Mt. Kilimanjaro!

( please read blog from bottom to top for it to make since)

At the center of Mt.Kilimanjaro, a crater with walls that can be 18- 20 meters high, contains a minor cone. Then the center that falls away 360 meters falls into the ash pit. What im explaining is the 120 meter deep central area of the volcano.

Mt.Kilimanjaro is one of the tallest mountains in the world and the highest free standing mountain. It is one of the Seven Summits. And it was discovered 1889 by a Hans Meyer. Who was an European explorer.

Weather Conditions

The skies are generally clear by Mount Kilimanjaro because, a wide moorland extends beyond the cloud line. This makes it very sunny during the day, and cool and clear at night. The incline remains gental for climbing, but a thin oxygen gives less fuel to energies the muscles, and this can slow down the pace of walking very drastically. But beyond 4,000 meters the land develops into a sandy, more bazaar desert, and loose earth. Most plants also cant survive in the weather. Only Linches ( a type of fungi) can survive the serve weather conditions.

bold key words~

moorland: tract of open country that may be either dry with heather and associated vegetation or wet with an acid peat vegetation. If wet, a moor is generally synonymous with bog (q.v.). (another word for large meadow or grassy plain.

Climbing the Mountain

Even though it is possible to trek up the mountain a route with no professional climbing equipment, you would need a very high level of physical training and fitness. Many tour guide operators request that clients and tourists talk to their doctors before attempting to climb Mt.Kilimanjaro, and that you may have an overall fitness check before climbing. With most of the forest land settled in by Africans, the first 1850 meters are surrounded by montane forest and desnce vegetation. But also the cloud condensation causes this area to be very damp. This wetness effects the plants and animals and how they live and grow.

bold key words~

trek~ a migration or expedition

Montane~ pertaining to, growing in, or inhabiting mountainous regions. or the lower vegetation belt on mountains.

condensation~ the result of being made more compact or dense.

National Urges and the discovery of Mt Kilimanjaro

Mt. Kilimanjaro is the world's highest free standing mountain, it is snow covered. But lately Because of Global Warming Mt. Kilimanjaro is losing some of its snow. The people around Mt.Kilimanjaro have no problem with getting water because, the mountain provides rich, volcanic soils. Mt. Kilimanjaro is also the highest mountain regular tourist can climb. The oxygen is breathable but it is less than half the amount of air at sea level. It takes at least 5 days to reach the top and come back down, some climbers have to walk at least eighty kilometers on there two feet only. The number of climbers has go up to over a thousand climbers over the last 10 years. That is quite a development since Hans Meyer discovered it and climbed all the way to the highest point in 1889. These numbers have made it easier for the National Park to get everyone to pre-book there climbs, and now no passes are made at the door.

This is a before and after picture of Mt. Kilimanjaro. This is what is happening because of Global Warming.

More about Heidi Zimmer

In 1978 Heidi graduated from Galluette University. Heidi has climbed Mt. McKinley in North America, Mount Elbrus in Europe, then she picked the another mountain to climb next of the Seven Summits. It is known that Mt.Kilimanjaro is the fourth of the Seven Summits. The remaining Mountains she has to climb are Mt.Vinson in Antarctica, Aconcagua in South America, The Carstensz Pyramid in Indonesia, and of course the tallest mountain in the world Mt. Everest in near Asia. Heidi Zimmer hold many certificates in mountain climbing and she is a member of the Sierra Club. But she's facing a challange in raising between 3,000, and 30,000 dollars for her next climbing adventures. It took Heidi 18 days to reacht the top of Mt. McKinley. There is a huge possablility of sever weather and some is even fatal.

Heidi Zimmer (read first)

The story of Heidi Zimmer is a great story that has helped and inspired many other people to reach there goals. Heidi is a deaf woman who has User Syndrome, her goals include climbing Mount Everest. She wants to be the oldest person to climb Everest, also to be the first person with disabled woman to climb all the seven summits, and she wants help and inspire people to pursue there dreams.

Heidi was a 19 year old collage student that wanted to take a course in challenge and adventure but was frustrated because the lack of a deaf persons accessibility, so she just waited till the time was right to try out for the course. Then after transfering to the only liberal arts university collage in the world for deaf people (Gallaudet University). There she saw an advertisement for Colorado Outward Bound School, and she knew it was time for her to apply. Then during the 23 day course she joined a patrol group that had people with many different backgrounds and different experiences. Heidi found the group very eye opening and refreshing.

Continues on next blog

Globle Warming problems and Facts

Because of Global Warming Mt. Kilimanjaro has lost 2.2 square kilometers of glacial ice and is still losing more to the heat. The glaciers have gotten 82% smaller since 1912. It could be ice free in less than 25 years, which will dramatically affect the locals drinking water. More about Mt. Kilimanjaro's conditions, Scientists have gotten the conclusion in 2003 that The molten magma is just 400 meters or 1,310 feet below the summit. There have also been many landslides and medium sized avalanches, one in which created the area of Western Breach.

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Molten Magma~ Liquefied my heat; in state of fusion; produced by melting and casting.

The meaning Kilimanjaro

Mt. Kilimanjaro is an inactive stratovolano. It has the highest peak in Africa. It is unknown what Mt.Kilimanjaro is named after. But it is known that the Swahili translation on the word Kilima means mountain. Mt.Kilimajaro is the fourth highest of the seven summits. This Mountain was formed by successful lava flows. Two of Mt. Kilimanjaro's Peaks are inactive and can erupt (Mawenzi and Shira) while Kibo can still erupt. But the last major eruption was over 360,000 years ago, while the last, most recent activity was about 200 years ago.

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Routes up Mt.Kilimanjaro

There are five common routes up Mt.Kilimanjaro. The first one is Marangu. Which is known as the easiest and most popular route to climb. It takes an average of about 5 to 6 days. It is the only route that has cabins, the rest require tents. The second route up Mt. Kilimanjaro is Machame. Which is also known as the Whisky route. About 40% of people use this slope.

The next route is the Rongai route, this route is diffucult to reach. It begins north of Mount Kilimanjaro. It takes about five days to reach the summit. The fourth route is Lemosho, this route is the longest route of the outfeild. The recommened time if your planning to climb this route is 8 days, but the average time is takes for people fast climber is 6 to 7 days. And the last route is Mweka, but this route is usually only used for decending down the mountain.

This picture shows some of the routes you can climb.

The Three Zones of Mt. Kilimanjaro and Records

There are three volcano cones that make up Mt.Kilimanjaro, here are the three cones. Kibo-which us is 19,340 feet tall; Mawenzi-which is 16,896 feet; Shira-which is 13,000 feet tall.

There are many outragous records, set by amazing climbers, like the 4 sisters and the youngest people to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. Their names were Jillian, Velma, Lynette, and Cheryl Hunter. They went with there father Gene Douglas Hunter. As well as the youngest person of course we have the oldest person to reach it to the top of the mountain. The oldest person was nearly 87 years old, their name was Valtee Daniel. And the woman with a very inspiring story Heidi Zimmer who was blind when she climbed Mount Kilimanjaro.

The fastest person to climb up Mt. Kilimanjaro is Bruno Brunod, who managed to climb up the mountain in 5 hours 38 minutes 40 seconds. And the fastest person to climb up and back down the mountain is Simon Mtuy, who set the record of 8 hours and 24 minutes.

This is the south view of the mountain, where you can see all three of the cones.