The famous snows of Kilimanjaro are really the snows of Kibo, the highest of three peaks on Africa's largest mountain. Uhuru Peak is the ultimate summit, the highest point on Kibo at 19, 344 feet.

With its jagged cliffs rising steadily from Kibo's eastern saddle, Mawenzi (16893 feet) is Kilimanjaro's other notable peak and presents a stiff challenge to the technical mountain climber.

Just three degrees south of the equator, Kilimanjaro exhibits a varied range of ecosystems. In the course of a day, the temperature may fluctuate by 60 degrees, from the warmth of tropical rainforest at 7,000 feet to the chill of glacial ice at 16,000 feet. Three major volcanoes cluster together to make Mount Kilimanjaro, which ranks as the 16th highest mountain in the world. While most of the higher 15 peaks are part of mountain chains, Kilimanjaro stands dramatically free. Rising from a sloping plain at 4,000 feet above sea level to a majestic height of 19,344 feet.

Glacier Shot

An old scholarly work about Kilimanjaro, written in 1924 by Englishman Charles Dundas, describes seven distinct zones with varying types of terrain, climate, plant and animal life. His descriptions of Kili's eco-systems and wildlife hold true today, with a couple of exceptions. Modern texts tend to identify five zones, as the lowest zones of uncultivated bush, farmland and primeval forest have been absorbed into a single large area of cultivation. Coffee and other crops have slowly crept up the mountain for the last seventy-five years. Another exception involves wildlife. One may still see occasional leopard tracks, or even catch a glimpse of the shy eland, but large animals are increasingly rare on the mountain.

Kilimanjaro's Regions

1. Cultivated Fields (4000-6000 feet) and Chagga settlements.

2. Dense Tropical Rainforest (6000-9000 feet) with moss-cloaked trees, giant ferns, beautiful flowers, and tangled vines. Colobus and Blue monkeys, birds and butterflies abound in this verdant wilderness

3. Giant heather and Erica break up the thick forest in the Heatherbelt (9000-11000 feet), a zone often beset in mist and fog.

4. The Moorland (11000-14000 feet) is characterized by a cool and clear climate where frost is regular, and radiation can be intense, temperatures fluctuate dramatically. Here can be found the endemic giant Senecio, and the elusive Eland can sometimes be found grazing. In this zone you can find the alpine chat, white maped raven, and the four striped grass mouse. The high desert is a barren land of volcanic debris. The only plant life consists of Lichens and a few resilient tiny flowers.

5. At 16,500 feet, the Summit begins. Barren ground and volcanic craters mark the top portion of Kibo and the huge area between Kibo and Mawnsi. Conditions here are harsh, offering only half the oxygen available at sea level, with burning sun by day and frigid winds by night.