KILIMANJARO RECORDS
Kilimanjaro Records of ascent and descent have been set in the previous Years and are still being Set by other upcoming trekkers. Old women of upto age 86 year -Angela Vorobeva have successfully climbed to summit setting records for the season 2015. Others include; Kyle Maynard – the limbless climber, Kilian Jornet – he run up to summit in just 6 hours and 42 minutes in August 2014.
FIRST ASCENT
German geologist, Hans Meyer, Ludwig Purtscheller and a local called Lauwo were the first people to summit Mount Kilimanjaro in October 1889.
However, it is possible that Kilimanjaro’s summit was reached by locals prior to Hans Meyer, but was never recorded.
FASTEST ASCENT
The fastest ascent and descent of Mount Kilimanjaro is held by Swiss mountain runner, Karl Egloff, who ran to the top the summit and back in 6 hours and 42 minutes in August 2014. This incredible feat beat the previous record which was help by Spanish mountain runner, Kilian Jornet and set in September 2010. At the time, the Spaniard was 22 years old. He reached the summit in a record time of 5 hours, 23 minutes and 50 seconds – beating the previous ascent record from Kazakh mountain runner, Andrew Puchinin, by one minute! He then ran back down for a total round-trip time of 7 hours and 14 minutes, beating the previous round-trip record set by local Tanzanian guide Simon Mtuy of 9 hours and 21 minutes!
Check out this awesome video of Kilian Jornet’s record ascent of Kilimanjaro.
The fastest ascent by a women is held by German born Anne-Marie Flammersfeld, who in July 2015 climbed to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro in 8 Hrs 32 Minutes, smashing the previous record held by Becky Shuttleworth by over 3 hours. In total it took Flammersfeld 12 hours 58 minutes to ascend and descend, breaking the record 18 hour 31 minute record set by Debbie Bachmann. Read more about Anne-Marie’s record.
YOUNGEST AND OLDEST PEOPLE TO SUCCESSFULLY SUMMIT KILIMANJARO
The youngest person to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro is Keats Boyd, at the tender age of 7 years old. The Los Angeles resident reached the summit on the 21st January 2008 – an incredible achievement made even more impressive as he somehow managed to dodge the minimum age rule for young climbers (i.e. 10 years or older).
The youngest British person ever to climb Kilimanjaro is Zain Akrim at 9 years of age on the 8th of August, 2015.
Richard Byerley was ‘officially’ the oldest person to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro. Byerley reached the summit in October 2010 at the ripe old age of 84 years and 71 days. However, his record was incredibly surpassed by Martin Kafer (85) and his wife Esther (84) in October 2012. The Canadian-Swiss couple now hold the record as the oldest man and oldest women to climb Kilimanjaro. Esther’s achievement surpassed the previous oldest woman to reach the summit, Bernice Bunn, who climbed to the Roof of Africa at age 83.
2014 Update: Robert Wheeler has now become the oldest person to climb Mount Kilimanjaro at age 85 and 201 days. He reached the summit on 2nd October 2014.
2015 Update: Angela Vorobeva (Russia, b. 4 February 1929) has now become the oldest person and women to reach the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, aged 86 years 267 days, on 29 October 2015. Read about Angela Vorobevas Kili Experience.
Nonetheless, there is some controversy around who is the oldest person to have reached the summit. Frenchman, Valtee Daniel, reached the summit at the age of 87; however, the climb was not independently verified and did not have sufficient documentation to be verified (i.e. logbook notes, photographs and film).
INCREDIBLE ASCENTS BY DISABLED PEOPLE
Wheelchair-bound South African, Bernard Goosen, scaled Mount Kilimanjaro in 2007, taking six days.
Kyle Maynard, who has no arms and legs, crawled unassisted to the top of Kilimanjaro in 2012. Watch this documentary about Kyle and his Kilimanjaro achievement – it’s amazing!!
