IKilimanjaro. Igama ngokwalo liyimfihlakalo egoqwe emafwini. Lingase lisho iNtaba Yokukhanya, iNtaba Yobukhulu noma iNtaba YamaKharavani. Noma lingase lingabi njalo. Abantu bendawo, ama-wachagga, abanalo ngisho negama lalo lonke leli gquma, kodwa yiKipoo (manje eyaziwa ngokuthi iKibo) kuphela ngentaba edumile eneqhwa emi endaweni yobukhosi, umqondisi wezwekazi, ingqopha-mlando ye-Afrika.
IKilimanjaro, noma yiliphi igama, iyisifaniso sobuhle obukhangayo baseMpumalanga Afrika. Uma uyibona, uyaqonda ukuthi kungani. Akuyona nje kuphela le ntaba ephakeme kunazo zonke ezwekazini lase-Afrika; futhi iyintaba ende kunazo zonke ezizimele emhlabeni, ekhuphuka ngokuhlukile endaweni ephakeme yase-savannah ezungezile engaba amamitha angu-900 - ibe yi-MASL engamamitha angu-5,895 (19,336 feet).
IKilimanjaro ingenye yeziqongo eziphakeme ezifinyeleleka kakhulu emhlabeni, isibani sezivakashi ezivela emhlabeni wonke. Iningi labakhuphuka izintaba lifika onqenqemeni lwentaba-mlilo bephethe induku yokuhamba, izingubo ezifanele kanye nokuzimisela. Futhi labo abafika e-Uhuru Point, okuyiyona ntaba-mlilo yangempela, iStella Point noma iGillman's Point onqenqemeni lwentaba-mlilo, bazobe sebethole izitifiketi zabo zokukhuphuka intaba-mlilo. Kanye nezinkumbulo zabo.
Kodwa kunokuningi kakhulu eKilimanjaro kunesiqongo sayo. Ukukhuphuka kwemithambeka kuwuhambo olubonakalayo lwezwe, kusukela ezindaweni ezishisayo kuya e-Arctic. Ngisho nangaphambi kokuba uwele umngcele wepaki kazwelonke (cishe ngamamitha angu-2700), imithambeka yezinyawo ezitshaliwe inika indawo ihlathi eliluhlaza lezintaba, elihlalwa yizindlovu ezingatholakali kalula, ingwe, inyathi, i-abbot's duiker esengozini yokuqothulwa, kanye nezinye izinyamazane ezincane nezinkawu. Kusekhona indawo ephakeme kakhulu, lapho isembozo se-giant heather sigcwele ezinye i-lobelias ezinkulu zomhlaba. Ngaphezulu kwamamitha angu-4,000, ugwadule lwase-alpine olungavamile lusekela ukuphila okuncane ngaphandle kwe-mosses ezimbalwa eziqinile kanye ne-lichen. Bese kuthi, ekugcineni, izitshalo zokugcina ezingenalutho zinika indawo yezwe elimangalisayo lasebusika elineqhwa neqhwa - kanye nobuhle obuhle bophahla lwezwekazi.
