Mount Kilimanjaro is located in the aptly named Mount Kilimanjaro National Park in Tanzania. Countless people have been put under its spell including Ernest Hemmingway, who later wrote The Snows of Kilimanjaro.
At 19,340 feet high, Kilimajaro is the highest peak in all of Africa. The nine-day trek to the mountains flat summit is 25 miles long, but a gruelling experience because of the need to acclimatize to the thinner air. Avoid the “tourist routes,” as these are always filled with people. Most people do not give themselves enough time to acclimatize, but if you do, the experience is worth the wait. The best time is to go is anytime besides the short rainy season in April to May and November. The cost with a guide group will be $3,600, but is well worth the price. The temperature varies from 10 degrees to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The six trails wind through many different ecosystems including tundra, rainforest, to highland. Only one in ten people out of the 15,000 who attempt it can complete the trek. The trick is to walk slowly; even as slow as one mile every hour.
The surrounding savanna is also a great place to view the native wildlife, including, but definitely not limited to elephants, wild dogs, lions, rhinos, leopards, cheetahs, zebras and wildebeast.
There is no technical skill needed to climb the mountain. There are no crampons, carbines, or ropes. All you need is a good pair of hiking boots. At the top, your nausea from the altitude will in no way exceed your amazement and satisfaction at the surreal views that you will see on a clear day over the Savannah of Tanzania and Kenya for hundreds of miles, 3.5 miles below where you stand.
