Dest of the Week: Kilimanjaro
At almost six thousand metres, the massive volcanic hulk of Mount Kilimanjaro is Africa's highest mountain, and dominates much of the region named after it, spiritually as well as physically and economically. Although some 30,000 tourists are drawn to "Kili" every year by the challenge of trekking to the summit, only a few spend more than a couple of days in the towns at its base, of which the bustling and friendly Moshi is by far the biggest. Efforts have recently been made to spread the economic benefits of tourism, with the result that community-based cultural tourism programmes have been set up in Marangu and Machame, the villages at the start of Kilimanjaro's most popular hiking routes, close to the band of tropical rainforest that skirts much of its base. The programmes include a variety of half- and full-day hikes into the forests to see waterfalls, hot-water springs, and places with spiritual or historical significance. Similar trips can be made from Moshi itself, although little is properly organized.
Mount Kilimanjaro
The ice-capped, dormant volcano that is Mount Kilimanjaro, has exerted an irresistible fascination since it was "discovered" by Europeans in the mid-nineteenth century. Rising over 5km from the surrounding plains to a peak of 5891m, Kilimanjaro – a national park, and a World Heritage Site since 1989 – is Africa's highest mountain, the world's tallest free-standing massif and one of the world's largest volcanoes, covering some 3885 square kilometres. It is also an exceptionally beautiful mountain, both from afar and close up, and fills up brochures as easily as it does the horizon.
The mountain was formed during the most recent faulting of the Great Rift Valley two to three million years ago, an event that also produced Mount Meru and Mount Kenya. Kilimanjaro has three main peaks, together with parasitic volcanic cones and craters dotted around its sides. The youngest and highest peak is the distinctive snow-capped dome of Kibo, actually a large crater that was formed around 100,000 years ago during the last period of major volcanic activity. Kibo's highest point is Uhuru Peak on the crater's southwestern rim, whose official height of 5895m was downsized to 5891.6m in 2000 after a topographical satellite survey. Eleven kilometres to the east of Kibo (to which it's connected by a broad lava saddle) is the jagged pimple-like Mawenzi, all that remains of a volcanic cone that lost its eastern rim in a gigantic explosion. Its highest point is Hans Meyer Peak (5149m). The oldest peak is Shira Cone, on the west side of the mountain, which has mostly collapsed, leaving a spectacular lava plug.
For many visitors, the prospect of scaling the mountain is as exciting as it is daunting. The fact that no technical climbing skills are required to reach the summit (it's the world's highest non-technical climb) means that Kilimanjaro has acquired something of an easy reputation – a dangerous misconception, and one which you should ignore. The high altitude and the possibility of a quick ascent mean that an average of a dozen people lose their lives every year, usually as victims of acute mountain sickness. In addition, almost everybody gets afflicted with screaming headaches and utter exhaustion on summit day, meaning that of the 30,000 people who attempt the climb every year, less than a third make it all the way to Uhuru Peak. Having said this, if you take your time and stay attentive to your body's needs, there's no reason why you shouldn't be able to make it to the top. The mountain also offers plenty of less strenuous alternatives for those for whom the prospect of summiting smacks of a mite too much masochism: a walk on the lower slopes, through rainforest and on to the edge of sub-alpine moorland, makes no extreme fitness demands, and can be done in a day.
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