Standing at 5,895 meters above sea level, Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest single free-standing mountain in the world and the tallest mountain in Africa. It is part of the Mount Kilimanjaro National Park located in Tanzania in East Africa. It is a major climbing and hiking destination to both experienced and novice mountain climbers.
List of Kilimanjaro Volcanic Cones
Kilimanjaro has 3 main peaks (volcanic cones) which include:
Kibo Volcano Cone
Kibo Volcano Cone is the central and the highest volcanic cone of Mt. Kilimanjaro. The highest point/summit on Kibo is Uhuru Peak, standing at 5,895 meters (19,341 ft) above sea level which gives the mountain the bragging rights of being the tallest mountain of the African continent. The Kibo is a dormant volcano that could erupt again.
Mawenzi Volcano Cone
Mawenzi’s highest summit is Point Hans Meyer. Standing at 5,149m (16,893ft), Mawenzi is the second highest peak on Mt. Kilimanjaro. It is an extinct volcano and the most challenging to climb among the three Kilimanjaro Peaks. Being only 50 meters shorter than Mt. Kenya, the second highest point in Africa makes Mawenzi the 3rd highest point in Africa.
Shira Volcano Cone
Shira Volcano Cone is the smallest and oldest of the 3 peaks. Reaching an elevation of 4,005 meters (13,140 ft). Just like the Mawenzi, Shira is also an extinct volcano. The Johnsell Point standing at 3,962 meters is Shira’s principal summit. The Shira is situated on the Western side of the mountain and is a starting point for some routes to the summit of the mountain. Sometimes referred to as the Shira plateau.
Kibo is located at the center of the mountain, Mawenzi is located in the East and Shira is located on the Western side of Kilimanjaro.
There are several routes on Mt. Kilimanjaro that can lead you to the summit of the mountain in 6-9 days. The best time to visit/climb Kilimanjaro is January to early March and June to October.
