 Summited September 19, 2011
Africa: Kilimanjaro (19,340'/5896m)
 One
of the world's highest volcanoes it was first summited in 1889 by Meyer and Purtscheller.
There are actually three peaks: Kibo, Shira and Mawenzi with Kibo being the summit.
There are 5 main routes that meander from the jungle through five microclimates to
join the three final ascent routes to Kibo. Both the Machame and Lemosho routes offer
a more leisurely paced scenic climb. The Lemosho route is less crowded while the
Machame route has a more difficult beginning but joins into the same route as the
Lemosho. The Marangu climb is crowded since it follows a road part way.
It is considered a walk-up by many climbers but still represents a deadly threat
when climbers go too fast or ignore difficult weather. The local park officials maintain
strict rules thus requiring local guides to accompany each team. The climb takes
anywhere from 4 to 7 days with 7 being the suggested time to allow for proper acclimatization.
Huts are on some routes as well as tent camping. Porters carry most of the load so
climbers usually just manage a small day pack with their personal gear.
The second highest mountain in Africa is Mt. Kenya in Kenya at 17,057'/5199m and
is 250 miles north of Kilimanjaro. The normal route to Peak Lenana is considered
a scramble but routes to Batina Peak offer challenging rock climbing (5.7 range)
to reach the summit.
Kilimanjaro Resources
I have summited Kilimanjaro on September 2011. You can read about my climb on these links:
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