During my climb i learned a lot ..and i thought why shouldn't i share this marvelous story with you.
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| beginning the journey with my friends |
Kilimanjaro is a giant stratovolcano that began forming a million years ago, when lava spilled from the Rift Valley zone. Two of its three peaks, Mawenzi and Shira, are extinct while Kibo (the highest peak) is dormant and could erupt again. The last major eruption has been dated to 360,000 years ago, while the most recent activity was recorded just 200 years ago.
Although it is dormant, Kibo has fumaroles that emit gas in the crater. Scientists concluded in 2003 that molten magma is just 400 m (1,310 ft) below the summit crater. Several collapses and landslides have occurred on Kibo in the past, one creating the area known as the Western Breach.
ORIGIN OF THE NAME KILIMANJARO:
It is unknown where the name Kilimanjaro originates, but a number of theories exist. European explorers had adopted the name by 1860 and reported that it was its Swahili name, with Kilimanjaro breaking into Kilima (Swahili for "hill, little mountain") and Njaro, whose supposed origin varies according to the theories—according to some it is an ancient Swahili word for white or for shining, or for the non-Swahili origin, a word from the Kichagga language, the word jaro meaning "caravan". The problem with all these is that they cannot explain why the diminutive kilima is used instead of the proper word for mountain, mlima. The name might be a local joke, referring to the "little hill of the Njaro" being the biggest mountain on the African continent, since this is a nearby town, and guides recount that it is the Hill of the Njaro people. A different approach is to assume that it comes from the Kichagga kilmanare or kileajao meaning "which defeats the bird/leopard/caravan". However this theory cannot explain the fact that Kilimanjaro was never used in Kichagga before in Europe in the mid-19th century.
An alternative theory is as follows: On November 10, 1848, the German missionary Rebmann wrote in his diary, "This morning we discerned the Mountains of Jagga more distinctly than ever." Jagga was the pronunciation of Chagga by Europeans. Kilimanjaro may also be the European pronunciation of the Chagga phrase that "Kile-lema-irho", meaning "we failed to climb it" in Kiuru, Kioldimoshi, Kimarangu, Kivunjo, Kikibosho, Kimachame and Kirombo, Kichagga in general. If so, name itself, Kile-lema-irho/Kilimanjaro, would have been the Chagga way of explaining to kyasaka (newcomers) when they asked about the shining mountain top of Kibo and Mawenzi Peak. Kibo peak is more visible from the Kibosho Area, and Mawenzi from Maranu.
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| kibo peak |
ROUTES
There are six official trekking routes by which to climb Mt Kilimanjaro, namely: Marangu, Rongai, Lemosho, Shira, Umbwe and Machame. Of all the routes, Machame is by far the most scenic albeit steeper route up the mountain, which can be done in six or seven days. The Rongai is the easiest and least scenic of all camping routes with the most difficult summit night and the Marangu is also relatively easy, but accommodation is in shared huts with all other climbers. As a result, this route tends to be very busy, and ascent and descent routes are the same.
People who wish to trek to the summit of Kilimanjaro are advised to undertake appropriate research and ensure that they are both properly equipped and physically capable. Though the climb is technically not as challenging as when climbing the high peaks of the Himalayas or Andes, the high elevation, low temperature, and occasional high winds make this a difficult and dangerous trek. Acclimatisation is essential, and even then most experienced trekkers suffer some degree of altitude sickness. Kilimanjaro summit is well above the altitude at which high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE), or high altitude cerebral edema (HACE) can occur. All trekkers will suffer considerable discomfort, typically shortage of breath, hypothermia and headaches.
High-altitude climbing clubs—citing safe ascent rate suggestions offered by organisations such as the Royal Geographical Society—have criticised the Tanzanian authorities for charging fees for each day spent on the mountain. It was once argued that this fee structure encouraged trekkers to climb rapidly to save time and money, while proper acclimatisation demands that delays are built in to any high climb. However, in response to this accusation, Tanzania National Parks Authority several years ago mandated minimum climb durations for each route. These regulations prohibit climbs of fewer than five days on the Marangu Route, and ensure a minimum of six days for the other five sanctioned routes. These minimums—particularly in the case of Marangu, which ostensibly allows that Uhuru Peak (5,895m) can be reached from a starting elevation at 1,860m within 72 hours of beginning the ascent—are reckoned by most alpinists to allow an ascent rate that will usually result in the climber failing to acclimatize adequately, by the time that Kibo Huts are reached; the launch base from which the summit is assaulted. Consequently, the incidence of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) is widely deemed to be unacceptably high on Kilimanjaro, with high volumes of fit young people succumbing to the condition, having opted for a relatively rapid ascent. As a general rule, it is far safer (and more enjoyable) to avoid altitude sickness by planning a sensible itinerary that allows for gradual acclimatisation to high elevation as one ascends. Operations that typically see in excess of a thousand climbers summitting annually and are best placed to identify such patterns, usually posit that an optimal climb length should last around seven to eight days.
look how tired we were,anyway we were about 23 of us but few managed to reach Kibo peak ,the journey can be tiresome but thanks to the well educated tour guides and supporting porters who are dedicated to do their jobs.
WHAT SHOCKS ME ??
Disappearance of ice...
The period from 1912 to present has witnessed the disappearance of more
than 80% of the ice cover on Kilimanjaro. From 1912 to 1953 there was
~1% annual loss, while 1989–2007 saw ~2.5% annual loss. Of the ice cover
still present in 2000, 26% had disappeared by 2007. While the current
shrinking and thinning of Kilimanjaro's ice fields appears to be unique
within its almost twelve millennium history, it is contemporaneous with
widespread glacier retreat
in mid-to-low latitudes across the globe. At the current rate,
Kilimanjaro is expected to become ice-free some time between 2022 and
2033.
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| UHURU PEAK |
wake up ,wake up tour guides waking us up at midnight ,that's when we all have to dress up in order for us to vacate kibo huts and head for the Uhuru peak,very cold indeed.
we started our journey to the peak ,i remember we were arranged in a Que..no body talked ,we walked for about two hours heading to the peak,suddenly some people started quitting and the guides had to give them an escort back.we moved on while each stop we made to rest people would require to turn back .few of us that had courage we continued to the last point. Finally we saw the peak...but what bored us is how the guides encouraged us..which its good at some point but i hated when they told us to not worry we almost there,they repeated this about million times but we still had many kilometers to cover.
special thanks to : TANAPA , our head of guards Dastan and all others that helped us reach our dream.
FREE ADVICE:VISIT THE WILDERNESS IN TANZANIA AND ENJOY
KILIMANJARO SHOULD BE CONCURRED NOT TO BE A PHOBIA.
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