Mount Kilimanjaro

Not only is Kilimanjaro the highest peak on the African continent; it is also the tallest free-standing mountain in the World, rising to an imperious 19,336 feet. Kilimanjaro is one of the most accessible high summits, a beacon for visitors from all parts of the World.  Most climbers reach the crater rim with little more than a walking stick, proper clothing, and determination.

There is so much more to Kilimanjaro than her summit.  Even before you cross the national park boundary, the cultivated foothills give way to lush montane forest, inhabited by Elephant, Leopard, Buffalo, and the endangered Abbot’s Duiker.  Higher still lays the moorland zone, studded with giant lobelias.  Above 12,000 feet, a surreal alpine desert supports little life other than a few hardy lichen.  Finally, the last vegetation gives way to a winter wonderland of ice and snow, which is the beauty of the roof of Africa.