Mount Kilimanjaro, at 19,341 feet, is the tallest mountain in Africa. It’s so remarkable that Toto even wrote a song about it. “As sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti.” But what makes it so special?
Here are ten interesting facts about Kilimanjaro:
1. Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain on the African continent. It is the highest free-standing mountain in the world. This means it does not fall into a mountain range.
2. The mountain is a volcano composed of three peaks: Shira, Mawenzi, and Kibo. Shira and Mawenzi are extinct but Kibo being the highest and only dormant. Its last activity was 200 years ago and its last major eruption 360,000 years ago. Read more here: https://kilimanjarosunrise.com/is-mount-kilimanjaro-an-active-volcano/
3. Anne Lorimor is currently oldest person ever to summit This Arizona great-grandmother accomplished this when she was 89 years old. She also did it when she was 85.
4. Kilimanjaro is home to nearly every ecological system, including cultivation, rainforest, heather/moorland, alpine desert, and arctic zones. Read more here: https://kilimanjarosunrise.com/the-climate-zones-of-kilimanjaro/
5. Karl Egloff set the fastest time to summit at 4 hours, 56 minutes.
6. Kilimanjaro’s snow caps are melting, losing 80% of their mass since 1912. Scientists predict they may disappear in the next 20 years. Read more here: https://kilimanjarosunrise.com/the-glaciers-on-kilimanjaro/
7. Kilimanjaro is one of the Seven Summits. What are the Seven Summits? There are seven continents and each of them has a high point—the Seven Summits. It is the easiest of the Seven to climb. Actually, you don’t climb at all. There are no ropes or mountaineering skills required. It is a walkable mountain.
8. In 2008, Tanzania’s National Resources and Tourism minister announced plans to plant 4.8 million trees around Kilimanjaro to prevent soil erosion, protect water sources, and combat climate change.
9. Spencer West climbed to the summit using only his hands. West’s legs were amputated below the pelvis when he was five years old due to a genetic disorder.
10. 35,000 people attempt to summit each year, with only two-thirds succeeding due to altitude sickness and other health problems.
Final Thoughts
There are many other reasons that Kilimanjaro is so special. Book your trip today and maybe you can find your own reasons why the Roof of Africa is so amazing.