Where it is located, what are the volcanoes that form the mountain range, best times for hiking and climbing, landscape features of the national park.
Mountain range
Mountain range formed by three now extinct volcanoes, Kilimanjaro is located in northeastern Tanzania, on the border with Kenya.
The Kibo, with its 5895 meters of altitude, is the highest volcano among the three, it is also the highest mountain on the African continent.
The Kibo crater still shows a small activity of the fumarole in the center.
In order of magnitude follow the Mawenzi Peak, 5149 meters high, and the Shira, which is the oldest peak, whose height is 3962 meters.
At about 3600 meters, between the Kibo and the Mawenzi, there is a large esplanade, called the saddle of the winds, which represents the largest tundra area in Africa, while the top of the massif is covered by a large expanse of ice, the whose surface in recent years has been affected by a progressive reduction.
Cultivated areas meet from the base of the massif, climbing up to 1600 meters above sea level.
Continuing the ascent up to 2900 meters, you reach the rainforest, before reaching, even higher, a moorland, followed by a high altitude desert area.
Upon reaching 5000 meters, the expanse of snow and ice begins, which makes this equatorial mountain spectacular.
National Park
Kilimanjaro, declared a National Park in 1973, since 1987 has been part of the natural heritage declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
The Kilimanjaro park, which extends for over 750 square kilometers with altitudes ranging from 2000 to 5895 meters, is home to a rich variety of animal and vegetable species.
Recommended readings- Tanzania: useful information
- Kilimanjaro: national park
- Serengeti: national park of Tanzania
The main entrance to the park is the Marangu Gate, located at an altitude of 1870 meters, where the easiest and most equipped path to reach the top begins.
The journey time of via Marangu is five or six days, depending on the stops and taking advantage of the accompaniment of a guide, then there are also other itineraries, including via Machame, of great charm but more demanding than via marangu .
The other routes to the summit are Umbwue, Rongai, Shira Plateau and Mweka.
The best periods for the ascent to Kilimanjaro are between the end of June and the beginning of October, and between the end of December and the beginning of February.
November, March, April and May are not recommended months due to the rains.
