Mount Kilimanjaro

Trekking Mount Kilimanjaro

Mount Kilimanjaro National Park Africa’s highest mountain and one of the continent’s magnificent sights. There are three main volcanic peak cones, Kibo, the highest. Also, Mawenzi at 5,149 metres (16,893 ft) as well as Shira, the shortest at 4,005 metres. The name itself “Kilimanjaro” is a mystery wreathed in clouds. This means Mountain of Light, Mountain of Greatness or Mountain of Caravans. Therefore, above the gently rolling hills and plateaus of northern Tanzania rises the snowy peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro. So, the slopes and glaciers shimmering above the rising clouds. Kilimanjaro is located near the town of Moshi. The mountain’s ecosystems are strikingly beautiful as they are varied and diverse. On the lowland slopes, much of the mountain is farmland, with coffee, banana, and maize crops grown for subsistence and cash sale. A few larger coffee farms still exist on the lower slopes, but much of the area is outside the national park.

In the early twentieth century, Mount Kilimanjaro and the adjacent forests were declared a game reserve by the German colonial government. In 1921, it was designated a forest reserve. In 1973, the mountain above the tree line (about 2,700 metres (8,900 ft) was reclassified as a national park. The park was declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in 1987. In 2005, the park was expanded to include the entire montane forest, which had been part of the Kilimanjaro Forest Reserve.

Mount Kilimanjaro

Safety

Though the climb is not technically as challenging as the Himalayas or Andes , the high elevation, low temperature, and occasional high winds can make Kilimanjaro a difficult trek. Acclimatization is required, and even experienced and physically fit trekkers may suffer some degree of altitude sickness. A study of people attempting to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro in July and August 2005 found that 61.3 percent succeeded and 77 percent experienced acute mountain sickness (AMS).A retrospective study of 917 persons who attempted to reach the summit via the Lemosho or Machame routes found that 70.4 percent experienced AMS, defined in this study to be headache, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, or loss of appetite.

Kilimanjaro's summit is well above the altitude at which life-threatening high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) or high altitude pulmonary edema (HACE), the most severe forms of AMS, can occur. These health risks are increased substantially by excessively fast climbing schedules motivated by high daily national park fees, busy holiday travel schedules, and the lack of permanent shelter on most routes.The six-day Machame route, which involves one day of "climbing high" to Lava Tower (15,190 ft) and "sleeping low" at Barranco Camp (13,044 ft), may delay the onset of AMS but does not ultimately prevent its occurrence

Falls on steep portions of the mountain and rock slides have killed trekkers. For this reason, the route via the Arrow Glacier was closed for several years, reopening in December 2007. The improper disposal of human waste on the mountain environment has created a health hazard, necessitating the boiling of all water.