Tanzania Kilimanjaro Expeditions
dmAFRICA leads in arrangements for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, which can be accomplished by anyone who is reasonably fit. No specialist mountain skills are required. Below we set out what you are likely to find on a dmAFRICA expedition
Mount Kilimanjaro National Park - Tanzania
Mount Kilimanjaro rises majestically from the hot savannah to a barren and frigid 5895m high peak. It's the highest mountain in Africa as well as the highest freestanding mountain in the world.
Kilimanjaro National Park encompasses the entire mountain above the 2,700m line. In addition, the park has six corridors through the Kilimanjaro Forest Reserve, which protects the mountains forests from the tree line at 1,800m. Kilimanjaro stands only 320 km. south of the Equator, on the northern boundary of Tanzania. Its location on an open plain close to the Indian Ocean, and its great size and height strongly influence the climate, vegetation, animal life and the climbing conditions. It is made up of three extinct volcanoes: Kibo 5,895m, Mawenzi 5,149m.and Shira 3,962m.
When walking on the mountain, it is possible to encounter some odd man-made arrangements of stone; these are sites for ancestral worship that belong to the Chagga people that inhabit the mountain region. Kilimanjaro towers above the Great Rift Valley, the birthplace of humankind. This gives Kilimanjaro an awesome mystique. One can imagine the mountain towering above our ancestors, making an early, continual impression on our species
The mountain's huge size creates a fascinating microclimate where different types of flora and fauna dominate specific areas, depending on the altitude and rainfall of the particular location.
The mountain's eco-systems in brief:
The Lower Slopes Zone
Altitude 800-1800m
Rainfall 500mm/yr on plains to 1800 mm/yr at forest boundary.
Around most of the mountain lower slopes you will see evidence of human use, particularly grazing of livestock and cultivation. This has totally changed the natural vegetation patterns and what used to be scrub, bush and lowland forest is now grassland or cropland. On the northern and eastern sides, which are too dry for cultivation, one can still see some of the former lowland vegetation. In this cultivated zone you will not see large wild animals, but there are many small species. One of the most dramatic geological features of Kilimanjaro is the large number of parasitic, or subsidiary cones. Over 250 of these cones have been identified, most of them lying in a southeast/northwest line. Most of these cinder cones, which tend to occur in groups, are on the lower slopes. One of the finest examples of a parasitic cone lake is Lake Chala to the east.
Montane Forest Zone
Altitude 1800-2800m
Rainfall about 2000 mm/yr on the southern slopes, less than 1000 mm/yr on the western and northern sides. This is the richest zone on the mountain. A wide band of extremely beautiful montane forest encircles the whole of Kilimanjaro and it is worth a visit even if you are not climbing to the peaks. 96% of the water on Kilimanjaro originates in this forest zone. Much of the rain that falls on the forest is absorbed by the thick carpet of leaves and then percolates through the soil and the porous lava rock, to emerge as springs lower down the mountain. Because of the dampness of the forest and the altitude, there is frequently a wide band of clouds around this zone, especially between 2500-3000 m. Protected from the sun by clouds, the moisture cannot easily evaporate so there is high humidity, dampness and fog drip. Nights can be cold when it is clear and daytime temperature range around 15-20ºC. Along the river gorges in the lower forest grow sycamore figs and palms whose fruits attract hornbills, turacos and monkeys. Near the Marangu Gate, you can visit a beautiful river gorge by following the trail due west, past the booking office and hostel and down into the valley. Here there is a waterfall, tree fern and many fine trees, including the immense mitragyna rubrostipulata with its huge oval leaves. The forest zone on Kilimanjaro has a major oddity - the lack of bamboo. On most other East Africa volcanic mountains (such as neighbouring Mt. Meru) there is a belt of bamboo forest from about 2100-2700 m. On Kilimanjaro the mountain bamboo has been reported to exist only in a few very small patches on the northern and north-western slopes. No one has yet explained why this is so though it may be because Kilimanjaro is the driest of the tall East African mountains. The forest is the home of most of Kilimanjaro's wild animals. However, they are usually very shy and quiet. You are quite likely to see or hear some monkeys. Both blue monkeys and black and white Colobus are relatively common and less shy on the trail from Marangu Gate to Mandara Hut. Olive baboons also occur on Kilimanjaro. Leopards live throughout the forest, preying on rodents, antelopes, and monkeys. Lions may pass though the forest occasionally as they have been recorded on the Shira Plateau. Civets, genets and mongooses are present, but seldom seen. The Kilimanjaro bush pig is large and dark with a distinctive white stripe running from the face along its back. It ranges throughout the forest, feeding during the night on roots and fruit. On the western and northern slopes, one might encounter elephants, buffalos, elands and giraffes. Rhinos have not been sighted for some years, and may be extinct on Mt. Kilimanjaro. The forest also shelters three types of duikers and suni and bushbuck.
The Heath and Moorland Zone
Altitude 2800-4000 m
Rainfall approximately 850 mm/yr.
This low alpine zone can be divided into two communities: heath and moorland. The heath zone is characterized by the heather and heath-like shrubs. From Mandara Hut you will see the giant heather (erica arborea). It is a tree with a gnarled trunk that grows up to 10m. in the upper forest but will only reach 3m. or so higher up on the moorland. You will know you are truly in the moorland when you see clusters of giant lobelias and senecios. These plants characterize the higher elevations and are found in valley bottoms and beside streams. The giant senecios have tall stems, which act as reservoirs for the water needed for the large, cabbage-like rosette of leaves. The dense leaf buds protect the plant from subzero temperatures by forming an insulating mass for the delicate central growing shoot. When these large leaves die, they often do not fall off but form a dry insulating skirt covering the trunk. Bogs are a special habitat in the moorland belt with a different variety of plants. The climate is usually cool and clear except for mist and fog at the forest boundary. Above 3000m. frost is regular and sunshine can be intense (causing sunburn for the unprotected). There are not many large mammals here and those that do visit the moorland are usually in transit to other areas. Elands, common duikers, buffalos and elephants have been sighted. Klipspringers may occur in rocky areas and lions sometimes visit the Shira Plateau
The Highland Desert Zone
Altitude 4000-5000 m
Rainfall around 250 mm/yr.
This is the alpine zone where it is summer every day, winter every night. There is intense sunlight, high evaporation and huge daily fluctuations in temperature. Nights are below 0ºC and in the daytime it can be as high as 40ºC in direct sun. Water is scarce and there is little soil to retain any moisture.
A major problem for plants in this high desert is a phenomenon called solifluction. This occurs when the ground freezes, soil-water expands and moves the soil around so plants have to cope with not only freezing but also being uprooted by soil movements. Under these inhospitable conditions only the hardiest can exist. Only about 55 kinds of higher plants live above 4,000m., compared with many hundreds in the other zones. Some of the most common plants in this desert are the lichens, which avoid the soil altogether and encrust the lava rocks. There is some lovely pale green and rusty red lichens spread over rocks in the Saddle area and around Kibo and Mawenzi Huts.
The large animals that have been seen here, such as elands, leopards, serval or African hunting dogs, are only passers-by although interestingly eland tracks can commonly be see on the Saddle. Few birds can cope with the thin air and the strong shifting winds of these altitudes. Ravens and large birds of prey may forage here during the day, but do not live here.
The highland desert offers spectacular views you are close to the two great peaks and can study their features, especially Kibo glaciers and Mawenzi dykes. The most characteristic feature of the highland desert is the Saddle, technically the area connecting the two peaks. The Saddle is strewn with boulders and parasitic cones. It has been likened to a moonscape and is indeed a bleak, inhospitable place. However, it is a good place to contemplate rocks, rugged life forms, distinct views and above all the sky. From Kibo or Mawenzi Huts you will have an unequalled opportunity to watch the stars at night.
Mawenzi - The jagged peak of Mawenzi lies 5149m. above sea level. Few people attempt to climb it for it is strictly a technical climb. The dyke swarm is an interesting feature that can be seen without climbing Mawenzi. The dykes are composed of hard dark lava which, when liquid, was forced up to fill vertical cracks in Mawenzi cone. The surrounding softer rock eroded away, leaving the dykes as prominent pinnacles and walls. Near Mawenzi Hut is a circular hollow, or corrie, that has a group of magnificent pinnacles. Obscured unless you climb Mawenzi are the impressive Great and Lesser Barrancos on the eastern face. Once upon a time a lake was encompassed here by a rock wall until it collapsed, and the water flooded down, spreading volcanic debris over an area of 1,000sq.km. to the northeast. The collapse created the spectacular gorges with their 300m. cliffs and hastened erosion. You can get a view of these impressive gorges if you climb to the small Lake Tarn, another beautiful and unexpected feature of the highland desert.
The Summit Zone
Altitude above 5,000 m.
Rainfall less than 100mm/yr. The precipitation is usually not rain, but snow.
This area is characterized by arctic conditions freezing cold at night and burning sun during the day. Oxygen is about half that at sea level and there is little atmosphere to protect you from the sun’s rays. There is virtually no liquid surface water. Rain enters the porous rock immediately, but the rest of the moisture is locked up in snow and ice.
Kibo - If you reach the summit of Kibo, take some time to gaze over its rim and take in the Inner Crater, the cone and Ash Pit and the lovely dramatic ice cliffs on the northern glaciers. The Inner Crater has walls of 15-20m. At one stage the crater collapsed, sinking down and forming a feature on the west called the Terrace. Inside the Kibo caldera is the Ash Cone and inside that is the Ash Pit which is composed of shale with large boulders that have rolled down. The Ash Pit is 120m. deep and about 360m. across and is one of the most perfectly formed examples in the world. Vents that emit puffs of sulphur and steam and other gases can be found at the base of the crater and the Terrace. The Temperature at these Fumaroles is around the boiling point of water (70-140ºC). The Great Northern Glacier covers the northern summit of Kilimanjaro. It is a series of terraces, the edges of each fluted into pillars and buttresses: Some of the ice cliffs are of 30m., the glassy ice contrasting with the coarse dark shale. This glacier is all that remains of the glacial ice sheets that once filled the crater. Kibo glaciers are steadily diminishing. When Hans Meyer climbed Kilimanjaro in 1887 he met a wall of blue ice at 5,500m. just below the crater rim and looking into the crater found it filled with snow and ice. Now even the crater rim is entirely free of permanent ice.
Studies by Sheffield University during the 1950's reported that Kilimanjaro has had a long history of glacial advance and retreat coinciding with a sequence of eight glaciations. The present ice cap is probably the result of the worldwide drop in temperature experienced between 1400AD and 1700AD and suggests that there have been several long periods when Kilimanjaro was devoid of ice. The current retreat is the result of a general increase in the temperature of the earth over many hundreds of years.
The ice is retreating as a result of being melted by the equatorial sun and a lack of heavy snowfall in the rainy seasons, coupled with warming up of the earth surface over the past 200 years. The dull brown lava absorbs the suns energy causing the ground to warm up and where glacial cliffs stand on bare rock or shale, melting occurs at the base. Thus Kilimanjaro is losing its icy mantle.
For full details, itineraries and prices of our Kilimanjaro Expeditions please contact us:
sales@dmAFRICA.com
Kilimanjaro National Park encompasses the entire mountain above the 2,700m line. In addition, the park has six corridors through the Kilimanjaro Forest Reserve, which protects the mountains forests from the tree line at 1,800m. Kilimanjaro stands only 320 km. south of the Equator, on the northern boundary of Tanzania. Its location on an open plain close to the Indian Ocean, and its great size and height strongly influence the climate, vegetation, animal life and the climbing conditions. It is made up of three extinct volcanoes: Kibo 5,895m, Mawenzi 5,149m.and Shira 3,962m.
When walking on the mountain, it is possible to encounter some odd man-made arrangements of stone; these are sites for ancestral worship that belong to the Chagga people that inhabit the mountain region. Kilimanjaro towers above the Great Rift Valley, the birthplace of humankind. This gives Kilimanjaro an awesome mystique. One can imagine the mountain towering above our ancestors, making an early, continual impression on our species
The mountain's huge size creates a fascinating microclimate where different types of flora and fauna dominate specific areas, depending on the altitude and rainfall of the particular location.
The mountain's eco-systems in brief:
The Lower Slopes Zone
Altitude 800-1800m
Rainfall 500mm/yr on plains to 1800 mm/yr at forest boundary.
Around most of the mountain lower slopes you will see evidence of human use, particularly grazing of livestock and cultivation. This has totally changed the natural vegetation patterns and what used to be scrub, bush and lowland forest is now grassland or cropland. On the northern and eastern sides, which are too dry for cultivation, one can still see some of the former lowland vegetation. In this cultivated zone you will not see large wild animals, but there are many small species. One of the most dramatic geological features of Kilimanjaro is the large number of parasitic, or subsidiary cones. Over 250 of these cones have been identified, most of them lying in a southeast/northwest line. Most of these cinder cones, which tend to occur in groups, are on the lower slopes. One of the finest examples of a parasitic cone lake is Lake Chala to the east.
Montane Forest Zone
Altitude 1800-2800m
Rainfall about 2000 mm/yr on the southern slopes, less than 1000 mm/yr on the western and northern sides. This is the richest zone on the mountain. A wide band of extremely beautiful montane forest encircles the whole of Kilimanjaro and it is worth a visit even if you are not climbing to the peaks. 96% of the water on Kilimanjaro originates in this forest zone. Much of the rain that falls on the forest is absorbed by the thick carpet of leaves and then percolates through the soil and the porous lava rock, to emerge as springs lower down the mountain. Because of the dampness of the forest and the altitude, there is frequently a wide band of clouds around this zone, especially between 2500-3000 m. Protected from the sun by clouds, the moisture cannot easily evaporate so there is high humidity, dampness and fog drip. Nights can be cold when it is clear and daytime temperature range around 15-20ºC. Along the river gorges in the lower forest grow sycamore figs and palms whose fruits attract hornbills, turacos and monkeys. Near the Marangu Gate, you can visit a beautiful river gorge by following the trail due west, past the booking office and hostel and down into the valley. Here there is a waterfall, tree fern and many fine trees, including the immense mitragyna rubrostipulata with its huge oval leaves. The forest zone on Kilimanjaro has a major oddity - the lack of bamboo. On most other East Africa volcanic mountains (such as neighbouring Mt. Meru) there is a belt of bamboo forest from about 2100-2700 m. On Kilimanjaro the mountain bamboo has been reported to exist only in a few very small patches on the northern and north-western slopes. No one has yet explained why this is so though it may be because Kilimanjaro is the driest of the tall East African mountains. The forest is the home of most of Kilimanjaro's wild animals. However, they are usually very shy and quiet. You are quite likely to see or hear some monkeys. Both blue monkeys and black and white Colobus are relatively common and less shy on the trail from Marangu Gate to Mandara Hut. Olive baboons also occur on Kilimanjaro. Leopards live throughout the forest, preying on rodents, antelopes, and monkeys. Lions may pass though the forest occasionally as they have been recorded on the Shira Plateau. Civets, genets and mongooses are present, but seldom seen. The Kilimanjaro bush pig is large and dark with a distinctive white stripe running from the face along its back. It ranges throughout the forest, feeding during the night on roots and fruit. On the western and northern slopes, one might encounter elephants, buffalos, elands and giraffes. Rhinos have not been sighted for some years, and may be extinct on Mt. Kilimanjaro. The forest also shelters three types of duikers and suni and bushbuck.
The Heath and Moorland Zone
Altitude 2800-4000 m
Rainfall approximately 850 mm/yr.
This low alpine zone can be divided into two communities: heath and moorland. The heath zone is characterized by the heather and heath-like shrubs. From Mandara Hut you will see the giant heather (erica arborea). It is a tree with a gnarled trunk that grows up to 10m. in the upper forest but will only reach 3m. or so higher up on the moorland. You will know you are truly in the moorland when you see clusters of giant lobelias and senecios. These plants characterize the higher elevations and are found in valley bottoms and beside streams. The giant senecios have tall stems, which act as reservoirs for the water needed for the large, cabbage-like rosette of leaves. The dense leaf buds protect the plant from subzero temperatures by forming an insulating mass for the delicate central growing shoot. When these large leaves die, they often do not fall off but form a dry insulating skirt covering the trunk. Bogs are a special habitat in the moorland belt with a different variety of plants. The climate is usually cool and clear except for mist and fog at the forest boundary. Above 3000m. frost is regular and sunshine can be intense (causing sunburn for the unprotected). There are not many large mammals here and those that do visit the moorland are usually in transit to other areas. Elands, common duikers, buffalos and elephants have been sighted. Klipspringers may occur in rocky areas and lions sometimes visit the Shira Plateau
The Highland Desert Zone
Altitude 4000-5000 m
Rainfall around 250 mm/yr.
This is the alpine zone where it is summer every day, winter every night. There is intense sunlight, high evaporation and huge daily fluctuations in temperature. Nights are below 0ºC and in the daytime it can be as high as 40ºC in direct sun. Water is scarce and there is little soil to retain any moisture.
A major problem for plants in this high desert is a phenomenon called solifluction. This occurs when the ground freezes, soil-water expands and moves the soil around so plants have to cope with not only freezing but also being uprooted by soil movements. Under these inhospitable conditions only the hardiest can exist. Only about 55 kinds of higher plants live above 4,000m., compared with many hundreds in the other zones. Some of the most common plants in this desert are the lichens, which avoid the soil altogether and encrust the lava rocks. There is some lovely pale green and rusty red lichens spread over rocks in the Saddle area and around Kibo and Mawenzi Huts.
The large animals that have been seen here, such as elands, leopards, serval or African hunting dogs, are only passers-by although interestingly eland tracks can commonly be see on the Saddle. Few birds can cope with the thin air and the strong shifting winds of these altitudes. Ravens and large birds of prey may forage here during the day, but do not live here.
The highland desert offers spectacular views you are close to the two great peaks and can study their features, especially Kibo glaciers and Mawenzi dykes. The most characteristic feature of the highland desert is the Saddle, technically the area connecting the two peaks. The Saddle is strewn with boulders and parasitic cones. It has been likened to a moonscape and is indeed a bleak, inhospitable place. However, it is a good place to contemplate rocks, rugged life forms, distinct views and above all the sky. From Kibo or Mawenzi Huts you will have an unequalled opportunity to watch the stars at night.
Mawenzi - The jagged peak of Mawenzi lies 5149m. above sea level. Few people attempt to climb it for it is strictly a technical climb. The dyke swarm is an interesting feature that can be seen without climbing Mawenzi. The dykes are composed of hard dark lava which, when liquid, was forced up to fill vertical cracks in Mawenzi cone. The surrounding softer rock eroded away, leaving the dykes as prominent pinnacles and walls. Near Mawenzi Hut is a circular hollow, or corrie, that has a group of magnificent pinnacles. Obscured unless you climb Mawenzi are the impressive Great and Lesser Barrancos on the eastern face. Once upon a time a lake was encompassed here by a rock wall until it collapsed, and the water flooded down, spreading volcanic debris over an area of 1,000sq.km. to the northeast. The collapse created the spectacular gorges with their 300m. cliffs and hastened erosion. You can get a view of these impressive gorges if you climb to the small Lake Tarn, another beautiful and unexpected feature of the highland desert.
The Summit Zone
Altitude above 5,000 m.
Rainfall less than 100mm/yr. The precipitation is usually not rain, but snow.
This area is characterized by arctic conditions freezing cold at night and burning sun during the day. Oxygen is about half that at sea level and there is little atmosphere to protect you from the sun’s rays. There is virtually no liquid surface water. Rain enters the porous rock immediately, but the rest of the moisture is locked up in snow and ice.
Kibo - If you reach the summit of Kibo, take some time to gaze over its rim and take in the Inner Crater, the cone and Ash Pit and the lovely dramatic ice cliffs on the northern glaciers. The Inner Crater has walls of 15-20m. At one stage the crater collapsed, sinking down and forming a feature on the west called the Terrace. Inside the Kibo caldera is the Ash Cone and inside that is the Ash Pit which is composed of shale with large boulders that have rolled down. The Ash Pit is 120m. deep and about 360m. across and is one of the most perfectly formed examples in the world. Vents that emit puffs of sulphur and steam and other gases can be found at the base of the crater and the Terrace. The Temperature at these Fumaroles is around the boiling point of water (70-140ºC). The Great Northern Glacier covers the northern summit of Kilimanjaro. It is a series of terraces, the edges of each fluted into pillars and buttresses: Some of the ice cliffs are of 30m., the glassy ice contrasting with the coarse dark shale. This glacier is all that remains of the glacial ice sheets that once filled the crater. Kibo glaciers are steadily diminishing. When Hans Meyer climbed Kilimanjaro in 1887 he met a wall of blue ice at 5,500m. just below the crater rim and looking into the crater found it filled with snow and ice. Now even the crater rim is entirely free of permanent ice.
Studies by Sheffield University during the 1950's reported that Kilimanjaro has had a long history of glacial advance and retreat coinciding with a sequence of eight glaciations. The present ice cap is probably the result of the worldwide drop in temperature experienced between 1400AD and 1700AD and suggests that there have been several long periods when Kilimanjaro was devoid of ice. The current retreat is the result of a general increase in the temperature of the earth over many hundreds of years.
The ice is retreating as a result of being melted by the equatorial sun and a lack of heavy snowfall in the rainy seasons, coupled with warming up of the earth surface over the past 200 years. The dull brown lava absorbs the suns energy causing the ground to warm up and where glacial cliffs stand on bare rock or shale, melting occurs at the base. Thus Kilimanjaro is losing its icy mantle.
For full details, itineraries and prices of our Kilimanjaro Expeditions please contact us:
sales@dmAFRICA.com
