6 Things You May Not Know About Mount Kilimanjaro!

These are the six things you may not know about Mount Kilimanjaro. Number one. Located in the country of Tanzania on the eastern side of the African continent, the tallest freestanding mountain in the world is actually a dormant snow-capped stratovolcano. Freestanding means that it is not a part of a mountain range like Mount Everest. A stratovolcano is a tall conical volcano composed of one layer of hardened lava, rocks and volcanic ash. Mount Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain in Africa and marks the highest point on the continent as it rises to an amazing 5,895 meters or 19,341 feet above sea level. Number two. Even though it is located just 200 miles south of the equator, at the summit of the mountain you will find snow and glaciers. Number three. Mount Kilimanjaro is a part of the Kilimanjaro National Park and is a major tourist attraction in Tanzania, averaging around as much as 50,000 climbers per year, all attempting to climb by using walking trails. Depending on your fitness level, it can take from five to nine days to reach the summit. Currently there are seven routes to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. The Moronga, Macheme and Umbwe routes from the south, the Lemosho, Shira and Northern Circuit routes from the west and the Rongai route from the north. Though there are personal accounts of the hardest routes to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, there is no one best route to climb this mountain. Which route is best for you all depends on things like previous experience, fitness and the time of the year in which you climb. Number four. Mount Kilimanjaro was formed from volcanic activity and its peaks are believed to have been formed approximately three million years ago during the formation of the Great Rift Valley. The first peak, Kibo, is the tallest and most central cone at 19,341 feet above sea level. This is where the summit of Kili is located. To the right of Kibo is the Mwanzi Peak, which is a rough and uneven cone reaching 16,889 feet above sea level. It is ranked as the third highest peak in Africa, after Kibo and Mount Kenya. Shira to the left is no longer a peak because of its collapse approximately 500,000 years ago, creating the Shira Plateau on the western side of the mountain. Shira and Mwanzi are both extinct volcanoes, meaning that there is no activity below the cones and no chance of them erupting. Kibo, on the other hand, is considered a dormant volcano, which means that there is a possibility that it could erupt again. However, scientists have said that the last eruption was between 150,000 and 200,000 years ago and no one is sure when and if it will erupt again. Although you can see Mount Kilimanjaro from the Ambosili National Park in Kenya, where you can also get some of the most beautiful views of Kili, it is still about 20 kilometers from the Kenyan border. In fact, the entire mountain is located in the country of Tanzania. Number six. Mount Kilimanjaro has five climactic zones and because of Mount Kilimanjaro's great height, the mountain creates its own weather. Some say that walking from the base of the mountain to the top is like experiencing all four seasons in one place. The first zone, the bushland or cultivation zone, with an elevation beginning at 2,500 feet and going up to 5,900 feet above sea level, is an area that used to be savannah grassland but is now occupied by small-scale farmers and is used as grazing land for livestock. The rainforest is the second zone, reaching from 5,900 feet and going up to 9,200 feet above sea level. This area receives the most rain and here you can find many plants and tall trees like the camphor tree, a variety of species of birds, a few monkeys and maybe an antelope here and there. The third zone, the low alpine heath and moorland zone, begins at 9,200 feet and reaches to an amazing 13,000 feet above sea level. At this level, it's a bit drier than the rainforest and temperatures get a bit cooler. You will find a mixture of tall grasses and giant flowering plants like the senecio, a plant in the daisy family. The fourth region, the alpine desert region, which begins at 13,000 feet and reaches to around 16,400 feet above sea level, is a region in which temperatures can become unbearably hot in the daytime and very cold at night. This region does not receive much precipitation and because of this the landscape is a bit rocky and with very little vegetation. The fifth and final climactic zone, the ice cap or the arctic tundra region, begins at 16,400 feet and reaches an astounding 19,341 feet above sea level. This region is comprised of mostly loose stones, volcanic rock fragments and glaciers. Yes, there are glaciers at the top of this mountain and even though they have been melting over time, it has been reported that climbers have found glaciers of up to 100 feet tall. At the summit, temperatures are extremely cold and most precipitation falls as snow. Temperatures can range between 20 and negative 20 degrees Fahrenheit or minus 7 to minus 29 degrees Celsius. On Mount Kilimanjaro, each zone gets colder and drier with increased elevation and plant and animal life start to disappear with the rise in altitude. This has been six things you may not know about Mount Kilimanjaro. For those of you who are considering climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, the world's tallest freestanding mountain, please get advice from a medical professional before this attempt. Many failed attempts to this climb have been attributed to personal health and elevation sickness. This is goodbye for now from the Unapologetic Nomads. Please like and share if you have enjoyed this video. See you next time. 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