I have asked myself and asked others countless times, why climb Kilimanjaro? Why not go to the Indian Ocean and enjoy the warm sea breeze instead of masochistic walking? What is it like to stand at 5895 meters at the highest point of the roof of Africa? Not because of benchmarking to show off, not to refresh your altitude maximum, or even purely to challenge your physical strength and willpower. Climbing a mountain will not allow people to reach new heights in life, nor will they refresh their worldview, nor will they have an epiphany, but will only make you have a special experience and process that belongs to you. The frozen, dried leopard in Hemingway's book went to such a cold place to look for something, and no one knew. And when I walked half the world to the bottom of the mountain, I didn't need to find and define anything.
Located in northeastern Tanzania and about 160 km south of the Great Rift Valley, Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa and a volcanic hill, the tallest volcano in the world.
The main body of the mountain extends in an east-west direction for nearly 80 kilometers, consisting mainly of three extinct volcanoes of Kibo, Mavinsi and Shira, with an area of 756 square kilometers, and its central volcano, Cone Hulu Peak, at an altitude of 5,892 meters, is the highest point in Africa. Kilimanjaro is known as the "roof of Africa", and many geographers call it the "King of Africa".
Kilimanjaro means mountain of light in local Swahili, she is the roof of Africa, she is the equatorial snow peak, she is the temple of God. She is an indispensable presence in the "7+2 World's Most Mountaineering Series" and the most summit-prone peak business and the fusion of cold and lonely heights, making Kilimanjaro a "mountain with personality".
Hemingway endowed her with an immortal soul. "Ahead, as far as the eye could see, he saw, as vast and vast as the whole world, as towering, grand and unbelievably white as ever, it was the square peak of Mount Kilimanjaro."
This is Hemingway's kilimanjaro, a peak in Tanzania that can be seen even 200 kilometers away with colorful snow crowns illuminated by the sun. It is a world-recognized short story classic, using a large number of images to express Hemingway's process of constant thinking and gradually understanding the eternal proposition of life and death. The protagonist's soul is buried on the snowy mountain of Kilimanjaro and is immortal.
One world a day, from the tropics to the poles. Wander through the rainforest, walk above the sea of clouds, then enter the volcanic ash desert, and finally, in the company of the stars of the Milky Way. Climb to the top of the highest point in Africa, watch the red sun jump out in the snow, and feel the magnificence of nature!
With the exception of Africa, you won't find anything more imaginative than that.
The warm and humid air flow of the Indian Ocean is blocked by Kilimanjaro, and the combination of water flow and temperature causes Kilimanjaro to form several very different vertical vegetation belts of mountain from top to bottom. Equatorial rainforest belt, subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest belt, temperate forest belt, alpine meadow belt, alpine cold desert belt and snow glacier belt, so the process of climbing the mountain is full of endless novelty.
A 2,400-meter-diameter and 200-meter-deep crater, located at the summit of Kilimanjaro Mountain, is completely covered in snow and ice, also known as a snow cover. The snow at the top of the mountain is heavy all year round, and the snow is long-lasting, and under the strong sunlight on the equatorial line, the white snow canopy shines brightly, forming a unique spectacle of the equatorial snow mountain
But due to factors such as equatorial conditions combined with global warming and volcanic activity, the snow on mount Kilimanjaro is constantly melting. It has shrunk by more than 80% in the past 80 years, and according to scientists' predictions: the snow at the top of Kilimanjaro Mountain will completely melt in 2020!
There are 7 routes to climb Kilimanjaro, each with its own character.
But some are too commercial, like the Marangu Route and machame Route, and some are too difficult, like the Umbwe Route. After much comparison, I chose the Rongai Route, which is currently the most popular among Chinese guests, which starts on the kenyan side of the north side of the mountain and is the only route that crosses Mount Kilimanjaro from the north. Slightly less difficult than the Whisky Line, this route is a recreational route that even those who don't have much trekking experience can try. Since this line is not a classic route, and the point of entry into the mountain is not in Tanzania, there are fewer people climbing the mountain. The scenery along the way is quite pristine, one notch higher than the scenery of the Coca-Cola Line. This route is the most recommended for people with no climbing experience at all! Even during the rainy season, this road can go into the mountains.
Of this climbing team, I was most impressed by the team leader Abdun, who graduated from university, spoke 4 languages in Tanzanian, English, Italian and Spanish, was in great shape, had a good personality, his parents were both teachers, and there was a farm at home. It's such a guy, and I'm curious why he would do such a job, an industry where we seem to only need to feed on our bodies.
The first time I saw him was in the hotel where we were staying in the town of Arusha, and while we were eating breakfast, the classical pushed the door in, followed by a lean young man, a short hairy curly hair, wearing a green Adidas coat, dark skin, from a distance can not see the facial features at all, can only see the white eyes, a black mess. When he sat next to us, he could feel that he didn't look very old, but he could feel a composure that didn't match his age. He leaned forward in his chair, elbows on his knees, and kept smiling and talking to us, his voice low, as if he were worried about disturbing other guests eating breakfast. He said his name was Abdun, afraid we wouldn't remember, repeated it several times, and then greeted us in turn. He asked me what my name was, and I said bob, and he showed a row of white teeth, smiled and said, "Bob, I like your name," and then held out his fist to me, and although it was the first time they met, it was very kind and there was no sense of distance.