I leave this Wednesday for what will be an unbelievable experience - so here is what I'll be expecting of what Kilimanjaro looks like?

I leave this Wednesday for what will be an unbelievable experience - so here is what I'll be expecting of what Kilimanjaro looks like?

The summits of Kilimanjaro

The Kibo summit

Kilimanjaro is not only the highest mountain in Africa, it’s also one of the biggest volcanoes on Earth, covering an area of approximately 388,500 hectares.

Within this 388,500 - hectare area are three peaks..

The Kibo summit is my ultimate Goal

The Kibo summit is the best preserved crater on the mountain; its southern lip is slightly higher than the rest of the rim, and the highest point on this southern lip is known as Uhuru Peak. At 5895m, this is highest point in Africa and the goal of just about every Kilimanjaro trekker. We will hit this point on August 30. Kibo is also the only one of the three summits which is permanently covered in snow, thanks to the large glaciers that cover much of its surface.

Kibo is also the one peak that really does look like a volcanic crater; there are not one but three concentric craters on Kibo.

Within the inner Reusch Crater (1.3km in diameter) one can still see signs of volcanic activity, including fumaroles, the smell of sulphur and a third crater, the Ash Pit, 130m deep by 140m wide.

The outer, Kibo Crater (1.9 by 2.7km), is not a perfect, unbroken ring. There are gaps in the summit where the walls have been breached by lava flows; the most dramatic of these is the Western Breach.

The most important feature of Kibo, however, is that its slopes are gentle. This means, of course, although challenging, trekkers as well as mountaineers are able to reach the summit.

And we will see it very soon...........