| Mount Kilimanjaro is one of the most easily climbed | | | | became the first woman to conquer the Kibo peak. |
| peaks in the world. This is due to many factors - | | | | However, historians have also argued that Gertrude |
| 1. Its relatively smooth and steep slopes, best to | | | | Emily Benham, a noted mountaineer and traveler, |
| prevent acclimatization | | | | successfully climbed the Kibo peak in 1909, five years |
| 2. Its convenient height - not too high | | | | before Frau von Ruckteschell. This aspect of the |
| 3. The absence of frequent landslides, except directly | | | | Kilimanjaro's history still remains somewhat shrouded |
| near the Kibo peak | | | | in mystery. |
| As a result, many thousands have scaled the | | | | Without a doubt, though, the youngest person to |
| Kilimanjaro since its peak was first conquered in 1887. | | | | climb the Kilimanjaro did so at the astonishingly young |
| Taking stock of everyone who has successfully | | | | age of 7. This was a young boy named Keats Boyd, |
| performed the feat is impossible. | | | | who has accomplished this as recently as January |
| However, there have been many notable incidents | | | | 2008, coming all the way from Los Angeles to do so. |
| related to scaling the Kilimanjaro. | | | | By contrast, the oldest person to perform this feat is |
| The first successful expedition to scale the | | | | definitely Valtee Daniel, aged 87 at the time. |
| Kilimanjaro was the 4th trip made for the purpose. | | | | However, the name in the Guinness Book for this |
| The achievement belongs to Hans Meyer, who scaled | | | | record is not Daniel's, but that of one Carl Haupff, |
| the Kibo peak in 1887 after three thwarted attempts | | | | who was aged 79 when he scaled the peak. The |
| over the previous forty years. In 1889, Hans Meyer | | | | reasons for this omission are not clear. |
| repeated this feat, taking with him Ludwig | | | | 2001 saw the beginning of the speed demons on the |
| Purtscheller and about 60 porters. This time, Meyer | | | | Kilimanjaro. An Italian named Bruno Brunod sprinted |
| named the Kibo's summer "Kaiser Wilhem Spitze" - a | | | | up to Uhuru peak from Marangu gate, taking just 5hr, |
| name that Tanzanians were forced to accept as the | | | | 38 min 40 sec. Some other claims of faster times |
| country was then a German colony. | | | | remain unverified, for example Sean Burch's reported |
| 1912 saw a German duo, Oehler and Klute, scaling the | | | | time of 5:28, or Christian Stangl's 5:36. After breaking |
| Mawenzi peak - a feat Meyer had not achieved. In a | | | | the record for ascending the Kilimanjaro, Brunod |
| "tribute" that sounds somewhat back-handed, they | | | | clearly chose not to rest on his laurels, for he |
| named the Mawenzi peak the "Hans Meyer Peak". | | | | sprinted down in mountain in another 2 hours, 50 |
| In 1914, Frau von Ruckteschell, again a German, | | | | minutes 12 seconds. |