 5,149 meters and Shira at 4,005 meters. Kibo is believed to be dormant and may erupt again, while Shira and Mawenzi are extinct.
The highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro is Uhuru Peak, which is on Kibo’s crater rim. The main activity in the park is climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. Over 50,000 tourists visit Mount Kilimanjaro National Park every year.
Mount Kilimanjaro National Park covers an area of 756 square kilometers. In 2013, it generated $51 million in revenue.
History
The first people to reach Mount Kilimanjaro’s summit were Ludwig Purtscheller and Hans Meyer in 1889. German missionaries Johannes Rebmann and Krapf also attempted to climb the mountain. Rebmann was the first European to report the existence of Mount Kilimanjaro.
The park was declared a national reserve in 1921 by the German colonial government. It became a forest reserve in 1973 and was designated as a national park. UNESCO named it a World Heritage Site in 1987.
Mount Kilimanjaro was unknown to most non-Africans, though some old sailor reports mention a “moon mountain and a spring lake on the Nile,” which may refer to Kilimanjaro. Some of these reports contradict other historical information.
Ancient writers Herodotus and Aeschylus thought Egypt was nourished by snow and a spring between two mountains near the coast. In 1519, Spanish traveler Martin Fernandez de Enciso said that west of Mombasa stands the Ethiopian Mount Olympus, and beyond it are the Mountains of the Moon, the source of the Nile.
Karl Klaus von der Decken and R. Thornton tried to climb Kibo in 1861 but only reached 2,500 meters due to bad weather. Karl tried again in 1862 with Otto Kersten and reached 4,500 meters.
Charles New was the first European to reach the equatorial snows in 1871. Samuel Teleki and Ludwig von Hohnel attempted to climb the mountain; Hohnel stopped at 4,950 meters, while Ludwig reached 5,300 meters.
Hans Meyer tried in 1887 and reached the lower edge of Kibo’s ice cap but had no equipment to cross it, so he turned back. The next year, Meyer and Oscar Baumann tried again but were held hostage by the Abushiri revolt.
Otto Ehrenfried Ehlers claimed to reach the summit in 1888, but later withdrew his claim after criticism. Ludwig and Hans Meyer returned in 1889 and, after several attempts, reached the highest summit on the southern end of the crater. They were the first to confirm that Kibo has a crater. They were helped by Mwini Amani of Pangani, who cooked and supplied the campsites with water and firewood.
Fritz Klute and Edward Hans Oeler made the first ascent to Mawenzi summit in 1912. During the 100-year celebration of the first ascent, certificates were given posthumously to African porter guides who had helped Hans Meyer and Ludwig.
Yohani Kinyala Lauwo, a living man from Marangu, matched photos from the 1889 expedition and recalled climbing Kilimanjaro without shoes.
Entry Fee
The cost to climb Mount Kilimanjaro is $70 per person per day. For example, a 7-day climb would cost $490 in total. Camping fees are $50 per person per night, while staying in huts costs $60 per person per night.
If you want to stay at the crater camp on the summit, it costs $100 per person per night. The entry fee for porters is about $2 per person per night.
Animals
You can see many animals in Mount Kilimanjaro National Park, such as Cape buffalo, elephants, leopards, zebras, mongooses, warthogs, hyenas, dik-diks, bushbucks, blue monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, bush babies, red duiker, tree hyrax, grey duiker, waterbucks, and more. However, most visitors come mainly to climb the mountain.
Birds
The park is home to many bird species, including violet-crested turaco, silvery-cheeked hornbill, trumpeter hornbill, coucal cuckoo, African emerald cuckoo, African pygmy kingfisher, malachite kingfisher, cinnamon crested bee-eater, African pitta, Schalow’s turaco, Narina trogon, Klaas cuckoo, and lark-heeled cuckoo.
Location
Mount Kilimanjaro National Park is located 300 kilometers south of the equator in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania, near Moshi town.
Best Time to Visit
You can visit Mount Kilimanjaro all year, but the best time for clear views and easy climbing is from July to September and December to February.
During these months, there is little rain, making the trails less slippery and muddy.
Accommodation
There are good lodges and camps inside the park and nearby. Some places to stay include Ndarakwai Ranch Camp, Shu’mata Camp, Kambi ya Tembo, Snowcap Cottages, Kibo Slopes Cottages, Kilimanjaro Halisi Retreat, Satio Elerai Camp, Kilemakyaro Mountain Lodge, Amboseli Gateway Hotel, Aishi Machame Hotel, Kilimanjaro Mountain Resort, and many more.
