tagged w/ Kilimanjaro
-
-
The snows of Mount Kilimanjaro – the highest mountain in Africa – may soon be falling on bare ground following a study showing that its ice cap is destined to disappear entirely within 20 years, due largely to climate change.
The vast ice fields of Kilimanjaro in Tanzania are melting at a faster pace than at any time over the past 100 years and at this rate they will be gone completely within two decades or even earlier according to one of the world's leading glaciologists.
A team led by Professor Lonnie Thompson of Ohio State University said that the latest assessment of Kilimanjaro's famous ice cap has confirmed that 85 per cent of the ice that covered the mountain in 1912 has been lost, and 26 per cent of the ice that was there in 2000 is now gone.
[more at link]
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/climate-change-will-melt-snows-of-kilimanjaro-within-20-years-1813631.htmlThe snows of Mount Kilimanjaro – the highest mountain in Africa – may soon... more
-
-
Each year, nearly ten thousand tourists travel to Tanzanias Kilimanjaro National Park to summit the worlds tallest freestanding mountain. The journey from the base to the summit can take up to a week of navigating dangerous conditions, from rock slides to freezing temperatures and altitude sickness. There are no facilities on the mountain, so each climbing team is responsible for supplying its own food, shelter, and safety equipment. As most climbers on Kilimanjaro are amateurs, the National Parks mandates that each climber is accompanied by at least one porter to help carry these essentials. It also has guidelines for a minimum daily wage, the maximum weight each porter can carry, and the type of equipment each porter should be outfitted with.
Porters are primarily local villagers from the slopes of Kilimanjaro who can earn a living wage working on the mountain. However, because they are usually uneducated and have little or no other means to earn a living, they are regularly exploited by the tour operators who employ them. The porters are often poorly fed, given no warm or waterproof clothing, and according to National Parks guidelines, are grossly underpaid and made to carry loads far heavier than is regulated. Porters are regularly injured due to the poor working conditions and each year porters die working on the mountain.
In most cases, tourists interact solely with their climbing guides and have little to no interaction with the porters themselves. Therefore, they are almost completely unaware of these exploitations even whilst on the mountain. 'Porters of Kilimanjaro' hopes to directly improve the living and working conditions of the porters who help thousands of tourists summit Kilimanjaro each year by empowering tourists to make an informed decision when choosing a tour operator. Porters are employed by an unregulated group of tour operators, of which only a handful practice proper porter treatment as mandated by Kilimanjaro National Parks.
To learn more about how to climb Kilimanjaro responsibly go to http://www.kiliporters.org.
---------------------------------------- ----
Directed, Filmed and Edited by:
Ryan Miller and Jessica Reynolds
Composer:
Kerry Muzzey
Audio Mix:
Hobo Audio
Color Correct:
Juantxo Royo
With many thanks to:
Tanzania Journeys
Marangu Hotel
Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project
John Pallangyo
Philip MbiseEach year, nearly ten thousand tourists travel to Tanzanias Kilimanjaro National Park... more
-
-
Russian billionaire and Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has abandoned his dream of conquering Mount Kilimanjaro after collapsing over 4000ft from the summit (wuss).
The 43 year old Russian, who was supposedly once hunted by a hitman, experienced breathing problems at around 15,000ft.
It makes it even more embarrassing that Cheryl Cole and Chris Moyles managed to climb the mountain and raise £1.4m for comic relief, when it is rumored that Abramovich flew him and his climbing party in his private boeing 737 and also took 113 porters on the climb with him.
Come on now, if Chris Moyles can do it anyone can.Russian billionaire and Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has abandoned his dream of... more
-
