Many people each year enjoy going on Mount Kilimanjaro tours, as, despite the mountain being Africa's highest peak, it can still be climbed with relative ease, without the need for expensive climbing gear. A National Park has been established with the mountain at its heart since 1977, which also makes visiting very accessible. Many thousands of people from all across the world now travel to enjoy the challenge of climbing the peak each year.
While there is some wildlife in the National Park, especially in the forests of the mountain's lower slopes, the main focus of the park is on scenery and the splendour of the mountain itself. Having said that, there are large mammals such as buffalo and leopard among the forests. Many bird species, including Hartlaub's turaco and the white-necked raven, can also be seen, and exist in great numbers in all the zones of the mountain.
The mammals which dwell on the mountain can be found mainly where the cover is thickest in the rainforest, and so are very hard to spot indeed. Monkeys of several species are relatively plentiful too, as they like living within close proximity of human dwellings for the scavenging opportunities it affords them. Eland, serval and other mammals are much harder to spot among the trees.
The honey badger is one mammal which dwells on the mountain which every visitor should look to avoid. Despite its rather cute-sounding name, it is actually one of Africa's fiercest creatures, certainly relative to its size, and even lions will avoid tangling with one. There are also bush pigs in the forested zones, but the presence of so many human beings on the mountain nowadays means all animals are very shy.
But it is for the scenery which most people visit the mountain, as well as the chance to climb one of the world's iconic peaks. The mountain is actually not too hard to climb, and you will simply need to be fit and in good overall condition to reach the top. There is no need for the special mountaineering skills which are needed to conquer the other great peaks of the world.
You need to be able to climb to the height of 5896 metres, as that is the height at which the summit stands. This makes the mountain Africa's highest peak, as well as the world's tallest volcano. There is no mountain range surrounding Kilimanjaro either, so it is one of the world's highest free-standing peaks.
There are several different geographic zones to navigate as you make your way up the slopes of the mountain, with any trek to the top beginning in the farmlands which lie at ground level. After going through the forest zone, trekkers make their way into alpine meadows, the haunt of small mammals like mice, and many bird species. The twin summits of Kibo and Mawenzi lie among a barren, lunar landscape of rocks and craters.
Mount Kilimanjaro tours are a relatively straightforward way of climbing one of the world's most famous mountains, without having to be a specialist mountaineer. It is still necessary to be very fit though, and someone who is not in shape should not attempt it. If you do make the trip, you will be rewarded with spectacular scenery and the chance of seeing some elusive and interesting animal life.
While there is some wildlife in the National Park, especially in the forests of the mountain's lower slopes, the main focus of the park is on scenery and the splendour of the mountain itself. Having said that, there are large mammals such as buffalo and leopard among the forests. Many bird species, including Hartlaub's turaco and the white-necked raven, can also be seen, and exist in great numbers in all the zones of the mountain.
The mammals which dwell on the mountain can be found mainly where the cover is thickest in the rainforest, and so are very hard to spot indeed. Monkeys of several species are relatively plentiful too, as they like living within close proximity of human dwellings for the scavenging opportunities it affords them. Eland, serval and other mammals are much harder to spot among the trees.
The honey badger is one mammal which dwells on the mountain which every visitor should look to avoid. Despite its rather cute-sounding name, it is actually one of Africa's fiercest creatures, certainly relative to its size, and even lions will avoid tangling with one. There are also bush pigs in the forested zones, but the presence of so many human beings on the mountain nowadays means all animals are very shy.
But it is for the scenery which most people visit the mountain, as well as the chance to climb one of the world's iconic peaks. The mountain is actually not too hard to climb, and you will simply need to be fit and in good overall condition to reach the top. There is no need for the special mountaineering skills which are needed to conquer the other great peaks of the world.
You need to be able to climb to the height of 5896 metres, as that is the height at which the summit stands. This makes the mountain Africa's highest peak, as well as the world's tallest volcano. There is no mountain range surrounding Kilimanjaro either, so it is one of the world's highest free-standing peaks.
There are several different geographic zones to navigate as you make your way up the slopes of the mountain, with any trek to the top beginning in the farmlands which lie at ground level. After going through the forest zone, trekkers make their way into alpine meadows, the haunt of small mammals like mice, and many bird species. The twin summits of Kibo and Mawenzi lie among a barren, lunar landscape of rocks and craters.
Mount Kilimanjaro tours are a relatively straightforward way of climbing one of the world's most famous mountains, without having to be a specialist mountaineer. It is still necessary to be very fit though, and someone who is not in shape should not attempt it. If you do make the trip, you will be rewarded with spectacular scenery and the chance of seeing some elusive and interesting animal life.
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