September 24, 2014
If you look at Kilimanjaro’s history, one tribe stands out as being intimately tied to the mountain: the Chagga. But the Chagga didn’t live around the foothills of Kili in isolation, and in fact, for several centuries, they weren’t a unified tribe at all. Much like their neighbors (and longtime adversaries) the Maasai, the Chagga…
July 30, 2014
Ancient knowledge of the world was spotty at best, and often based on many-times-removed hearsay. Historians and geographers often relied on muddled accounts, mythical tales that somehow made their way across the oceans, and when that failed them, their own imaginations. Some mix of the above produced the first tales of the “Mountains of the Moon,” fabled snow-capped peaks in East Africa that were thought to be the source of the Nile River.
July 23, 2014
We often talk about how the Chagga people have traditionally lived on and around the slopes of Kilimanjaro. But they haven’t always lived there; according to their own oral traditions, their people either sought out, or were driven towards, the fertile slopes of Kilimanjaro around 1500 AD, where they’ve remained ever since.
June 11, 2014
We often talk about Kilimanjaro as though it’s a single mountain, but in fact, it’s made up of three separate volcanic cones. And when we say separate, we mean separate—the summits of Kibo and Mawenzi are around 7.5 miles apart! As for so many of the mountain’s most recognizable features (like Mawenzi’s jagged top), the Chagga people have a folktale that explains why the two peaks are separated.
June 4, 2014
As far back as you can go, cultures around the world have traditionally believed in some sort of life after death. Often, there are two possible ends, and where you wind up is determined by your actions on Earth. The Greeks imagined the souls of their heroes enduring forever in the paradisiacal Elysian Fields, while…
May 21, 2014
Chickpea fritters are one of our trekkers’ favorite dishes Photo: Thomson Safaris staffer, Amy Czarnecki There’s one very obvious “high-point” of any Kilimanjaro trek (here’s a hint, it starts with a “U” and ends with “huru Peak”), but many of our guests rave about another experience on the mountain: the food! We got in touch with…
April 16, 2014
For years, the Chagga have called Kilimanjaro home, and one of their staple crops has always been bananas. In this hearty stew, they play a starring role; give it a try in your own kitchen—it will be like a taste of the mountain’s history at home!
March 19, 2014
Many trekkers know of Kilimanjaro’s fiery past; the three peaks—Shira, Mawenzi, and Kibo—were once all active volcanoes. Over thousands upon thousands of years, they erupted continually, building the mountain ever-higher, until one by one they went extinct: first Shira sputtered out, then Mawenzi. Kibo, ever the overachiever of the bunch, decided to keep its options more open; the tallest of Kili’s peaks is considered dormant, but not dead.
September 18, 2013
Hans Meyer was the first European to reach the summit of Kili, in 1889, but he certainly wasn’t the first to try. Before his successful summit, a string of daring adventurers attempted the climb, starting with…
August 21, 2013
In 1889, Tanzanian, Yohana Kinyala Lauwo led Hans Meyer to fame as the first person to summit Mount Kilimanjaro. Lauwo’s grandson follows in his footsteps and is now a head Kilimanjaro guide for Thomson Safaris!