KILIMANJARO NATIONAL PARK:
the tallest mountain on the africa continent, lying northeast of arusha, rest quietly at the edge of the plains with its incredibly beautiful snow-capped peaks. raising above the kenyan border it stands in tanzania, 330 km (205 miles) south of the equator. gazetted fairly recently in 1973, the kilimanjaro national park was officially opened in 1977, and only includes the land above 2700m (8860). this comprises the shira plateau at 3962-m(13ooo-ft), and the peaks of kibo and mawenzi at 5895 m(19340ft) and 5149 m(16894 ft) respectively. below the park is an area designated as a forest and game reserve, gazetted in 1921.
over a million years ago, the plains were immensely unstable, bulking and cracking from the powerful force of movements deep within the earth. the kilimanjaro depression was created as a result of this violent activity and it molten rock was forced up to the surface and formed the volcanoes ol molog, kibongoto and kilema along a 100 km long (60miles) ridge that reached 3000 m (9843 ft) in height.
the information of kilimanjaro started 750000 years ago, when it consisted of three large vents: shira, kibo and mawenzi. over thousands of years shira eventually collapsed, becoming extinct; mawenzi remained active a while longer but eventually also become extinct and began to erode; kibo continued with massive eruptions around 360000 years ago that released black lava over the shira crater, creating the area known today as the saddle, at the base of mawenzi.
the lava also spread far to the north and south. this particular lava is known as rhomb porphyry lava(igneous rock composed of large rhomboid crystals embedded in a mass of smaller crystals), distinct because of its dark color and its crystalline shape.
though eruption continued to occur, and kibo reached a height of almost 5,985-m (19340-ft), the mountain’s growth had ceased about 450000 years ago and the volcano in fact began to sink. erosion helped create the tall jagged peaks of mawenzi and shira’s plateau. kibo meanwhile leveled out and was covered during the ages with ice and glaciers.
the kibo barranco (a steep-walled ravine) was formed 100000 years ago by a tremendous land-side. kilimanjaro southeastern and northwestern reaches are speckled with numerous vents that erupted during the slow tapering off of volcanic activity in the area. in kibo’s final burst of fury, the ash pit, the inner crater and the present, perfectly formed caldera (large crater) were created and are now permanent features of this magnificent free-standing mountain. although it can be climbed year round the best time of the year for climbing are between june and october, december and march; between mid-march and may it is the wet season. there are six different routes up the mountain ranging in degree of difficulty marangu route (named coca-cola), machame route (named whiskey), shira route, umbwe route, maua route and rongai route.<
MOUNT MERU:
meru is a stratovolcano in tanzania. its history has been quite explosive. it has had four eruptions, the last of which occurred in 1910. lava erupted from meru varies from thin flows to thick intrusive dome.
the main cone of the volcano has a caldera which is 2.2 miles (3.5 km) in diameter. it has a huge breach on its eastern side. a graben runs down the side of the volcano from this breach. many debris flows came through the breach in the caldera. this covers 1500 sq km to the northeast, east and southeast. following the eruption of this debris, a lava dome and ash cone grew on the floor of the caldera.
OLDONYO LENGAI:
ol donyo lengai means “mountain of god” in maasai language it is steep around 2900 m high stratovolcano located in the section of the east-african rift valley in the northern tanzania, near the ngorongoro and serengeti national parks. the volcano is known for its unique type of natrocarbonatite lava and as such it is the only known active natrocarbonatite volcano on earth.
the diameter of the crater floor is about 350 to 400 meters and the elevation of the summit is about 2086 meters.
USAMBARA MOUNTAINS:
this little known mountain range is one of the gems of tanzania. located northwest of dar es salaam, the usambaras are part of an ancient 25 million year old necklace of mountains called the eastern arc. the usambaras offer incredible natural biodiversity, especially bird-life and great walking culminating in breath-taking viewpoints.
you will be based in the western usambaras, which is a densely populated region of tanzania due the cooler climate – good f or arable farming. it is perfect place to get to know some of the local people and try some of the locally run cultural tourism programs.
MOUNT KENYA:
highest peaks of the mountain are batian (5,199 m – 17,058 ft) and lenana (4,985 m –17,022 ft) and lenana (4,985 m – 16,355 ft). mount kenya is located in central kenya, just south of the equator, around 150 km (95 miles) north- northeast of nairobi. the area around the mountain is protected in the mount kenya national park, which is a designated unesco world heritage site. the national park is around 620km2 (240 square miles), and receives up to 15000 visitors every year.
the mountain is an extinct (dead) volcano standing alone, which last erupted between 2.6 and 3.1 million years ago. its slopes include several different biomes; the lowest parts are dry upland forest, changing to mountain forest of juniper and podocarpus at about 2000 m (6500 ft) with a belt of bamboo at 2,500 m ( about 8,000 ft) that changes to an upper forest of smaller trees covered with moss and “goat’s beard” lichen. above a distinct timberline at about 3500 m (11,500 ft), there is an afroalpine zone, with its characteristic giant rosette plants. twelve small (and rapidly shrinking) glaciers may be found scattered among the complex of peaks, of which batian and nelion are the highest.
the missionary johann ludwig krapf was the first european to report a sighting of mount kenya, in 1849. the first recorded ascent of mount kenya was made by halford john mackinder, c.ollier and j. brocherel on 13 september 189. the highest point (batian) is a technical climb; the classic diamond couloir climbing route is a grade iv of about 20 pitches, up to yds 5.9 in difficulty. . nelion was first climbed by eric shipton in 1929, and shipton and bill tilman completed the traverse of the ridge between the two highest peaks. point lenana, at 4,985 m (16,355 ft), can be reached by a hiking trail. mount kenya is best climbed in january or february on the south side an august or september on the north side.
mount kenya is home to one of the global atmosphere watch’s atmospheric monitoring stations.
on july 21,2003, a south african registered aircraft, carrying 12 passengers and two crew, crashed into mont kenya at point lenana: nobody survived.(5)(6) this was not the first aircraft lost on the mountain; there is also the wreckage of at least one helicopter that crashed before 1972.
FOCUS AND MISSION ON KILIMANJARO SERVICE
my name is kambona mollel, and i am the founder of africa vip travel. i invite you to join us for your african adventure.
africa vip travel offers a variety of custom-designed packages in tanzania, ranging from wildlife photo safaris across the serengeti and into the ngorongoro crater, to bicycling adventures and walking safaris trips, to relaxation on the tropical beaches of zanzibar.
our special expertise is leading expeditions up kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in africa. our treks are designed to meet your hiking interests and skill level. we can take photographers to dramatic landscapes. we can take our time exploring the natural history of each eco-zone as we move through it. my guides and i use longer, less traveled routes to the summit, which add to our clients’ safety, enjoyment and success on the climb. no one knows the mountain better than we do, and no one offers you a better mountain experience.
on all our africa vip travel trips we include elements of cultural immersion to provide you with a deeper understanding of the people and places of tanzania. each trip we lead begins with overnights in arusha, on the slopes of mount meru.
my hope is that i attract those guests who want to explore the rare beauty of my extraordinary country, and who are open to the magic of the people, the land, and the animals. i know visitors come from far away to visit tanzania, and i am dedicated to giving them an experience that will be fondly remembered long after they return home. our many adventures, treks, and safaris are not merely tours; they are odysseys of exploration that will enliven your body, mind, and spirit.
my name is kambona mollel. i am from the maasai tribe. i was born on the maasai-land. from the maasai-land to the top of mount kilimanjaro, let me show you my tanzania.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
the main health issue that people face when they climb kilimanjaro or other high mountains is the condition called acute mountain sickness (ams). if ams is not treated it can lead to more serious conditions like high altitude pulmonary edema (hape) and/or high altitude cerebral edema (hace). each year a very small number of climbers die on kilimanjaro. these deaths could be avoided if all licensed guides had high altitude medical training and carried oxygen and a portable hyperbaric bag. sadly, this is not the case for the 2000 or more “guides” on the mountain. there are no minimum safety requirements set by the kilimanjaro national park authority for companies climbing kilimanjaro, so very few guides have proper health training.
safety is the first priority for kambona ole tirra mollel and his africa vip travel team. kambona has been climbing kilimanjaro for over 15 years and he is an expert when it comes to safe climbing and client success to the summit. he is a wilderness first responder certified by wilderness medical associates. since 1999 kambona has updated his wilderness first responder with more than 250 hours of wilderness medical training and mountaineering courses. he has taught and instilled these skills and knowledge in all those who guide for africa vip travel. africa vip travel’s primary responsibility as mountain guides on kilimanjaro is the safety of all our clients and crew.
WILDERNESS FIRST RESPONDER TRAINING
to ensure that he and his guides have proper safety training, kambona makes sure that his guide team members update their wilderness first responder (wfr) course in arusha, tanzania with the high altitude experts, aerie backcountry medicine ( www.aeriemed.com ).the wilderness medical associates wfr course has become the gold-standard of medical training for outdoor educators, expedition medics and guide companies working in remote regions of the world. the emphasis on the understanding of body systems and medical principles is designed to give them the skills and confidence to adapt and respond to medical problems anywhere from the open ocean to the high mountains. wilderness first responder is the best basic medical training for people working and traveling off the beaten path.
OUR PORTERS
africa vip travel set out to transform the way things work on kilimanjaro. too often, porters have been hired at the gate, asked to carry very heavy loads and given inadequate food, clothing and gear. we are enjoying tremendous success with our maniacal focus on porter and customer care. we were the first company to make our porters the focal point of our business - relying on them to add a cultural and human dimension to our climbs. we hire only those we know and train. we pay appropriate salaries and are attentive to our porters other needs.
