Kilimanjaro: Make your dream come true by trying the exciting adventure

Mountain climbing is a fascinating activity that is admired by many people in the world. Climbers always hunt for a new place which can thrill them with an adventure of a life time. My hunger to climb different peaks led me to the dark continent’s heart, Mount Kilomanjaro. It was a bright and cool day when my friends and I went to burn our feet and climb higher to one of the closest mountain peaks to the Equator.

Kilimanjaro has three volcanic cones that are named as Kibo, Shira, and Mawenzi. Visiting at this sky touching mountain was always my dream, which i wanted to fulfill this time. As Kilimanjaro is an inactive stratovolcano, we were desperate to experience its crater and get fascinated with its amazing sights from the top of Africa. The experience was so great that it will be difficult for me to just express in words. Standing between the blue sky and the rugged landscape, we felt like floating in the clouds, as the mountain top soar above the first layer of clouds. Kilimanjaro lies in the northeastern Tanzania and is the highest mountain in the African Continent.

The mountain has a height of about 5,895 metres that is 19,341 feet, so we were very excited from the start of  this amazing climb. Out excitement was rising ahead because of this mountain that is actually among the tallest freestanding mountains in the world and is rising at a height of about 4600 metres from the base. Kilimanjaro achieved a record of becoming the fourth highest of the Seven Summits. This mountains comprised of three different volcanic cones that are the Kibo with 19,340 feet, Mawenzi with 16,896 feet and Shira with 13,000 feet. Despite its height, the crater rim of Mount Kibo boasts a highest peak named as Uhuru Peak.

The mountain started its formation before millions of years and during that time, this giant stratovolcano was active. In fact, its lava used to drop from the Rift Valley zone. Well, its three peaks may erupt any time in future, but if we consider its last and major eruption then it was too long back in some 360,000 years ago. And the Volcano remained active for over 200 years. What is more fascinating at the site is that the mountain is it even today emitting gas in its crater. Watching such breathtaking thing with thrilling activity is not everyone’s cup of tea. Still, I would ask you to visit and make a unique trip at the Kilimanjaro. Well, it is specific just to those who are experienced climbers or else to those who love this activity, but do pay attention to minute details while you climb and make sure you follow the ground rules of climbing.

You can even explore the entire Kilimanjaro by flying high on air with both Hot air baloons and small aircrafts as options. The panorama from the top is incredibly, mesmerizing you with memories of a lifetime. The clouds seem like the early morning flowers that open its petals slowly and just to have a glimpse like a newborn baby. Its lava clusters are many century’s old, but still gleams like coming out of the crater when the sun appears on the sky. Oh! It reminded me of the painting we do in the childhood – Still life I guess…Yes, that’s it! The Still Life Painting where a pot is drawn at the center and the other objects are placed close to it.

The mountain offers many trekking routes through the mountain like Rongai, Marangu, Shira, Lemosho, Umbwe, and Machame. Out of all the routes, the Machame is till now considered as the most scenic albeit steeper route that not only fascinate you, but also gives you a journey of heaven. This route takes six to seven days. So if you are planning to go for it, just make sure that you gain that much of sufficient energy to complete your journey. Well, those who are planning to visit Kilimanjaro are advised to undertake proper research and also should carry a map that will help you further.