Carbon Neutral 100%
Destinations
Top destinations of the moment in Africa
  • Tour Ideas
Trip Types
  • Travel Style
  • Interests and Activities
  • Tour Ideas by Month
  • Continents and Regions
An update from Evaneos
Tanzania

The myth of Kilimanjaro

With its snowclad cone, Kilimanjaro is a mythical mountain that dominates the gigantic plains of Tanzania and Kenya from its great height. Kilimanjaro has the power to attract the eye of all travellers to Tanzania . Some are happy to admire it from afar while others set off for its dizzying ascension.

Kilimanjaro, a myth

Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kilimanjaro rises to an altitude of 19 341 feet to dominate the entire African continent. You will probably first catch sight of the giant from the window of your plane in the course of your trip to Tanzania . Seat yourself on the right-hand side of the craft during the flight from Dar Es Salaam to Arusha. From up there you will notice that Kilimanjaro is in fact composed of three different summits. Each one being an inactive volcano. Shira rises to a height of 12 989 feet, Mawenzi to 16 893 feet and finally there is Kibo, also called Uhuru peak, the roof of Africa at an altitude of 19 341 feet .

The first European to see Kilimanjaro was the German, Johannes Rebman, in 1848. Despite its geographical location only 205 miles south of the equator, Kilimanjaro has the particularity of being permanently snowcapped. Less and less permanent, though, for today there remains less than 1 square mile of the 5 square miles of glacier first noted.

In 1886 when the frontier between Kenya and Tanzania divided Kilimanjaro in two, legend has it that Queen Victoria gave it to her grandson, William the Emperor, for his birthday. Nice gift and this is how the mythical highest summit of the continent found itself entirely on the Tanzanian side.

You have arrived on the roof of Africa

Setting off on a climb

Far gone is the time when in 1889 Hans Meyer became the first man to conquer the roof of Africa. With the help of a guide and 60 porters he finally reached Kilimanjaro's summit after two failed attempts.

Nowadays, more than 30 000 people set off on this mythical climb. To throw yourself into this fabulous adventure, you have to be physically fit. You will also need good equipment and to go through the services of a reliable agency. There are different paths you can take to get to the summit. Take the time to choose the one that best suits you. Marangu path, which is the most popular and the quickest, will get you there in 6 days. It is so touristic and so much visited that it has been referred to as the "Coca-Cola Route". Machame path, which is hardly more difficult, but allows for a better acclimatisation to the altitude, is mostly more beautiful for it offers changing scenery over 7 days of walking. Lemosho and Shira paths are the least visited, the longest and the wildest.

Falling to your knees in front of the big, green sign board announcing that you have reached the summit of the roof of Africa will no doubt remain one of the greatest moments in your life as a traveller.

David Debrincat
459 contributions