Lab 5: Slope of Land

Mount Kilimanjaro Treck

      Mount Kilimanjaro is infamous for its treacherous slopes and three dormant volcanoes cones: Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira. As the highest mountain in the world, it attracts the most rugged and daring of mountaineers, and not all make it out alive. There are seven official trekking routes up Kilimanjaro, with the Marangu route being the most accessible and widely traveled of them all. Nevertheless, only 42% of climbers are able to summit the mountain, even when traveling along this route. Many experience headaches, hypothermia, and shortage of breath due to the extremely high altitude of 19,341 feet above sea level. 

      The following image shows the direct path from the Marangu Hotel to the summit of Mount Kiimanjaro. The route is approximately 20 miles, and usually covered in five days by hikers. The elevation gain is 15,027 feet. 

This image was created using certain tools in Google Earth, including the elevation indicator, the "Add Path" tool to mark the route, and the "Add Placemark" tool to indicate the milage.

The following graph shows the elevation gain every two miles of the trek, from the Marangu Hotel to the summit of Kilimajaro:

 The following table shows the elevation gain every two miles of the trek:

Distance (miles)	Elevation (feet)
0	4,314
2	4,977
4	5,966
6	6,863
8	8,146
10	9,372
12	11,112
14	12,919
16	14,325
18	16,938
20	19,021