Tourist Attraction
Even so, it would be another 25 years before any European reached the summit of Mawenzi. This climb was more more technically demanding, but it was completed in 1912 by Germans Fritz Klute and Eduard Oehler. Since then, adventurers from all over the world have been to Kilimanjaro to attempt to climb Africa's tallest peak, making it one of the most popular tourist attractions.
Highest Free-Standing Mountain
Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa and the world's highest single free-standing mountain above sea level, standing at over 19,000 feet. Its height explains why, although being in the tropics and close to the Equator, it is covered in snow and glaciers. Temperatures on Kilimanjaro's slopes and summit can drop to -20°F at night. Despite the freezing weather, the ice fields on top of the mountain have shrunk.