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National Park. 756 sq.
km..
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The tallest mountain
in Africa (19,340 feet or 5895 meters))
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Actually a triple volcano
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Oldest is Shira,
collapsed caldera
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Middle aged is Mawenzi
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Youngest and still
dormant is Kibo
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Highest point, Uhuru
peak is on Kibo (5895 meters)
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The National Park itself
only includes the mountain area above 8,860 feet which
make up the moor and highland areas, the Shira Plateau
and the two peaks of Kibo (the "summit") and
Mawenzi (16,894 feet).
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The area below the Park
is, however, gazetted as forest and game reserve; five
main vegetational zones rise from the lower slopes in
succession, each getting colder and dryer with correspondingly
fewer fauna populations.
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There are five alternative
"normal" routes to the summit.
Climbing Mt Kilimanjaro (mount
kilimanjaro)
Overview
Most routes up to the highests point in Africa are really
treks rather than climbs, i.e. there is no hitching up to
ropes, and no technical experience neccessary. The biggest
challenge on Kilimanjaro is generally the altitude, and for
those that take enough time to acclimatise, almost everyone
can make it with good route selection and taking it easy.
Hoopoe operates very high quality climbs:
high specification equipment, excellent guides, full backup,
very ethical, superb crews and fully licienced.
Length of climb / trek
The fact is that this moutain can be climbed very quickly
(as little as 4 days), but the success rate is low. The recommended
ascent rate is 1000 feet per day, which means
an ideal length of itinerary is 8 nights. For most people,
however, we find that 7 nights is enough time and many people
attempt Kili in 5 nights as well. The more nights and days
taken to summit the more successful and comfortable the climb
is likely to be.
Kilimanjaro Routes
There are 5 main routes: that tie in with
three main final ascent routes:
| Starting Route |
Ascent Route |
Normal # of days |
| Machame |
Stella Point |
6 / 7 (7 best) |
| Lemosho |
Stella Point / Western Breach* |
8 / 9 (8 or 9 great) |
| Umbwe |
Stella Point |
5 / 6 (6 best) |
| Rongai |
Gilman's Point |
6 |
| Marangu |
Gilman's Point |
5 / 6 (6 best) |
* The Western Breach has been closed for
the time being for safety reasons following the death of climbers
and crew in January 2006 after a severe rockfall. If you are
being offered this route then please be very careful. Hoopoe's
Lemosho
Western Breach departure has been changed to ascend via
Stella Point - a superb itienrary that sees all of Kilimanjaro's
great features in one hike!
Both the Machame and Lemosho routes are
highly recommended as they offer a scenically superb route
and can be done at a rate of ascent that is favourable to
helping acclimatise. For the time being ascending via the
Lemosho route remains one of the more exclusive and interesting
starting points, and is also a relatively gradual ascent.
Machame is tougher to start with and then can join the same
route as the Lemosho route (see our maps for more). Marangu
remains busy, but the rehabilitated road is easy going - the
last section to the crater rim is as difficult as any and
there is a longer walk to Uhuru Peak once at Gilman's Point.
See our routes comparison chart for a detailed side by side
lowdown.
| Starting Route |
Ascent Route |
Pros |
Cons |
| Machame |
Stella Point |
See all parts of the mountain, great flora / fauna /
geology |
Can be busy. If done over 6 days then is hard. Choose
7 days for best chance of ascent |
| Lemosho |
Stella Point / Western Breach* |
Best route for all factors. |
Can be longer than you want to spend on the moutain
and extra logistics makes this an expensive choice |
| Umbwe |
Stella Point |
Less people on 1st day |
Very hard 1st day, don't see much of the mountain |
| Rongai |
Gilman's Point |
Less people on way up |
Gilman's point furtherest from Uhuru when ascending,
sleeping next to huts on way down. Don't get to see Shira,
Barranco, Breach (western side of mountain) |
| Marangu |
Gilman's Point |
Relatively easy first 2 days |
Sleeping in communal huts, tough final ascent (Gilman's
furtherest from Uhuru peak on rim) |
Hoopoe operates a Lemosho
route 9day set departure and a 7
day Machame route set departure - the best climbs at the
best ascent rates with superb guides and crew. Note - we can
run private trips, the bigger the group the lower the rate.
Kilimanjaro Guides / Porters
Read more about our guides
and crew here.
On Kilimanjaro it is mandatory
to ascend with a licensed guide. Most people also have porters
and camp crew to carry all equipment. Normally around 3 or
4 porters per person is normal. Porters are permited, as per
park regulations, to carry 20kg of equipment + 5kg of their
own clothes and gear. Hoopoe's normal specification is very
high end with lots of fresh food and little luxuries like
a toilet tents amongst others and hence our porter to client
ratio is more like 6 porters to 1 guest.
Kilimanjaro
Geology Overview
Kilimanjaro is a pretty complex
volcano. In fact Kilimanjaro is termed a chemically complex
triple strato volcano and it went through a series of changes
as it was born, developed and became less and less active.
There were a number of different types of rocks produced from
basalts to phonolites to rhomb porphyries.
The key thing to understand about Kilimanjaro
is that firstly it is actually 3 volcanoes - Shira, Mawenzi
and Kibo. Kibo is the highest of those three volcanoes and
Uhuru Peak is the summit (renamed from Kaizer Wilheim Spitz
Peak during independance). Being called a 'strato volcano'
means that Kilimanjaro has a series of layers of ash and lava
as the volcanoes went through different eruptive phases. Stratos
means layer in Greek and susinctly describes the layering
of ash and lava.
The complete geological history of Kilimanjaro
is a very lengthy description but in brief Kilimanjaro was
born around 1 million or so years ago as the crust of the
earth became under tension and started to crack and split
- this is the Rift valley zone where the African continent
is literally pulling itself apart and Kilimanjaro is a result
of that very process! Initially very running (low viscocity)
lavas emerged, these were basalts. Being very runny they formed
a very gentle sloping base for Kilimanjaro, easily seen today.
As the volcano matured different lavas started to emerge.
Having a cooler eruptive temperature the lavas were different
to the initial basalt lava flows and far less runny, giving
Kilimanjaro and Kibo especially, a much steeper profile. The
types of lavas that were emerging we the likes of the small
rectangle porphries (porphry refers to foreign crystals in
the lava - easily seen when on the mountain) and rhomb porphyries.
Phonilites also emerged and those can easily been recognised
at places like the Lent group and near Barafu camp where the
clinky sounds can be heard as you walk over them (phono refering
to sound and lite - lithe refering to stone).
Successive lava flows then continued as
Kibo continued to grow. Mawenzi and Shira both 'died' and
have both eroded heavily. Kibo remains 'dormant'. These days
the way Kilimanjaro actually looks and also some of the rock
types are also as a result of erosive processes - glaciation
being the most impressive and destructive of these erosive
forces. Other events such as Lahars - huge rock and debris
flows usually laden with water, have also occured on Kilimanjaro
and all have left their mark locked in successive layers of
lava, glacial outwash and morraines and in some places exposed
for all to see.
This brief history was written by Ake
Lindstrom - comments and feedback on this info is warmly
welcomed. Links will also be posted for those that want to
find out more about Kilimanjaro and volcanoes.
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