Located in Tanzania, Kilimanjaro region in Moshi district, Mount Kilimanjaro is Africa’s tallest mountain at about 5,895 meters (19,340 feet). It is the largest free-standing mountain rise in the world, meaning it is not part of a mountain range, and the highest in africa.

For many years, the widely acknowledged height of Kilimanjaro stood at 5892 meters, a figure established by the colonial German authorities about five years after Meyer’s successful ascent. This number appeared repeatedly in numerous travel accounts of the twentieth century and on maps of the Kilimanjaro region before World War Two. At that time, not many individuals questioned this estimation; the few dissenting opinions typically came from climbers whose own estimates tended to be higher, ranging from 5930 meters to 5965 meters, and are now considered even less accurate than the German figure.

During British administration, the height was adjusted to 5895 meters based on the work of the Ordnance Survey cartographers who surveyed Kilimanjaro in 1952. This revised figure is displayed on the sign at the summit for trekkers who reach the top, on the certificates issued by KINAPA, and on the souvenir T-shirts available in Moshi.

The challenge, however, lay in the fact that while the Ordnance Survey’s methods and tools were cutting-edge in the 1950s, they were as outdated as the Ford Edsel and vinyl records. Technological advancements have progressed significantly since then. The Ordnance Survey’s measurements of Kilimanjaro were taken from a distance of over 55 kilometers, making it quite likely that their figure was not entirely precise.

In 1999, a team of experts from the University College of Land and Architectural Studies in Arusha, in collaboration with specialists from Karlsruhe University in Germany, embarked on a mission to accurately measure the altitude using GPS technology, previously employed on Everest. The outcome of their research in Africa revealed that Kilimanjaro was actually 2.5 meters lower than the traditionally accepted height, now at 5892.55 meters. In 2008 again it was measured to be 5,902m (19,364ft) and lastly in 2014 5,899m (19,354ft)

The question remains: is Kilimanjaro shrinking, or was the old estimate of 5895 meters simply incorrect? Regrettably, the scientists have not provided a definitive answer to this query. While they are confident in the accuracy of their latest findings, the official figure of 5895 meters persists and is widely cited by tour operators, guides, porters, and others. Until new information emerges, we will continue to use the figure of 5895 meters in this book as well.