15 Fascinating Facts about Mt. Kilimanjaro

Written by: Dan Musyoki, Local Expert

A dormant volcano and the tallest mountain in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro in the Great Rift Valley in Tanzania is a popular trekking destination for mountain climbers and active travelers wishing to check its summit off their travel bucket list.

However, despite its popularity, there are many Mt. Kilimanjaro facts you may be surprised to learn of when it comes to this legendary mountain.  Read on to learn more!

1. 1. Kilimanjaro stands alone

      Most of the world’s highest mountains are part of ranges. For example, Mount Everest is part of the Himalayan Mountain Range. Africa’s tallest peak, Kilimanjaro, is the world’s highest free standing mountain with its summit, named Uhuru Point, reaching 19,341 feet above sea level.

   2. Kilimanjaro is one of the “Seven Summits” 

      Kilimanjaro is part of a group known as the “Seven Summits,” which include the highest mountains on each of the seven continents.  This set of mountains is an oft-referred to moniker amongst serious mountaineers, as many consider conquering all “Seven Summits” the penultimate climbing goal. Climbing Kilimanjaro is actually one of the more attainable Seven Summit pursuits.

   3. Kilimanjaro has three volcanic cones

      The three volcanic cones of Mount Kilimanjaro are Mawenzi, Shira and Kibo. Mawenzi and Shira are extinct while Kibo, the highest peak, is merely dormant, which means it could erupt again. The most recent activity occurred two centuries ago, however, the last major eruption was 360,000 years ago.

   4. The meaning of Kilimanjaro remains a mystery

      According to the 1907 edition of The Nuttall Encyclopædia, the name of the mountain was “Kilima-Njaro,” comprised of the Swahili word “Kilima” meaning “mountain” and the Chagga word “Njaro” meaning “whiteness.” German missionary Johann Ludwig Krapf wrote in 1860, “The Swahili of the coast call the snow-mountain Kilimanjaro, ‘mountain of greatness.’ It may also mean ‘mountain of caravans’ (jaro meaning ‘caravans’), a landmark for caravans seen everywhere from afar, but the inhabitants of Jagga call it Kibo, `snow.’”

   5. The first ascent of Kilimanjaro was more than a century ago

      Mount Kilimanjaro was first climbed in 1889 by German geologist Hans Meyer. On Meyer’s first attempt in 1887 he had to turn around at Kibo as he did not have the proper equipment for heavy snow and ice. On his second attempt in 1888, Meyer was captured by locals as part of the Abushiri Revolt against German traders then later freed after a ransom was paid. In 1889 on this third attempt, Meyer finally reached the summit with the help of a guide, two local tribe leaders, nine porters, and a cook.

   6. Climbers experience five ecological zones when they climb Kilimanjaro

      There are five different climate zones you must pass through when climbing Kilimanjaro including the Cultivation Zone (2,500 – 5900 feet), Montane Rain Forest (5,900 – 9,200 feet), Low Alpine Heath and Moorland Zone (9,200 – 13,000 feet), Alpine Desert (13,000 – 16,400 feet), and finally, the Arctic Zone (16,400 – 19,340).

1. 1. Mount Kilimanjaro’s ice cap is disappearing

      As the result of climate change, Kili’s famous ice cap is disappearing. The mountain’s snow caps are slowly melting, having lost more than 80 percent of their mass since 1912. Sadly, scientists predict that the mountain may be completely ice free within the next 20 years.

   2. Mount Kilimanjaro’s history in the written word

      There has been much interest in Mount Kilimanjaro by geographers, scientists, and writers alike. The first recorded mention of Kili was by Ptolemy of Alexandria in the second century; he referred to “a great snow mountain.” There was later mention by oriental traders of a “great mountain west of Zanzibar” and by Spanish writer Fernandez de Encisco of “an Ethiopian Mount Olympus.” 
      British geographer William Cooley wrote in 1844 that “the most famous mountain of Eastern Africa is Kirimanjara.” And then of course, there’s American novelist Ernest Hemingway’s famous short story “The Snows of Kilimanjaro,” first published in Esquire Magazine in 1936.

   3. It took till 1927 for the first woman to summit Mount Kilimanjaro

      In September, 1927, 22-year old London resident Sheila MacDonald became the first female to summit Mount Kilimanjaro when she joined a group of adventurers on the expedition while visiting relatives in East Africa.  MacDonald was a Scottish woman who excelled at horseback riding and had spent her childhood in Scotland climbing with her father. After climbing Mount Etna in Sicily, she decided to attempt Kilimanjaro – and succeeded!

   4. The East African Mountain Club built the first huts on Kili

      Formed in the 1920’s, The East African Mountain Club ran all the expeditions up Kilimanjaro until the Tanzanian Government took over in 1973. Members built the first huts on Kilimanjaro, at strategic points to allow climbers to rest, trained the first mountain guides, and operated the first commercial climbs.

   5. There are seven routes to the summit

      There are currently seven official routes to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. You must take one of these routes – it is not possible to create your own route. The routes are: Marangu, Machame, Umbwe, Lemosho, Shira, Northern Circuit, and Rongai. All routes begin within Kilimanjaro National Park.

1. Two thirds of those who attempt to summit Mount Kilimanjaro are successful

   Approximately 25,000 people attempt to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro every year, according to statistics from tour operators, and only about two-thirds are successful. Altitude-related problems, such as acute mountain sickness, is the most common reason climbers turn back and it has been deduced over time that the longer the route, the greater chance of summit. 

2. A Wooden Box holds record of summits

   Almost every climber to summit Kilimanjaro has chronicled his or her thoughts about the achievement in a book stored in a wooden box at the top of the peak. 

3. Swiftest Ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro

   The quickest confirmed ascent of Mt. Kilimanjaro occurred in 2001 when Italian Bruno Brunod summitted Uhuru Peak in 5 hours 38 minutes 40 seconds. The fastest roundtrip route took place in 2004, when local guide Simon Mtuy went up and down the mountain in 8 hours and 27 minutes.

4. You can climb Mount Kilimanjaro without climbing gear

   It may surprise you to know that you don’t need any special climbing gear or even climbing experience to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Most are shocked to learn that you can simply hike up one of the world’s highest mountains, but it’s true. Such mountains are referred to as non-technical mountains and the other six of the “Seven Summits” are all technical mountains, meaning you will need mountaineering equipment to make it to the top.