Kilimanjaro - from the Equator to the Arctic
This weekend, I set off for Tanzania on a 10-day adventure to climb Africa’s highest mountain — Kilimanjaro (5,895 m) — one of the famed Seven Summits and the tallest free-standing mountain in the world. Rising dramatically from the African plains, “Kili” is more than just a mountain; it’s a journey across ecosystems, cultures, and personal limits.
Kilimanjaro is a popular goal for trekkers, with around 30,000 people attempting the summit each year. While the mountain has an undeniable tourist trail, its scale, beauty, and variety are unmatched. What excites me most is that the climb is like travelling through an entire continent’s worth of landscapes in just a few days. The route I’ll be taking passes through five distinct climate zones:
Bushland – Hot, dusty lowlands dotted with acacia trees, where views stretch endlessly towards the savannah.
Rainforest – Thick jungle alive with the chatter of monkeys, the call of exotic birds, and the smell of damp earth.
Heath and Moorland – Rolling slopes covered in giant lobelias and other strange, hardy plants adapted to the thinning air.
Alpine Desert – Stark, wind-scoured rock and sand, where the sun burns by day and the temperature plummets at night.
Arctic Summit Zone – A frozen, otherworldly landscape of snow, ice, and glaciers, where breathing feels like work.
It’s often said that climbing Kilimanjaro is like walking from the equator to the North Pole in less than a week. That sense of transition, step by step, is what makes the journey so unique.
Despite its height, Kilimanjaro is not a technical climb. You don’t need ropes, crampons, or advanced mountaineering skills. What you do need is endurance, mental resilience, and the ability to listen to your body in thin air. Summit day is famously tough — a midnight start, a slow, grinding ascent in the freezing darkness, and hours of steady plodding to reach Uhuru Peak just as the sun spills gold over the horizon. It’s a test of will as much as fitness.
For me, this trek is as much about the inner journey as the physical one. The long days on the trail, the camaraderie with fellow climbers, and the quiet moments to take in the vast African skies all add depth to the experience. There’s something humbling about standing on a mountain older than humanity itself, carved by time and crowned with ice despite sitting so close to the equator.
In the coming days, I’ll be walking in the footsteps of countless adventurers, guided by local porters whose strength and spirit are the heartbeat of every Kilimanjaro expedition. I’ll carry my pack, my determination, and the hope of standing at the “Roof of Africa” — tired, cold, but exhilarated.
Kilimanjaro isn’t just a climb; it’s a life experience compressed into a week. And if all goes well, I’ll return not only with summit photos, but with stories, lessons, and memories that will last a lifetime like I have on every trip I have been on.
