Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain on the African continent, and the world‘s tallest freestanding mountain. Mount Kilimanjaro is also known as one of the world´s greatest natural wonders: a snow covered mountain positioned just 330 km south of the Equator, an ocean of green forest surrounded by dry savannah. The giant stratovolcano began forming a million years ago when lava spilled from the fracturing Rift Valley and built the mountain by successive lava flows. Two of its three peaks – Mawenzi and Shira – are extinct while Kibo, the highest peak is dormant and could erupt again.

The landscape on Mount Kilimanjaro is extremely beautiful. The mountain can be divided into five climatic zones, each with a very distinct fauna and flora. Walking from the tropical rain forests to the alpine desert regions on top seems like walking from the equator to the arctic pole within a couple days. Compared with the surrounding lowlands Mount Kilimanjaro displays of a dramatically different environment.

As a montane sky island Mount Kilimanjaro features an enormous biodiversity but little endemic species. Endemics include the giant groundsels in the bunchgrass tussock grasslands, and other plants specially adapted to sustain the extreme high alpine climate. Kilimanjaro has a large variety of forest types over an altitudinal range of 9,843 ft (3.000 m) containing over 1,200 vascular plant species.

Although located just south of the equator Mount Kilimanjaro is crowned by a permanent ice cap. But it´s current extension is just a small remnant of an enormous icecap which once crowned the majestic summit.

Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is certainly a rewarding adventure and an unforgettable once-in-a-lifetime experience. Africa´s highest mountain is both is the world’s tallest walkable mountain, and the most underestimated climb among the seven summits. Within a few hours mountaineers will hike through five different climate zones on their way to the summit. To climb Mount Kilimanjaro is not technically challenging, but climbers get very high very quickly and that affects their bodies. The path on top of this stratovolcano is a pretty gentle gradient, but the steadily decreasing oxygen content, the low temperature, and occasional high winds make this climb a big challenge. To climb at more than 6.000 meters above sea level is a physical undertaking and demands a good overall health condition and an advanced fitness level.

There are seven official trekking routes to the summit: Lemosho, Machame, Marangu, Mweka, Rongai, Shira, and Umbwe. Whatever route you are going to take, it is like walking from the equator to the North Pole in a time-lapse, providing dramatic changes in vegetation and animal life day by day. Its high altitudes have created habitat for strange and unique life forms found only on a few other peaks on our planet, such as the delicate elephant flower and the bizarre Kilimanjaro tree. Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro provides a great inspiration. When you stand on the roof of Africa, you see the world in a different way. What seemed impossible in your life might just be feasible easily. Mount Kilimanjaro is a place for vision, inspiration, and a new beginning.