Geography on mount Kilimanjaro

Geography of Mount Kilimanjaro
The origin of the name Kilimanjaro is unknown, but many theories regarding the name exist, and European explorers had already adapted the name by the 1860s. Some people believe the name is derived from a European mispronunciation of the local word KiChagga, meaning “We failed to climb,” while others say the name is derived from a mixture of the Swahili word “Kilima,” translated to mean “mountain,” and the KiChagga word “Njaro,” translated to mean “whiteness.”
Mount Kilimanjaro is the world’s tallest freestanding mountain, rising at 5,895 meters above sea level, making it the highest mountain in Africa. The mountain is ice-capped despite being close to the equator, but unfortunately, unending climate change has greatly affected its glaciers by 80% since 1912 and could completely disappear by 2060.
The northern ice field once connected the southern and western ice fields, forming a massive ice field on top of Mount Kilimanjaro. The first successful ascent to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro was done in October 1889 by Ludwig Purtscheller, Hans Meyer, and a local Chagga man known as Lauwo. Today, about 30,000 tourists attempt to climb Mount Kilimanjaro annually.
Geography of Mount Kilimanjaro
Mount Kilimanjaro is located in Kilimanjaro region at the border of Kenya and Tanzania, situated 160 kilometers from the great East African Rift System. It is believed that the mountain started forming about 3 million years ago during the formation of the Great Rift Valley. The mountain is composed of ash, lava, and rock with large quantities of basalts and andesites.
Mount Kilimanjaro started to form when molten lava started to erupt within the earth’s crust, pushing rock and sediments upwards to form a mountain.
Mount Kilimanjaro is a dormant stratovolcano with three distinct volcanic cones: Shira, being the lowest at 4,005 meters, followed by Mawenzi at 5,249 meters, and the highest is Kibo at 5,895 meters. Both Shira and Mawenzi are extinct, while Kibo is dormant and could erupt again in the future. Sulfur can be smelled from its fissure vents near its central ash pit. The last major eruption at Kibo happened between 150,000 to 200,000 years ago.
Kibo is the largest and youngest volcanic cone on Mount Kilimanjaro, measuring 24 kilometers wide. There are about 250 parasitic cones on the northwest and southeastern flanks of Kibo.
The eruption of the Shira volcanic cone started about 2.5 million years ago, and the last major eruption occurred 1.9 million years ago; its caldera has been affected by erosion over the years.
Mawenzi and Kibo peaks began to erupt at the same time about 1 million years ago, separated by a saddle plateau at 4,400 meters elevation. Mawenzi had a steeper incline and was rockier.
The youngest rocks at Mawenzi are 448,000 years old, with cirques cut into the crater rim, including the great Barranco Gorge. There is a subsidiary peak at Mawenzi named Newman Tower at 4,425 meters above sea level.
Mount Kilimanjaro has not been studied thoroughly, especially its volcanic interior because there hasn’t been any significant erosion to expose its igneous strata comprising the volcano’s structure.
Kibo is a typical volcanic cone crater linked by an 11-kilometer saddle at 4,500 meters with Mawenzi. The crater is about 2 kilometers wide and 300 meters deep.
Mount Kilimanjaro is characterized by distinctive climate zones from the base to the summit, starting from bushland and cultivated zones, montane rainforest zone, moorland and heath zone, alpine desert, and arctic zone. The slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro are cultivated farmlands and settlements. The rich volcanic soils support agriculture, and common crops grown include coffee, wheat, bananas, corn, sugar, beans, maize, bananas, sisal, and barley, among others.
The highest summit of Mount Kilimanjaro is Uhuru Peak, found at Kibo crater rim. The glaciers on Mount Kilimanjaro are over 10,00
The rainforest zone is home to some wildlife like elephants, buffalos, blue monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, elands, duikers, bushbucks, and a variety of bird species.
Mount Kilimanjaro is drained by several streams and rivers. Mount Kilimanjaro is the main source of the Pangani River, also known as Jipe Ruvu, Lumi, or Luffu, in northeastern Tanzania, which empties into the Indian Ocean.
People living around the Kilimanjaro region are mostly the Chagga, Kahe, Mbugu, and Pare people, who all have distinctive cultural beliefs and values. You can visit these people to learn more about their way of life after hiking Mount Kilimanjaro.
Mount Kilimanjaro is located 225 kilometers from Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, and 446 kilometers from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The mountain can be reached by direct flights from Europe to Kilimanjaro International Airport or by flying to Nyerere International Airport and then driving or flying to Arusha town.
There are two distinct seasons, rainy and dry seasons, in the Kilimanjaro region, with the dry seasons being from June to September and December to February, and the wet seasons from March to May and November to April. Temperatures at the summit can reach 19°F, and snow can occur at the summit all year round, more pronounced during the rainy seasons. The best time for visiting Kilimanjaro National Park for hiking is during the dry seasons for stunning views, and the trails are not muddy and slippery.
There are seven hiking routes by which tourists can reach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, namely Shira route, Umbwe route, Marangu route, Lemosho route, Machame route, Northern circuit route, and Rongai route. It takes between 5 to 9 days to reach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, depending on the route you choose. Tourists are always advised to choose a longer route for better acclimatization to altitude.
The climb to Mount Kilimanjaro is not technically challenging compared to the other seven summits of the world because you don’t need experience, physical fitness, or technical equipment to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. What makes Mount Kilimanjaro difficult to climb is altitude sickness, which is unpredictable and can occur to anybody. Tourists intending to hike the mountain should carry waterproof hiking boots, garden gloves, raincoats, sunglasses, insect repellents, plenty of drinking water, energy-giving snacks, socks, long-sleeved clothing, hats, headlamps, and other necessities you might need.