VISTAPLAN ARAND - CHARITY CLIMB

Continuing the Charity activities undertaken by Vistaplan Arand staff, Chris Shannon's partner Denise is climbing Mount Kilimanjaro all this week (6 to 12 December 2010) for The charity Laureus, she is doing this with a number of other climbers and sports personalities that include Martina Navratilova, Michael Tauber, Gail Emms.

Kilimanjaro is the highest free standing mountain in the world at 20,000 feet and climbers can suffer extreme of temperature ranges of +30 to -30 as well as severe altitude sickness.

On day two (Tuesday 7 December) she was at Mandara Huts which is at 2720 meters.

Martina is doing a daily Blog on the Laureus website www.laureus.com and you can follow the team's progress. If you think it’s a good cause you can also sponsor Denise at www.justgiving.com/Denise-Larrad   

Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa and fourth highest of the Seven Summits. It is the tallest freestanding mountain in the world, with Uhuru Peak rising to an altitude of 5,895 metres (19,341 feet) AMSL (Above Mean Sea Level).

Kilimanjaro is composed of three distinct volcanic cones: Kibo 5,895 metres (19,341 feet); Mawenzi 5,149 metres (16,893 feet); and Shira 3,962 metres (13,000 feet). Uhuru Peak is the highest summit on Kibo's crater rim.

Kilimanjaro is a giant stratovolcano that began forming a million years ago, when lava spilled from the Rift Valley zone. Two of its three peaks, Mawenzi and Shira, are extinct while Kibo (the highest peak) is dormant and could erupt again. The last major eruption has been dated to 360,000 years ago, while the most recent activity was recorded just 200 years ago.

Although it is dormant, Kilimanjaro has fumaroles that emit gas in the crater on the main summit of Kibo. Scientists concluded in 2003 that molten magma is just 400 metres (1,310 feet) below the summit crater. Several collapses and landslides have occurred on Kibo in the past, one creating the area known as the Western Breach.

Photograph and text from WikiPedia