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Mt Kilimanjaro-- Photos by Others
This photo was taken by Kyle Mijlof from an airplane. The date is uncertain, but it appears to have been posted on his web site in March 2012: (http://kylemijlof.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/blog-post.html : accessed 28 Jan 2013). The original blog post containing this photo seems to have been modified in June 2012 to incorporate a second version of the photo.
These last three photos all seem to me to indicate more snow on the sides of the mountain than in October 2012, when I visited. However, it may be difficult to judge what the snow cover on the side of a mountain would look like from a photo taken from above. Also, it is possible the various faces (sides) of the mountain may get different amounts of snow.
My understanding is that to go to the summit is a hike (but not an easy hike). It is not a “technical climb” that requires experience using ropes, ice axes, etc. Apparently the only way it is possible to hike on the mountain is with an organized party (guide, porters, etc.). The trip to the summit (and back) takes 7-10 days (with the longer duration allowing more time for altitude acclimatization). Information on the internet suggests a 7-10-day excursion to the summit would cost roughly the same as the about-3-week trip that I took.
