Mt. Kilimanjaro

Mt. Kilimanjaro is the larges freestanding mountain in the world. It is located in Tanzania, Africa. At an elevation of 5,893 meters (19,334 ft) Mt. Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain I have climbed so far. The name comes from KILMA NJARO meaning “shining mountain” in Swahili. It is the highest mountain in Africa and is the fourth highest of the Seven Summits. Mt. Kilimanjaro is an interesting and unique mountain. It is composed of 3 volcanoes: Kibo (19,340 feet), Mawenzi (16,896 feet), and Shira (13,000 feet) and it contains an example of virtually every ecosystem on earth - glacier, snowfields, deserts, alpine moorland, savannah, and tropical jungle. The mountains unique qualities made climbing it a fun and fascinating experience. We started the climb in the lush rainforest and ended at the stunning glaciers, looking out over the vast savannah.

Around 25,000 people per year attempt to summit the top of Africa. We started our attempt on Monday, December 28, 2009. There were 11 people in our group attempting the climb, 7 guides, and 30 porters. I only knew one person upon arriving in Africa, but soon discovered that there were some amazing people in our group. Along with the beautiful and unique landscape the people I went with made climbing Kilimanjaro a fun and memorable trip. I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to meet all the different people I met during my trip to Africa.


There are several different routes you can take up the mountain. We decided to take the six day Machame route. I liked this route because we went down a different way then we went up, so we were able to see more of the mountain. The only day that I found strenuous was the summit day. Because most days were not that strenuous I was able to really enjoy the mountain. My favorite part was of course the top. Standing on the top of Africa was fantastic! We started the ascent at midnight and were near the top by the time the sun started rising. The sun slowly rose over the savanna far below and as it rose higher in the sky the sun cast vibrant colors onto the glaciers. My fingers felt like they were going to fall off and I couldn’t breathe that well, but as soon as the sunrise started I forgot about everything and was just thankful for the beautiful things God has put on this Earth. It is hard to believe that these stunning glaciers will be gone in fifteen years.

After we climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro we took a safari. Not only does Kili contain an example of virtually every ecosystem on earth the vast plains below the mountain contain a wide variety of fascinating animals. People often ask me what my favorite part of the trip was. It is hard to say because I love mountaineering so climbing Kili was great, but having elephants come into your camp and seeing the Big Five was also fun and exciting. The term Big Five refers to the five most difficult animals to hunt. They are also among the most dangerous animals. The five consist of the lion, the African elephant, the Cape buffalo, the leopard and the Black Rhinoceros.

Lake Manyara National Park

This park is 127 square miles of which 89 square miles is the Lake. The terrain around the lake contains a rich assortment of habitats, therefore it can sustain a large number of animals and the lake attracts many different types of birds. Some of the diverse species we say in the park were: monkeys, antelopes, zebras, hippos and crocodiles, buffalo, giraffe and a high density of elephants. The park is known for its tree-climbing lions, but we did not get a chance to see this.

Serengeti National Park

The Serengeti is commonly recognized as the major wildlife reserve in the world and is one of the world’s last great wildlife refuges. It is an enormous natural reserve that covers almost 5,793 square miles, about the size of Connecticut. We spent two days in the Serengeti. We did not see the same diversity of animals in the Serengeti as we did in Lake Manyara, but the animals we did see are rare and unique.

We were there at the end of the wet season, so the animals were migrating. Every year the herbivores are forced to follow the rains in search for water and grass. They make a 310 mile circular migration from the Southern Serengeti to the northern edge of the Masai Mara National Reserve. This great spectacle is named the Great Wildebeest Migration and has been called one of nature’s most impressive events. We were able to witness a part of this magnificent wildlife spectacle. The Wildebeests had just moved from the central Serengeti to the endless plains just outside of the entrance to the park. As we were driving into the park we could see never-ending miles of Wildebeests, with some zebras mixed in. It was a fascinating spectacle that I am glad I was able to witness.

In the park we say even more fascinating animals. There are a lot of people that come to see this great wildlife refuge, so when you see something interesting there are about ten other cars around you trying to see the same thing. At one point everyone was stopped trying to see a leopard in the bushes. We had stopped right under a tree and after trying to see the adult leopard in the bushes for several minutes our guide told us to look up in the tree. Right above us was a baby leopard sleeping in the tree. He eventually woke up and looked right at us. The next day we were around the same area and a bunch of cars were stopped. People were trying to see the adult leopard again. We stopped on the opposite side of the other cars and as soon as we did she walked out of the bushes, walked right in front of our car and continued up the road we were parked on. Leopards are secretive and elusive animals, therefore they can be hard to see. We got to see a baby leopard and had an adult leopard walk right by our car! Of the cats that I have seen in nature I would have to say that the leopard is the most fascinating and elegant.

I was disappointed when we didn’t see a male lion up close during our time in the Serengeti. We say a few females and a family that had just killed a giraffe, but there were so many people that we could not get a good look at them. My chance to see lions up close didn’t come until after we were leaving the Serengeti. As we were driving out of the park I fell asleep and was woken up to a beautiful view of several teenage male lions hanging out on the side of the road. This ended our trip to the Serengeti on a perfect note.

Some of the other animals we saw in the Serengeti were: Cape buffalo, zebras, giraffes, hippopotamus and crocodiles.

Ngorongoro Crater

The Serengeti was my favorite for animal sightings, the Ngorongoro Crater was my favorite park overall. The crater is the largest unbroken and unflooded volcanic caldera and is called the eighth wonder of the world. The crater has the densest concentration of wildlife in Africa. It was by far the prettiest place we went to on the safari. We camped above the crater and that morning we had a couple of elephant wonder through camp. This is how our day of sight seeing started.

The very first thing we say upon entering the conservation area were two cheetahs stocking gazelles. The cheetahs were right next to the road, so we were able to get very close to them. They would get up every once in a while and it looked like they were about to make there move, but it wasn’t quit right so they would sit back down and rest. After about 30 minutes they finally went after the gazelles. The gazelles were aware of the cheetahs so they were able to get away. It was interesting to watch the hunting process. The only other new animals we say in the crater were the endangered Black Rhino and we say 12 of them, and a lot of flamingos. The crater is truly a lush and beautiful place in the world.

My trip to Africa was a great experience that I will never forget. I saw some of the great wonders of the world and some of them will not be around for long. I met some fascinating people and made some great new friends.