Above the gently rolling hills and plateau of Northern Tanzania rise the snowy peaks of Mt Kilimanjaro, its slopes and glaciers shimmering above the rising clouds. Kilimanjaro is located near the town of Moshi and is a protected area, carefully regulated for climbers to enjoy without leaving a trace of their presence. The mountain’s ecosystems are as strikingly beautiful as they are varied and diverse. On the lowland slopes, much of the mountain is farmland, with coffee, banana, cassava, and maize crops grown for subsistence and cash sale.

A few larger coffee farms still exist on the lower slopes, but much of the area outside the National Park has been subdivided into small plots. Once inside the park, thick lowland forest cover the lower altitudes and breaks into alpine meadows once the air begins to thin. Near the peak, the landscape is harsh and barren, with rocks and ice being the predominant features above a breathtaking African view.

Climbing Mt Kilimanjaro is the highlight of many visitors’ experiences in Tanzania. Few mountains can claim the grandeur and the views of Amboseli National Park in Kenya, the Rift Valley, and the Maasai Steppe that belong to Kilimanjaro. Hiking on the ‘rooftop of Africa’ is the adventure of a lifetime, and anyone from a seasoned trekker to a reasonably fit first time enthusiast can scale the snowy peak.