Mount Kilimanjaro by J. Blakeman
From Wikipearse
Contents |
Etymology
The word Kilimanjaro has a definition. You can find this on dictionary.com (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/kilimanjaro). Kilima means mountain and njaro is gift of cold. So together it makes Kilimanjaro, a mountain with the gift of cold. Their are also many definitions for Mount Kilimanjaro. They mainly include stating that its a mountian located in Northeastern Tanzia. One definition you can find is , "the highest mountian in Africa, in northeast Tanzia near the Kenya border, rising in two snow-capped peaks to 19,340 ft.
Weather & Temperature
The average temperatures during the day range from 60 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. During the night time its even colder. It could be 0 to -15 degrees. As you climb up the mountain the temperatures drop. The rainfall could be as high as 13.8 inches or as low as barely an inch. Because of the mountains high altitude it creates its own climate. Its very hard to predict the weather. All though the temperatures can be cold the glaciers have been starting to melt. As of 1912 they have shrunk 82%. This drastically affects the crop growth and vegetation. Some other regions of Mount Kilimanjaro are full of fertile soil. These areas are were farming for crops is very easy. Also their are about five different climate zones that make it up. They are arctic, alpine desert, heath, rain forest and bushland. The arctic region is full of rocks and ice. The days are moderately cold but have freezing nights. Near the alpine desert region receives a very little amount of precipitation. The temperatures can range from 100 to below 0. Heath is semi-alpine. This means that its
Tourism
Many people enjoy taking a vacation to tropical locations, while others like to go to landmarks (some people like to visit places that are both tropical and landmarks). Most who choose to visit is to climb it. When they climb it they can take many different routes (see routes) to go up. After reaching the top, climbers feel proud and as if they have conquered it. Travelers when they reach home will speak about and remember the trip for years. The best times to go if you enjoy the clear and warm weather would be from December to February. If you like clear and cold then a suggested time would be from July-September. The weather of Mount kilimanjaro is asmost opposite of the opposite of New england.
Vegetation
Mount Kilimanjaro has a wide variety of unique vegetation (over 1,200 species). A few examples are water holding cabbage,and other shrubs. There is also an assortment of different trees,such as Montane Ocotea,Cassipoura,and Subalpine Erica. These are in forests. Montane Ocotea are located on the moist southern slope. Cassipoura and Juniporous forests are found toward the dry Northern slope. Subalpine Erica forest are at the highest elevation and are "cloud forests of Africa". The vegetation can grow very strong because of the soil. In some areas the soil is fertile because of the volcanic conditions. The vegetation influences the animal life as well. Other areas have dry soil due to global warming and have a hard time growing crops. This is what animals eat so there aren't very many in this area. In other regions however their is a variety. The Colombus Monkey,leopards,and grass mice. You can even see badgers. These animals mainly live in the grassy part of the mountain. Here they can eat many different types of plants and there is a large amount of water.
Climbing Records
Many people have become famous from climbing the highest mountain (other known as Mt. Kilimanjaro). Even people who have problems and struggle at life still managed to climb up to the summit or the top. Examples include; The first deaf person to reach the top is Heidi Zimmer. Eight blind climbers reached the top on June 29,2009. A climber who was only 13 years old and is blind also reached the top. His name is Max Ashton.
Routes
There is many routes available to climb up Mount Kilimanjaro. Examples include; Marangu, Rongai, Lemosho, Shira, Umbwe, and Machame. Marangu is an easy route to take, but not as easy as Rongai (which is the easiest). Even through Marangu is easy to climb, it has huts causing it to sometimes be crowded or busy. Rongai is locaterd north. The lemosho Glades route is used very seldomly used. Shira is located west and crossses the Shira Volcano. Ubwe is the shortest and less traveled. Lastly Manchame can take 5 to 6 days to complete. This route is one of the most scenic routes and is also known as the whiskey route.
External Links
Mount Kilimanjaro (Answers.com)
Mt. Kilimanjaro (Ultimate Kilimanjaro)
Wildlife (Climb mount Kilimanjaro)
Photos (Interactive outdoors Inc).
Trekking routes ( Nomadic Adventures)
Bibliography
"Kilimanjaro." Answers.com. 2010. Answers.com. 25 Feb 2010 <http://www.answers.com/topic/mount-kilimanjaro#Unique_vegetation>.
"Ultimate Kilimanjaro Your Kilimanjaro Climb Specialist. 2010. Ultimate Kilimanjaro. 4 Mar 2010 <http://www.ultimatekilimanjaro.com/mountain.htm>.
"Mount Kilimanjaro." Peakware World Mountain Encyclopedia. 18 Mar 2010. Interactive Outdoors Inc.. 18 Mar 2010 <http://www.peakware.com/peaks.html?pk=139&view=photos#53>.
"Mount Kilimanjaro." Wikipedia. 24 Mar 2010. Media Wiki. 24 Mar 2010 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Kilimanjaro>.
"Tusker Trails." Kilimanjaro webcam. 24 Mar 2010. Tusker Trail. 24 Mar 2010 <http://www.kilicam.com/>.
