Kilimanjaro National Park

Climbing Kilimanjaro National Park in Tanzania with vacationtechnician.com

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Kilimanjaro National Park in Tanzania is the envy of wildlife departments across Africa. Custodian of the highest point in Africa, it generates an annual revenue of millions of dollars from some 18 000 visitors. It is also hailed as the Holy Grail of government-led conservation - a national park that provides such tangible benefits to its neighboring human communities that they work hard to ensure its success.

But is tourism safeguarding the conservation of this special environment? After a recent visit to climb the Uhuru peak, we suggest that although the people around Kilimanjaro are better off because of the mountain, the park and its visitors are undermining the conservation ethic.

Kilimanjaro National Park takes in the area above the 8,850 feet, or 2,700 meters, on the mountain. It includes the moorland and highland zones, Shira Plateau, Kibo and Mawenzi peaks. In addition, the Park has six corridors or rights of way through the Kilimanjaro Forest Reserve. The Forest Reserve, which is also a Game Reserve, was established in 1921; the Park was established in 1973 and officially opened in 1977.

Kilimanjaro stands a scant 205 miles 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 19,340 feet (5,895 meters), Mawenzi 16,896 feet (5,149 meters); and Shira 13,000 feet (3,962 meters).

Climbing Kilimanjaro..

Is it worth doing?
Definitely. Notwithstanding the pressures on it, the mountain's environment is spectacular and the sense of personal achievement when you are standing on the top of Africa is incredible.

Will I make it?
Most do. Pre-teens and septuagenarians have made it. About 80 per cent of all hikers succeed.

Do I need to be super-fit?
No, but you do need to be a good walker. As the hundred-odd kilometers are spread over five or six days, there is no rush. The guides will urge you to go pole, pole (slowly, slowly) about a million times a day. There is a bit of mind-over-matter at the end, so it's not for the faint-hearted, both literally and figuratively.

What about altitude sickness?
Only about 20 per cent of people do not suffer from Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) on Kilimanjaro. The rest of us range from being headachy to seriously unwell. For the chemically inclined there are drugs which will help.

Things to take
• Kikoi (East African cotton sarong, sold at most markets). It works as a scarf, pillow, towel, camera protector, etc.

• Head torch - the push to the summit is done at night and your hands will be busy keeping you upright.

• Sweets and snacks. You will lose your appetite at altitude but you must keep eating. The porters will carry what you don't need for the day.

Even though you can climb throughout the year, January, February and September are the best months, with July, August, November and December also being good.

Equatorial to arctic conditions are present on Kilimanjaro. The range begins with the warm, dry plains with average temperatures of 850F, ascends through a wide belt of wet tropical forest, through zones with generally decreasing temperatures and rainfall, to the summit where there is permanent ice and below freezing temperatures.

The rainiest period is March to June. The fact that most months of the year have so few rainy days makes it possible to climb in relatively good conditions year round. During the rainy period of March to May, clouds tend to pile up and over the summit, dropping snow on top and rain at the base. Visibility can be limited by cloud cover even when no rain falls. The temperature at this time of year is relatively warm. The dry season, beginning in late June and through July can be very cold at night, but usually is clear of clouds. August and September are also cool and can have completely clear days, but usually a dripping cloud belt girdles the mountain above the forest and moorland. The summit can be totally clear and the successful climber looks down on a vast sea of clouds with distant mountain peaks poking through like islands.

The shorter rainy period of October to December often has thunderstorms that pass over the mountain, dropping rain as they go. Typically the clouds disappear in the evening, leaving nights and mornings clear with excellent visibility. January and February are usually dry, warm and clear with brief rain showers which make for good climbing conditions.

Kilimanjaro towers above the Great Rift Valley, possible birthplace of humankind and the site of the Leakey's research in the Olduvai Gorge. This gives Kilimanjaro an awesome mystique. One can imagine the mountain towering above our ancestors, making an early, continual impression on the species.

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