Epic Hikes of the World ( PDFDrive )

THE FALLING SNOWS OF KILIMANJARO
In 1849 Swiss-German missionary Johannes Rebmann became the first European to
see Kilimanjaro. When he sent back reports of snow on the equator, scholars
sneered; the president of the Royal Geographical Society declared it ‘a great
degree incredulous’. But he was right. And Kilimanjaro, which sits just 3° south of
the earth’s middle, is still topped by glaciers – just. Between 1912 and 1989, the ice
cover decreased by 75%. Some scientists predict that it could be gone by 2030.
Uday Kiran Medisetty | 500px
above the clouds at Shira Camp
Thankfully, it was a beautiful night; freezing cold but windless, dry and starspangled.
At around midnight we joined the procession of head-torches curling up
the mountain, falling into a steady robotic trudge. All was quiet save for the guides,
who showed off by belting out pop songs. I wished I had the breath to sing; I