Mount Kilimanjaro: A unique natural beauty

Mount Kilimanjaro, a stratovolcano that is located in northeastern Tanzania is the highest mountain in the entire Africa. The elevation of Mount Kilimanjaro is 5,895 metres that is 19,341 feet. The mountain has three volcanic cones named Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira. What is the major draw and important things about Kilimanjaro is that it is the world’s tallest freestanding mountain that rises 4600 metres high from the base.

However, the exact meaning and origin of name Kilimanjaro is unknown to the world, but is a combination of Swahili word Kilima, which means mountain and the Kichagga word Njaro, which means whiteness. As Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa and is the fourth highest of the Seven Summits, the climate offers pleasant and superb views with cool temperatures. Mount Kilimanjaro earlier, used to hold glacial ice that is slowly declining. It has been also seen and experienced that Kilimanjaro will get ice free within twenty years, and this will affect the local drinking water and crop irrigation.

Kilimajaro’s last and major eruption has been dated back to some 360,000 years ago whereas, the recent activity that has been recorded is of 200 years ago. The 2.2 square kilometres of glacial ice offers breathtaking views from every perspective. Today, the mountain has been considered as inactive, but it still has fumaroles in the crater that emits gas. This amazing attraction is slowly loosing its charm due to the diminishing of ice. Very little ice remained today.

If you are planning to explore and experience the huge Kilimanjaro then get ready to exhaust completely by trekking. You will get many routes to climb the mountain like Marangu, Rongai, Lemosho, Shira, Umbwe, and Machame. Out of all the routes, Machame is the most scenic albeit steeper. The trekking takes six to seven days to finish. The Rongoi is the easiest camping route where as, Marangu is also the easy one. The only difference is that Marangu’s accommodation can be done only in huts. This route always remains very busy.

If you are wishing to climb this mountain then undertaking suitable research is advised to you. Make sure that you are physically capable to climb the mountain and are properly equipped. Technically, climbing is very easy and the temperatures remain low, but sometimes winds make it difficult and dangerous as well. You can enjoy trekking by spending time at camps around. Take some rest and then move ahead to explore further.

Mount Kilimanjaro is a sky island that offers unique vegetation like the water holding cabbage that could be found in the tussock grassland. Besides this, some other plants are also there in alpine conditions. Kilimanjaro has a huge diversity of forest types that could be found over 3,000 metres high. It contains more than 1,200 vascular plant species.

With wide variety of forest types and other activities with spectacular sights, Kilimanjaro has to offer everything to everyone. It is a set of natural beauties, for which people die to take a glance. So enjoy every moments at Africa’s highest mountain – Kilimanjaro.