Standing at a majestic height of 20,000 feet on African plains, Mt Kilimanjaro is undoubtedly one of the most iconic peaks across the world. With its beauty and absolutely attracting facts, Mt Kilimanjaro has always attracted climbers to its high summit, time and again. But did you know that with the changing climate and global warming, the beautiful glaciers covering the mountain will soon vanish in the coming years. Well, so here are 6 interesting facts about Mt. Kilimanjaro that you should know before you try an expedition to this beautiful place!
25,000 CLIMBERS ATTEMPT TO CLIMB THE MAJESTIC MOUNTAIN EACH YEAR
Climbing a mountain is not a walk in the park. You need special physical and mental training to help you successfully climb the mountain. It is best suggested that you build your fitness and prepare your body for the climb at least 6 month in advance. To be physically fit to climb the glaciers on the mountain, you need to daily follow a routine cardio and weight workout along with a balanced diet to make sure you are physically fit to climb the mountain.
Additionally, you need the right climbing gears to make sure your climb is easy and safe. Right from sharp crampons, helmet, safety harness and rope to jackets that block wind and repels water, you should have everything with you during your climb.
LEGENDARY CLIMBER BERNARD GOOSEN CLIMBED THE MOUNTAIN ON A WHEELCHAIR
Bernard Goosen, a south African national scaled the beautiful mountain twice despite of being a cerebral palsy patient. Goosen scaled the mountain on his wheelchair without taking the support of anyone. He first reached the summit point in 2003, after a nine days climb, while his second climb took him just 6 days in 2007.
MT. KILIMANJARO HAS ALREADY LOST 80% OF ITS BEAUTIFUL SNOWCAPS
Blame it on the changing weather, global warming or any other factor you can relate to, but the snow caps of Mt Kilimanjaro are already 80% gone since 1912.
THE MOUNTAIN HAS ALMOST EVERY KIND OF ECOLOGICAL SYSTEM EXISTING ON IT
Mt. Kilimanjaro has almost all types of ecological systems growing on it. These include rain forests, cultivated land, moorland, heath, alpine desert as well as the arctic summit. No wonder, the mountain is considered special than many other mountains in the world.
THE KILIMANJARO GLACIERS ARE 11,700 YEARS OLD
Kilimanjaro’s glaciers look nothing but a huge pile of monotonous ice. But, there is pretty much more than what meets the eye. With the equatorial sun on its peak, it is easy for people to think that these glaciers should just not exist. But in fact it is the white color of these glaciers that reflects back the heat and allows the huge blocks of ice to survive despite the heat.
The Kilimanjaro glaciers are 11,700 years old and is believed that they started forming sometime in 9700 BC.
BY 2030 THE HUGE GLACIERS ON THE MOUNTAIN WILL BE GONE FOREVER
The Kilimanjaro glacier is just a small remnant of the ice cap that once covered the summit of the mountain. However, since 1912 to 2011, almost 85% of the snow cap has disappeared and it is predicted that by 2030 or maximum 2040, the ice body will completely disappear.