Description of the attraction
This majestic blue-gray mountain with a snow-covered summit rises above the semi-desert of Northern Tanzania. Kilimanjaro is a dormant but not extinct volcano. Various routes pass first through lush rainforest before reaching the heathery open plains, where lobelias and cactus-like russes also grow. Above these plains, an almost lunar landscape of mountainous desert lies between two peaks, the Klibo, which looks like a flat dome, and the Mavenzi, which is a group of jagged peaks with a peak on the east side. On this, as it may seem because of the lunar landscape, herds of animals live, for example, antelopes. The oldest volcano, Shira, lies to the west of the main mountain. It was once much higher and is believed to have collapsed after a very powerful eruption, leaving only a plateau with a height of 3,810m. The second oldest volcano, the Mavenzi, is now distinguishable as a peak adjacent to the main mountain on the east side. And although it seems insignificant near the top of Kilimanjaro, its height reaches 5,334m. The youngest and largest of the three volcanoes, Kibo, formed during a series of eruptions and is capped by a caldera 2 km across. A second volcanic cone with a crater grew inside the caldera during the subsequent eruption, and even later, during the third eruption, an ash cone formed inside the crater. The colossal Kibo caldera forms the characteristic flat summit of this beautiful African mountain. The highest point of Kibo, like Kilimanjaro in general, is Uhuru Peak with its picturesque hanging glaciers and amazing views of the African plains, which lie six hundred meters below. There is Gillman Point Peak on Clibo, which is slightly lower. These are the targets for backpackers. Mawenzi Peaks are accessible only to climbers.
