A charity climb to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro

The Climb to Mount Kilimanjaro

Known as the “Roof of Africa”, Mount Kilimanjaro is the tallest free-standing mountain rise in the world.  With it’s summit topping out at 19,341 feet (5,895 m), Kilimanjaro can be seen from as far as 200 km away.  Also one of the largest volcanoes in the world, Kilimanjaro overlooks Kenya and is located at latitude and longitude 3° 4' 0" S, 37° 21' 0" E, -3.066667, 37.35 (WGS84), 205 miles south of the equator, on the north-eastern border of Tanzania.

Uhuru Peak is one of Seven Summits of Kilimanjaro and is the highest point on the mountain. The volcano Kibo, is marked by a crater at the summit that is 1.5 miles (2.25 Km) wide. With less than half the amount of oxygen available at sea level, this climb requires proper acclimatization to prevent altitude sickness.The first recorded reach of the summit was on October 6, 1889, by a Marangu army scout, Yohanas Kinyala Lauwo, the German Hans Meyer, and Austrian Ludwig Purtscheller.

Referred to as the "white mountain" in Masai, or the “shining mountain” in Swahili, Mount Kilimanjaro is actually an inactive stratovolcano, built of alternating layers of ash or cinders.   With three volcanic cones including Kibo, Mawensi, and Shira, scientists concluded in 2003 that molten magma is just 400 metres (1,300 ft) below the summit crater. 

Kilimanjaro has been a size reference for centuries. Used even in animation by Disney as the backdrop of The Lion King, this mountain has been in many popular and award winning films.  Even in the gaming industry, this massive mountain is referenced in games such as Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Halo 2, and Halo 3.

Approximately 15,000 people attempt to climb Kilimanjaro each year, but only about 40% of them succeed in reaching the summit.

Our climb path

Below is a map of our path. You can click and drag the map below to see more.

Below is a satellite image of the Kilimanjaro area.

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