Kilimanjaro National Park

Kilimanjaro rises alone from the plains near Moshi to 5,895 metres at Uhuru Peak, the highest point in Africa and the tallest free-standing mountain in the world. You need no ropes or technical skills to reach the top. You do need good boots, warm layers, a steady pace and time to adjust to the altitude.

Climbing it is like walking from the equator to the Arctic in a week. The trail starts in montane rainforest, home to black-and-white colobus and blue monkeys, then climbs into heath and moorland with giant heather, giant lobelias and groundsels. Above about 4,000 metres comes the stony alpine desert, and finally the summit zone of snow and glacier ice.

We climb Kilimanjaro by several routes, including Machame, Lemosho, Marangu and Rongai, each with its own scenery and pace. The lower slopes are Chagga country too: villages such as Materuni, with banana and coffee gardens and a tall waterfall, make an easy day out before or after your climb.