Why Climb Mount Kilimanaro
Not only is Kilimanjaro the highest peak in Africa, reaching an elevation of 5,895 m (19,340 ft) above sea level, but it is also the world’s tallest freestanding mountain, a long-dormant volcano that towers almost 5 km (3 mi) above the hot and dusty ash-strewn plains from which it rises.
Kilimanjaro is highly attractive to hikers for being the highest mountain anywhere in the world that can be ascended by ordinary tourists without specialized mountaineering experience or equipment – an accomplishment that requires a fair level of fitness, some determination, at least five days, and reasonably deep wallets.