How tall kilimanjaro

Since I mostly used my phone to take photos, a handwarmer saved my battery power. Keep a handwarmer in your jacket pocket to keep the battery warm in between photos. While there are a select few who run marathons up mountains, that is not what this journey is about. We were surrounded by people of all ages and fitness levels. Altitude is about pacing and listening to your body. I trained by doing HIIT sessions a few times a week in the months leading up to prepare my lungs for the low oxygen without actually living at altitude.

As much as you prepare and hear stories, the most important thing is to listen. Acclimation affects everyone in different ways, so listen to your guides, your body, and pay attention to the mountain.

If a year-old woman passes you, let it go. On day two I lost my appetite, and felt sick and exhausted. After lots of sleep and water, by the afternoon on day three I felt really good. It was only uphill from there…. Breathe, hydrate, and literally take it one step at a time. On the day of the summit hike we arrived to basecamp in the late afternoon, ate, prepared our layers, and got to sleep as early as possible.

At 11 p. Little dots of light ahead seem miles away, but keep your head down and take one step at a time. Looking up too much will hurt your neck and make the seven-hour journey feel endless. We stood on the summit—the highest peak in Africa—as the sun cracked over the landscape and lit up the country below. Park regulations prevent anyone from climbing without a certified guide.

And regulations for proper camping and cooking gear mean that most climbers do not ascend without a decent size support group that includes guides, porters, and a chef. It is a giant stratovolcano that began forming about a million years ago and is composed of many layers of hardened volcanic ash, lava, pumice and tephra — fragmental material that is the fallout from a volcanic eruption.

A number of theories exist about the meaning and origin of the name. One theory is that the name is a mix of the Swahili word Kilima, meaning "mountain," and the KiChagga word Njaro, loosely translated as "whiteness. One of the Seven Summits the highest peaks on the seven continents , Kilimanjaro is in Tanzania in east Africa.

Kilimanjaro lies within the square-mile square kilometers Kilimanjaro National Park. Kilimanjaro rises from its base approximately 16, feet 5, meters from the plains near the Tanzanian municipality of Moshi, making it the tallest free-standing mountain in the world. There are three volcanic cones that make up Kilimanjaro: Kibo is the summit; Mawenzi at 16, feet 5, meters ; and Shira at 13, feet 3, meters.

Uhuru Peak is the highest summit on Kibo's crater rim. Uhuru, Swahili for "Freedom," was named in when Tanganyika gained its independence.

Tanganyika later joined with the islands of Zanzibar to form Tanzania. Explore how they show up in various landscapes. These resources can be used to teach middle schoolers more about the natural world, its distinctive features, and landscapes.

It is sometimes included as one of the Seven Summits, which are the highest mountain peaks on each continent. Puncak Jaya Carstensz Pyramid , a mountain in Indonesia, is considered the tallest mountain in Oceania.

Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students. Skip to content. Twitter Facebook Pinterest Google Classroom. Encyclopedic Entry Vocabulary. Also known as a composite volcano. Media Credits The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit.

Media If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. Text Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. Interactives Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. Why do so many people fail? Mostly due to altitude sickness.

People make the mistake of selecting the wrong route. Many who fail choose to climb on the Marangu Route, which is the shortest path five days round trip to the peak. However, the best way to climb is to use a longer route to aid in acclimatization.

Additionally, many people climbing Kilimanjaro are first time backpackers. They do not adequately prepare for their climb in terms of having the right gear, doing enough training, and hiring a reputable guide service. Kilimanjaro has been tackled at a pace that will amaze you. The fastest ascent and descent of Kilimanjaro was completed by Swiss Karl Egloff in just 6 hours and 42 minutes in How is this possible? Athletes who do perform speed climbs of high altitude mountains have already well acclimatized to the altitude prior to their attempt.

Therefore the risk of acute mountain sickness is eliminated. German Anne-Marie Flammersfeld holds the record for the fastest ascent and descent by a woman on Kilimanjaro, climbing to the summit in 8 hours 32 minutes and reaching the bottom in a total time on the mountain of 12 hours 58 minutes in The record for fastest unaided ascent meaning that the climber carried his own food, water and clothing is held by Tanzanian Simon Mtuy, who climbed to the summit and back in 9 hours 19 minutes in She took the world record in from Dr.

Fred Distelhorst, who was 88 when he summited. The youngest person to climb Kilimanjaro is American Coaltan Tanner, who summited at age six in The youngest girl to summit is Ashleen Mandrick, who was also six years old when she accomplished the feat, wrestling that title away from Montannah Kenney, who was seven. The minimum age for climbing Kilimanjaro is 10 years old, but the park authority grants exceptions to children who have significant experience trekking. While climbing Kilimanjaro, trekkers will experience five distinct ecological zones on their way to the top.

These include:. Weather conditions near the base of the mountain tend to be tropical to semi-temperate and are relatively stable all year round. The lower plains are hot and dry. As one heads away from the bushland towards the rainforest, conditions become increasingly warm and humid.