The expedition of 12 women, with the Polish alpinist Leszek Cichy as a guide, took place between Sept. 24th and 30th.

Kilimanjaro is the tallest free-standing mountain and the largest volcano in the world.
There are three main volcanic peaks of varying ages lying on an east-south-east axis, and a number of smaller parasitic cones. To the west, the oldest peak (Shira) rises to 3,962m, though only the western and southern rims remain. The two main summits of Kilimanjaro: craggy Mawenzi, 5149m, and "flat-topped" Kibo, 5896m are separated by The Saddle, a 5km wide, high-altitude, semi-desert, which forms the largest area of high altitude tundra in tropical Africa.
Kilimanjaro was immortalised in Ernest Hemingway's 1938 short story "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" and later by a Hollywood film version. but today it suffers a rapidly melting glacier and over 82% of it has disappeared since it was first surveyed in 1912.

It is located in Mt Kilimanjaro National Park. The national park and forest reserve occupy the whole of Mount Kilimanjaro and its surrounding montane forests, which lies in the North of Tanzania, between Moshi and the Kenyan border. The national park comprises the whole of the mountain above the tree line, and six forest corridors which stretch down through the montane forest belt.

There is a legend of King Menelik I of Abyssinia, son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, first Jewish Emperor of Ethiopia, who conquered East Africa. On his return journey from Shoa in southern Ethiopia, Somaliland, Kenya Colony and northern Tanganyika, he camped on the Saddle (an alpine desert, 14,000 to 14,500ft high between the two peaks of Kilimanjaro). He was old and tired of life and felt death drawing near. But because he was King he wanted to die as a King.
"King I am and as King I wish to die" - he said to his followers. One morning he bid his army farewell and accompanied by a few of his warlords and slaves, who carried his jewels and treasure, he began to ascend the mountain.
His soldiers below followed him with their eyes until he reached the boundary of the eternal snows, where cloud encompassed him. In the evening the warlords returned without their King, for he had entered into the crater of the mountain with his slaves, jewels and treasure. And here he will sleep forever.
But it is said, an offspring of his family will arise and restore the old glory of Ethiopia, conquering all of the land to the Rufiji river. He will ascend Kibo, find the jewels of Menelik I, among which will be the seal ring of Solomon which the old king had upon his finger. This ring he will put upon his own hand, and from that moment he will be endowed with the wisdom of Solomon. Also the heroic spirit of the old king will rest upon him. (legend from the Mountain Club of Kenya Guide book).

We took the Marangu Route, which is the easiest and the most popular route for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. Sometimes known as the "Coca-cola" route, taken by approximately 90% of climbers. It offers walking on gentle forest and moorland paths up to 4700m. Above, scree leads to Gillman's Point on the often snowy crater rim which is followed to Uhuru Peak.

Each day gallery has the description of the route and my personal experiences. Please, enjoy and leave comments.

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