Home > Kilimanjaro
Kilimanjaro
By 1860 and the much publicized Victorian expeditions of Burton and Speak to locate the source of the River Nile, and Livingstone to explore the great African interior, European explorers had adopted the name of Kilimanjaro for the great snow covered mountain that dominated the plains and the imagination. The name Kilimanjaro was derived by the explorers, or so it is assumed, from Swahili, Kilima ("hill, little mountain") and Njaro (an ancient Swahili word for white or for shining). Today Kilimanjaro is the image of Tanzania's extraordinary landscape; well known around the world and universally eliciting a distinct sense of awe.
Mount Kilimanjaro is an inactive strato-volcano in north-eastern Tanzania, consisting of three volcanic cones. Kilimanjaro is also the tallest free-standing mountain rise in the world, rising 4,600 m (15,100 ft) from its base, and the highest peak in Africa at 5,895 metres (19,340 ft). The mountains prominence above the surrounding plains and frequent clear skies enable Kilimanjaro to be seen from the south, west and north from as much as 200 km away it can often be seen from Nairobi. The mountain peak is accessible to hikers with no climbing equipment or real previous mountaineering experience, which makes it almost unique amongst mountains of its size.
The Chagga people have made their lives around Kilimanjaro. The mountain represents a powerful mystical foundation and provides rich volcanic soil for agriculture and endless sources of pure spring waters. The legends of Kilimanjaros resident man-eating spirits still abound, and continue to preserve a mysticism that defies modern rationalization.
