Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro, by any name, is a metaphor for the compelling beauty of East Africa. When you see it, you understand why. Not only is this the highest peak on the African continent; it is also the tallest free-standing mountain in the world, rising in breathtaking isolation from the surrounding coastal scrubland – elevation around 900 metres – to an imperious 5,895 metres (19,336 feet).
Kilimanjaro is one of the world's most accessible high summits, a beacon for visitors from around the world. Most climbers reach the crater rim with little more than a walking stick, proper clothing and determination. And those who reach Uhuru Point, the actual summit, or Gillman's Point on the lip of the crater, will have earned their climbing certificates,and their memories.But there is so much more to Kili than her summit. The ascent of the slopes is a virtual climatic world tour, from the tropics to the Arctic. Even before you cross the national park boundary (at the 2,700m contour), the cultivated footslopes give way to lush montane forest, inhabited by elusive elephant, leopard, buffalo, the endangered Abbot's duiker, and other small antelope and primates. Higher still lies the moorland zone, where a cover of giant heather is studded with otherworldly giant lobelias.Above 4,000m, a surreal alpine desert supports little life other than a few hardy mosses and lichen. Then, finally, the last vestigial vegetation gives way to a winter wonderland of ice and snow – and the magnificent beauty of the roof of the continent.About Kilimanjaro National ParkSize: 755 sq km (292 sq miles). Location: Northern Tanzania, near the town of Moshi.Getting there128 km (80 miles) from Arusha. About one hour's drive from Kilimanjaro airport.What to doSix usual trekking routes to the summit and other more-demanding mountaineering routes. Day or overnight hikes on the Shira plateau. Nature trails on the lower reaches. Trout fishing. Visit the beautiful Chala crater lake on the mountain's southeastern slopes.When to goClearest and warmest conditions from December to February, but also dry (and colder) from July-September.AccommodationHuts and campsites on the mountain. Several hotels and campsites outside the park in the village of Marangu and town of Moshi. 

ROUTE	6 DAYS	7 DAYS	8 DAYS	MIN.CLIENTS	MIN.CLIENTS
MARANGU	$1300			2	10
MACHAME	$1420	$1620		2	10
LEMOSHO		$1820	$2020	2	10
UMBWE	$1420	$1620		2	10
RONGAI	$1420	$1620		2	10
SHIRA		$1820		2	10

INCLUSIVE TO THE PRICES	EXCLUSIVE TO THE PRICES
·         Return transfers Nairobi or Kilimanjaro International to Moshi ·         2 nights Bed & Breakfast in a good standard hotel, based on 2 share twin/double room ·         2 Evening meals before and after climb ·         All Kilimanjaro National Park fees ·         Full board during climb ·         Services of Africa Serengeti Safaris representatives, guides, cooks and porters throughout	·         Items of personal nature Alcohol Tips for driver and cook Based on a minimum of 4 traveling people

Kilimanjaro. The name itself is a mystery wreathed in clouds. It might mean Mountain of Light, Mountain of Greatness or Mountain of Caravans. Or it might not. The local people, the Wachagga, don't even have a name for the whole massif, only Kipoo (now known as Kibo) for the familiar snowy peak that stands imperious, overseer of the continent, the summit of Africa.

Kilimanjaro, by any name, is a metaphor for the compelling beauty of East Africa. When you see it, you understand why. Not only is this the highest peak on the African continent; it is also the tallest free-standing mountain in the world, rising in breathtaking isolation from the surrounding coastal clubland – elevation around 900 metes – to an imperious 5,895 meters (19,336 feet).The Big Trip: 8 New Africa Adventures
 Across Africa: Tanzania, Mount Kilimanjaro

Wild safaris, bushwhacking treks, cultural close encounters—the new trend on the ancient continent is Africa as it was.

Climb the Scenic Route

Nearly 90 percent of Mount Kilimanjaro climbers stick to the Marangu route. This five-day round-trip to the 19,340-foot summit has become so popular that locals have dubbed it "the Coca-Cola trail" (said beverage is hawked from huts along the way). To bring an edge back to Africa’s highest peak, Abercrombie & Kent (which first led clients to the top in 1966) has launched its new Extreme Adventure Kilimanjaro climb—a nine-day trek on the Lemosho Route, the longest and remotest traverse. Armed rangers escort hikers through Arusha National Park, a little-visited gem of forests, moorlands, and volcanic crater lakes sprawled in the mountain’s shadow. "We may be pioneers of bush luxury, but adventure is how we define ourselves," says founder and CEO Geoffrey Kent. True to this split personality, A&K provides a gourmet chef, a personal porter for each climber, and a walk-in mess tent with table dining. The ascent is gradual, as much for acclimatization as for taking in the mountain’s unique ecology in the company of expert guides. But lest you be lulled by the high-end touches, remember: The trip is rated "severe" on the challenge scale, so only the confident (and fit) need apply ($2,525 per person;

Kilimanjaro, with its three volcanic cones, Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira, is a dormant volcanic mountain in Kilimanjaro National Park,Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania. It is the highest mountain in Tanzania, the highest mountain in Africa, and the highest free-standing mountain in the world at 5,895 metres or 19,341 feet above sea level (the Uhuru Peak/Kibo Peak)

The origin of the name "Kilimanjaro" is not precisely known, but a number of theories exist. European explorers had adopted the name by 1860 and reported that "Kilimanjaro" was the mountain's Kiswahili name. But according to the 1907 edition of The Nuttall Encyclopædia, the name of the mountain was "Kilima-Njaro".

Johann Ludwig Krapf wrote in 1860 that Swahilis along the coast called the mountain "Kilimanjaro". Although he did not support his claim,he claimed that "Kilimanjaro" meant either "mountain of greatness" or "mountain of caravans". Under the latter meaning, "Kilima" meant "mountain" and "Jaro" possibly meant "caravans"

According to one [Wachagga] informant, the old men tell the story that long ago the Wachagga, having seen the snowy dome, decided to go up to investigate; naturally, they did not get very far. Hence the name: kilemanjaare, or kilemanyaro, or possibly kilelemanjaare etc.- "which defeats," or which is impossible for, the bird, the leopard, or the caravan. This is attractive as being entirely made up of [Wachagga] elements based on an imaginable situation, but the fact remains that the name Kilimanjaro is not, and apparently never has been, current among the Wachagga as the name of the mountain. Is this then only, as other Wachagga suggest, a latter-day attempt to find a [Wachagga] explanation when pressed to do so by a foreign enquirer? Is it perhaps arguable that the early porters from the coast hearing the Wachagga say kilemanjaare or kilemajyaro, meaning simply that it was impossible to climb the mountain, imagined this to be the name of the mountain, and associated it with their own kilima? Did they then report to the European leaders of the expedition that the name of the mountain was, their version of the Kichagga, which, further assimilated by the European hearer, finally became standardized as Kilimanjaro

Another feature of the forests of Kilimanjaro is the absence of a bamboo zone, which occurs on all other tall mountains in East Africa with a similarly high rainfall. Sinarundinaria alpina stands are favored by elephants and African buffalos elsewhere. On Kilimanjaro these mega herbivores occur on the northern slopes, where it is too dry for a large bamboo zone to develop. They are excluded from the wet southern slope forests by topography and humans, who have cultivated the foothills for at least 2000  years

Kilimanjaro Climbing Prices.

There are seven official trekking routes by which to ascend and descend Mount Kilimanjaro: Lemosho, Machame, Marangu, Mweka, Rongai, Shira, and Umbwe.Of all the routes, Machame is considered the most scenic, albeit steeper, route.It can be done in six or seven days.he Rongai is the easiest and least scenic of all camping routes.The Marangu is also relatively easy, but this route tends to be very busy, the ascent and descent routes are the same, and accommodation is in shared huts with all other climbers.

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