One of the planet´s most iconicfeatures, Mount Kilimanjaro, rises above the Tanzania plains like anice-crested stairway to the gods. It is the tallest free-standing mountain inthe world and the highest peak on the African continent, and every year thousandsof people are drawn to its stopes in the hope of standing at thetop of itssnow-clad summit.
Mount Kilimanjaro, in thenorthwest of Tanzania, is the highest mountain in Africa, which is solitary onthe surrounding savannah with its snow-capped peaks. An authentic wonder ofnature that houses endless life on its slopes, which has been declared a WorldHeritage Site for its ecological value.
At the top of Kilimanjaro, youcan see the perpetual snows of the glaciers that have inspired dozens ofwriters and artists, such as Hemingway.
Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is oneof the best experiences you can have in Tanzania. Few mountains, except forthose belonging to Mount Kilimanjaro, can enhance the grandeur and incredibleviews of the Amboseli National Park in Kenya, the Great Rift Valley, and the Maasai Plateau. Climbing to the highest peak in Africa, the highest point ofthe continent that is located at 5,896 meters, will be an unforgettable experience.
In the surroundings of MountKilimanjaro, life seems to come from anywhere. There are six differentecological zones that are worth visiting. In Kilimanjaro, you can find from theagricultural lands of the plains, exploited for the most part by the Masai; tothe tropical jungles, or alpine deserts as you go up their slopes.
Among the animals that live inthe surroundings of Mount Kilimanjaro and the natural reserve that it possesses,there are numerous species of monkeys, leopards, antelopes, several mammals indanger of extinction and an endless number of birds that nest in the differentgeological zones of the highest mountain of Africa.
Mount Kilimanjaro is actually
formed by three independent peaks that are craters of volcanic origin:
Kibo is the highest point. Thismountain is a crater about 2 kilometers wide with another smaller crater in itsinterior that, although it is considered a dormant volcano, still emits somefumes today.
The second peak is the Mawenzi,which, with its 5,149 meters of altitude, is the third highest mountain in theAfrican continent. It is about 11 kilometers approximately east of Kibo and itshighest point is known as Hans Meyer Point.
Finally, it is the oldest and,therefore, the most worn mountain, the Shira that has 3,962 meters of altitude.It is a relatively flat plateau covered in sediments that reach through theair.
Kilimanjaro, the name itself, isa mystery wrapped in clouds. It could mean luminous mountain or grandiosemountain. By any name that is called, Kilimanjaro is a metaphor about theconvincing beauty of East Africa, that you only understand when you get to seeit.
Rising in isolation, with its5,895 meters, it is not only the highest mountain in Africa, but it is also one of the most accessible peaks in the world, a beacon that attracts visitors fromall over the planet.
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