KILIMANJARO, the Highest Free-Standing Mountain in the WORLD | Discover this Tanzanian Marvel

Kilimanjaro, the highest freestanding mountain in the world. Discover this Tanzanian marvel. Don't let the media or the thoughts of others influence your view and impressions of Africa. It is a wild, beautiful, raw, dynamic place that you have to see and experience for yourself. Today, we take a look at Africa's highest mountain and highest freestanding mountain in the world. This mountain is Africa's pride, visited every year by thousands of people from different parts of the world. Its amazing history, landscape, beauty and adventure are what drive thousands of people to witness its magic. Before continuing, please make sure you have subscribed and turned on the notification bell so that you could be notified when we drop videos like these. And don't forget to like and leave a comment after watching. Now, on to the video. These are some of the interesting facts about Mount Kilimanjaro. Number 10. Half of the people who attempt to climb never reach the summit. Almost more than 30,000 people attempt to hike Mount Kilimanjaro every year, but only 40 to 50 percent of them successfully reach the summit. The records show that only 27 percent of climbers hiking the 5-day routes summited the mountain. Only 44 percent of climbers hiking 6-day routes summited the mountain. 64 percent of climbers hiking the 7-day routes summited the mountain and 85 percent of climbers taking the 8-day routes summited the mountain. The chances of making it to the summit increase as climbers spend more time to the altitude, given that they get familiar with the climatic condition, and give the body more time for adequate rest and recovery. It is also advised to make earlier preparations to get fit for the climb. This includes physical exercises like aerobics, strength training, and hiking regularly at least eight weeks before the climb. Number 9. World record holders at the mountain. The oldest person who successfully climbed Mount Kilimanjaro was an American woman, Anne Lorimer, who was 89 years old at that time. She took this world record in 2019, taking the title from Dr. Fred de Stahors, who was 87 years old when he summited. The record for the youngest person to climb Mount Kilimanjaro is held by an American called Colton Tanner, who summited at age 6 in 2018. Even though the minimum age for climbing Kilimanjaro is 10 years old, the park grants an exception to children who have significant experience with trekking adventures. Other record holders at the mountain are Karl Egloff, a Swiss climber who made it in 4 hours and 56 minutes in August 2014. Christina Schau Madsen was the fastest woman who made it in 6 hours and 52 minutes. And lastly, Simon Mutui from Tanzania, who made the fastest unaided attempt in 9 hours and 19 minutes. Number 8. It has been climbed by many famous people in the world. Many people have climbed Mount Kilimanjaro over the years, from celebrities to athletes, with some of them making it to the while others didn't. Some of the celebrities that have climbed the mountain are American actress Jessica Biel, Australian actress Isabel Lucas, American rapper Lupe Fiasco, American actor Emile Hirsch, American actress Mandy Moore, American football defensive end Chris Long, American football defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, English actor, presenter and writer Brian Blast, the comic relief team, Czechoslovakian-American tennis player Martina Navratilova, Scottish entrepreneur and philanthropist Duncan Benettin, and the owner of Chelsea football club Roman Abramovich. Apart from international celebrities, there have been several campaigns done by different organizations and governments, involving celebrities and political leaders to protect the tourism. Some of the campaigns are Trees for Kili, Kilimanjaro Climbing for Girls 2020, HK Kili Challenge Campaign, and One Step, One Tree. Number 7. It has seven routes that take you to the summit. To summit Mount Kilimanjaro, climbers often take one among the seven present routes, which are Marango, Lemosho, Rongai, Shira, Mekame, Northern Circuit, and Umbwe. From the south of the mountain, there is Marango, Umbwe, and Mekame. From the west, there is Lemosho, Shira, and the Northern Circuit. The Rongai route approaches from the north. The Marango route, also called the Coca-Cola route, is one of the classic and oldest routes and is considered the easiest route due to its gradual slope. It requires a minimum of days of five to successfully reach the top. The Mekame route, also called the Whiskey route, is one of the most difficult routes and takes a minimum of six days to reach the top. The Northern Circuit route takes nine days, the Lemosho route takes six days, the Rongai route takes six days, the Shira route takes six days, and the Umbwe route takes five days. Number 6. It was created by three volcanic cones. It is a stratovolcano composed of three distinct volcanic cones, which are Kibo, which is the highest, Mawesi at the east, found at 5,149 meters, and Shira, found at the west, which is the lowest, found at 3,962 meters. Mawesi and Shira are said to be extinct, while Kibo is dormant and could erupt again. The highest point on Kibo's crater rim is called Uhuru, which is the Swahili word for freedom. Kibo is the cone to be the last vented and make Kilimanjaro one of the seven summits in the world, and it is number 4. The other summits being Mount Everest, Aconcagua, Denali, Elbrus, Vinson Massif, and Kosciuszko. There's also a sign on Uhuru Peak that marks a spot of the highest mountain in Africa and the highest freestanding mountain in the world. Mawesi is ranked as the third highest peak after Kibo and Mount Kenya. Number 5. Flora and fauna. Mount Kilimanjaro is also home to many plants and animals, some of them being found only on Mount Kilimanjaro. Seeing these animals is not easy as most of them live in tropical rainforest found on its lower slopes. But if you are lucky enough, you will get to see the animals, birds, flowers, and other plants. Some of the animals found are the blue monkey, colobus monkey, white-necked raven, serval, crested porcupine, abbot's daikir, genet, tree hyrax, galagose, and mice. One of the rare plants found is the giant ground silverietal dendrocynesio kilimanjari. Mount Kilimanjaro can also be seen from Kenya in the Amboseli National Park, where both animals in the park with the Mount Kilimanjaro Kibo peaks at the back can be seen. This brings a classic and unique adventure for visitors in the park, who would also want to climb the mountain to get the real experience. Number 4. Found in five different climatic zones. There are five different climatic zones that climbers pass through as they make their way to the summit. The first one is the cultivation zone, which take 2,500 to 5,900 feet and these are the lowest slopes often used for the cultivation and grazing of livestock. The second zone is a montane rainforest ranging from 5,900 to 9,200 feet, which receives the most rainfall and it is home to monkeys and antelopes. The third zone is the low alpine heath and moorland zone, which takes up to 9,200 to 13,000 feet with the coolest temperature and dry forests. The fourth zone is the alpine desert ranging from 13,000 feet to 16,400 feet with the rocky landscape, much colder at night and very hot a day. The last zone is the ice cap zone ranging from 16,400 to 19,340 feet with the area comprising mostly rocks and volcanic scree with glaciers higher up. Number 3. Aaron Phipps was the first person to summit the mountain with a wheelchair. In 2016, Aaron Phipps, a British Paralympic athlete who was 33 years old at that time, became the first person in a wheelchair to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. After being diagnosed with meningitis C at the age of 15, he lost both of his legs and most of his fingers. Another person who climbed the mountain in a wheelchair was Aaron Andersson from Sweden in 2021. Phipps knew that the main problem was going to be the altitude, so he took regular chairlifts to the top of Mont Blanc and stayed there for longer periods to get used to the thin air. All the preparations paid off in the end as it took him only five days to make it to the top. He also raised over €16,400 for the Meningitis Research Foundation and the Shore Trust, approaching his goal of raising €20,000. Number 2. The first men to climb were Hans Mayr and Ludwig Putscheler, guided by Yohani Luwawu. Mount Kilimanjaro was first climbed in 1889 by a German geologist called Hans Mayr, an Australian climber Ludwig Putscheler, and a Tanzanian local guide Yohani Kinyala Luwawu. Mayr had been attempting to climb the with a successful attempt being in 1889. In his first attempt in 1887, he made it to the base of Kibu, which is one of Mount Kilimanjaro's peaks. He encountered thick snow and ice walls and he didn't have any equipment to assist him so he gave up. The second attempt was in 1888, but it was unsuccessful and he was captured by the locals and held as a prisoner during the Abushiri War. He succeeded in 1889 with the support team of a guide, two local tribe leaders, nine porters and a cook. Ludwig Putscheler was his friend and his climbing companion, whom both of them made it to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in 1889. Number 1. The highest mountain in Africa and highest freestanding mountain in the world. Found at the height of 5,895m above sea level, Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa and also the highest freestanding mountain in the world. It is also the fourth most topographically prominent peak on Earth. It is found in the northeastern Kilimanjaro region in Tanzania, one of the five countries in East Africa. The mountain is made up of ash, lava, basalt and rock and its formation started nearly 750,000 years ago, involving the eruption of molten magma through the Earth's crust. The last eruption that was recorded took place between 150,000 and 200,000 years ago and there has not been any significant erosion in a couple of years. As a freestanding mountain, Kilimanjaro stands on its own, meaning it is not part of mountain ranges like Mount Everest. Together with its height, it is the highest freestanding mountain in the world. Winding up, Kilimanjaro is an amazing mountain with a variety of different climate zones and landscapes, flora and fauna and it continues to be a popular destination for people around the world. The mountain is a source of fascination, exploration and adventure and it stands at the heart of a very beautiful country, Tanzania. The exploration of Mount Kilimanjaro will be a rewarding experience for sure and the mountain does not only offer good views and the challenge of mountain climbing. Kilimanjaro is also a good place to discover the culture, nature and history of Tanzania, which will make your journey a unique experience. Thanks for watching this video, don't forget to subscribe, turn on the notification bell, like and leave a comment if you have any facts to add. Until next time, goodbye.