Located in Kilimanjaro National Park in northern Tanzania, Mount Kilimanjaro is Africa’s highest peak and the world’s tallest free-standing mountain! A Kilimanjaro climb is a challenging week or so long trek that takes you through a handful of very different ecosystems. You start by climbing up through the acacia forest, accompanied by bird calls and other sounds of nature. You then enter a drier zone where the wind picks up and you’re surrounded by sparse vegetation including dramatic groundsels and lobelias. You then wind your way through tussocks as you cross the immense Shira Plateau. You often find yourself looking down over a bank of clouds separating you from the rest of the world. Near the top of the mountain, you enter an arctic zone, where each breath is a puff of smoke in the icy air.
