Kilimanjaro Mountain Club By Peter Dignan

I was never aware of the Kilimanjaro Mountain Club (KMC) and its history until I came across the official journal of the club entitled The Ice Cap. Published in December 1966 by Tanzania Lithe Ltd, Arusha, the Ice Cap gives a unique insight into Kilimanjaro before it became a national park and long before it became popular for thousands of trekkers. rnThe KMC was formed around 1900 and existed in its original form until 1914 when it was disbanded. The club emerged again in 1929 under the name of the East African Mountain Club but the name changed once again in 1961 when local mountain clubs in Uganda and Kenya reformed and the club became known as the KMC once again. The KMC’s main purpose was the erection and management of huts on Kilimanjaro. They undertook this duty until Kilimanjaro was given National Park status in 1976. rnIn the KMC journal, The Ice Cap, there is a paragraph within the editorial about the creation of Kilimanjaro National Park. At first it was seen as a blessing for the KMC as it would relieve them of the responsibility of looking after the huts but at the same time they were also faced with the loss of the main source of income for the club. The editorial also mentions how Old Peters Hut was burnt down in 1964 and after being rebuilt was burnt down again in 1965. An interesting figure states that in 1939 a total of fifty-eight people climbed the Mountain to Old Peters Hut and five of them made the summit. The editorial then describes how the Mountain is becoming increasingly busier with only just approximately one thousand people having visiting it in 1965, compared with the 40,000 people that were recorded visiting Kilimanjaro in 2010. The number of visitors of yester year seems now unimaginable. rnThe Ice Cap is the fourth edition of the KMC journal. The first edition was published in 1936, the second edition in 1962, the third in 1964 and the fourth edition in 1966. The journal contains a list of members of the club, most of who come from Moshi, the local village of Kilimanjaro, but some come from as far afield as Switzerland and Cambridge. The journal also has some great articles about technical accents on Kilimanjaro and the flora and fauna on the mountain. rnThe KMC still exists but no longer takes on the role as guardian of the Mountain, anyone can join for a fee of $10 per year and the club information can be found at http://www.kiliweb.com/kmcrnFor those interested in the history of Kilimanjaro, ‘The Ice Cap’ is a great addition to any collection of Kilimanjaro memorabilia and a great insight into the long forgotten history of Kilimanjaro.