Who do visitors keep on coming back to Mount Kilimanjaro? Some say a climb
of Mount, which takes one through the mists of equatorial jungle to reach
the snows and breath-taking views from the summit, is one of the most
exciting adventures in Africa.
The Mount located at the north/eastern tip of Tanzania, with elevation:
19,335.6 ft (5,895m) has for years been the defining factor of the tourism
industry in the country.
Recently the government of President Kikwete started selling destination
Tanzania as a tourists paradise. Most of the ad aired by CCN are about
Tanzania – The land of Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar.
This goes a long way to show how, the giant natural feature is an important
aspect of Tanzania tourism industry.
What makes the Mountain to tick?
Kilimanjaro is a giant stratovolcano reaching an elevation of 19,335.6 ft.
(5,895 m). Other names for this volcano are: Kilima Dscharo, Oldoinyo Oibor
(white mountain in Masai), and Kilima Njaro meaning shining mountain in
Swahili.
This volcano’s highest and youngest cone is named Kibo. Shira to the west
and Mawenzi in the east are older cones that make up Kilimanjaro. Kibo has
not been active in modern times, but steam and sulfur are still emitted. At
the top of Kibo’s summit is a 1 1/2 mile (2 1/4 Km) wide crater.
Kilimanjaro is the largest of an E-W belt of about 20 volcanoes near the
southern end of the East African Rift Valley. Also prominent in this belt
are Ngorongoro caldera – a superb wildlife refuge, Ol Donyo Lengi – a
carbonitite volcano, and Meru. Kilimanjaro is a triple volcano with the
youngest and central peak of Kibo being 7.5-8.7 miles (12-14 km) from Shira
to the west and Mawenza to the east. As all of Kilimanjaro’s climbers know
the gentle lower slopes steepen to 30 degrees about 13,000 ft.(4 km)
elevation.
Shira is topped by a broad plateau, perhaps a filled caldera, and erosion
has cut deeply into a remnant rim. In contrast, Mawenzi’s summit is a steep
rocky peak surrounded by cliffs 1,600 ft.(0.5 km) to 4,900 ft.(1.5 km) high.
Erosion has removed the original crater, and a great horseshoe shaped ridge
opens to the northeast. Mile-deep gullies with 30-45 degree gradients make
many places practically inaccessible. Massive series of radial and
concentric dyke swarm make up more than 30-40 percent of the summit area of
Mawenzi. Kibo’s glacier-clad summit, the highest spot in Africa, is a 1.2 x
1.7 mile (1.9 x 2.7 km) caldera, with an inner crater nearly a mile (1.3 km)
wide, and inside that a deep, 1,148 ft. (350 m) wide central pit. Original
volcanic forms are preserved at the summit and on many of the flanks, except
on the south side where glaciers have cut deeply into the cone. Nearly 250
satellitic cones occur on Kilimanjaro, most following SE and NW trends.
Estimates suggest that of a total volume of about 1,150 cu. miles, Mawenzi
and Shira each contribute roughly 120 cu. mi. of andesites and basalts, Kibo
has the same volume of similar but unexposed rocks, plus an additional 107
cu. miles. Interestingly, more than half of Kilimanjaro’s volume is
represented by older, basal basalts (672 cu. mi.), so once again- as in
Cascade stratovolcanoes – a basaltic shield is the most important, but least
conspicuous element of a chemically complex volcano. Kilimanjaro- Africa’s
largest volcano and among the largest on the Earth is indeed a beautiful and
fascinating volcano of the world.
The tracks made in paradise
The upward track wends through forests that vary constantly with the
altitude and finally opens out into open moorland below rocky, snow covered
Kibo plateau. It has 3 volcanic centres, Shira, Kibo, and Mawenzi. 5, 7 & 8
day climbs are easily arranged from Moshi or Arusha, and is the perfect
start to your trip in Tanzania.
When to Climb
It can be climbed at any time during the year. However, Christmas and New
Year are usually fully booked and April, May and November is the rainy
season. There are two seasons of rain in Tanzania: the long rains run from
late March until June and the short rains from November until January. The
long rains fall in heavy downpours, often accompanied by violent storms. The
short rains tend to be much less severe.
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