At 19,340 feet, Mount Kilimanjaro looms higher than all of Africa’s peaks and ranks as the world’s tallest freestanding mountain. Located in Tanzania, Mount Kilimanjaro attracts more than 50,000 climbers every year. The mountain’s glaciated peak defies its location only 200 miles away from the equator.
The most climber-friendly route, called the Coca-Cola route, offers climbers sleeping huts and food and beverages. These amenities draw throngs of interested parties; however, the climb to the summit requires time and skill. The record for reaching the summit, eight and a half hours, in no way represents the normal six days most people take as they acclimate to the ascending altitude.
A climb to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, while not an Everest-like summit, still requires climbers to be physically fit. Routes up the mountain, in addition to the tourist-friendly Coca-Cola route, include scenic Machame and the longer Lemosho.