Mountain History
First Person to Climb Kilimanjaro
Two men reached the summit of Africa's highest peak on October 6, 1889 — and for the first time, the mystery of Kilimanjaro was gone.
First Ascent — Key Facts
Oct 6, 1889
Date of First Summit
Hans Meyer
Expedition Leader
Ludwig Purtscheller
Co-First Ascender
Marangu Route
Path to the Summit
The first confirmed ascent of Kilimanjaro was October 6, 1889 — when German mountaineer Hans Meyer and Austrian climber Ludwig Purtscheller stood at Uhuru Peak and became the first people in recorded history to reach the summit of Africa's highest mountain.
Standing at 5,895m on that plateau of ice and snow, they could see over 300km in every direction. The mountain they had heard about for decades — the snow on the equator, the mystery that geographers had debated for centuries — was now behind them. This is the story of how two men did what no European had managed in 43 years of trying.
Uhuru Peak at 5,895m — the summit Hans Meyer and Ludwig Purtscheller first confirmed on October 6, 1889.
43 Years of Failed Attempts
The published record of attempts to climb Kilimanjaro begins in 1846, but explorers had been writing about the mountain since the 1600s. None of them reached the summit.
Early Explorer Accounts
European missionaries and geographers began documenting Kilimanjaro in the mid-19th century. The mountain's snow-capped summit was confirmed as real by several independent observers, but no expedition was organized specifically to climb it.
Wilhelm Johannes Thumb
A German missionary who travelled extensively in Chaggaland and was one of the first Europeans to describe the mountain's appearance accurately. He did not attempt an ascent.
Baron Karl von der Decken
German geographer Baron Karl von der Decken attempted the first serious ascent with a team of 10 men. They reached approximately 4,000m before being turned back by hostile conditions. It was the highest altitude any European had reached on the mountain at that point.
Franz Steven
A German missionary who reached the upper slopes and made detailed observations of the glaciers, but was forced to turn back before the summit due to altitude sickness among his party.
Hans Meyer — First Attempt
Hans Meyer, a 23-year-old German geographer and mountaineer, made his first attempt on the mountain. He reached approximately 4,500m — the Snowfields of Rebmann — before being forced back by inadequate equipment and insufficient acclimatization.
Hans Meyer — Second Attempt
Meyer returned better equipped and better acclimatized, reaching above 5,000m before his expedition was robbed near the base of the mountain. The political situation had deteriorated following the Berlin Conference. He returned to Germany with critical knowledge of the upper route.
The 1889 Expedition — “We Had Reached the Summit”
“At 11 o'clock in the morning, we arrived at the very summit of the volcano. We had reached the highest point in Africa.”
— Hans Meyer, From My Life and Travels, 1892
By 1889, Hans Meyer had spent two years preparing. He had studied altitude physiology, tested equipment at high altitude in the Alps, and most importantly, had built a relationship with a network of Chaga guides and porters in the foothills. He recruited Ludwig Purtscheller, a renowned Austrian mountaineer and alpine guide who had climbed extensively in the Himalayas and Alps.
The 1889 expedition comprised approximately 60 people — a large party by alpine standards, but necessary for the logistical challenge of carrying weeks of supplies above 4,000m. The team included Chaga guides who knew the terrain, porters for the lower slopes, and cook staff for the base camps.
The Final Push
Meyer and Purtscheller left camp at 4,000m with a small team of Chaga guides for the final ascent. The last 1,000m of altitude gain took over 6 hours of slow, deliberate climbing.
The Summit
At 11am on October 6, 1889, they stood on a flat plateau of ice and snow at 5,895m. The view extended over 300km in every direction. Meyer documented the exact coordinates and the condition of the summit glaciers.
The Descent
The descent to the Kibo crater rim took 4 hours. They reached base camp at 3,700m after 14 hours of continuous travel — a brutal pace by modern standards.
The Chaga Perspective
The Chaga people had lived on Kilimanjaro's slopes for over 1,000 years before Meyer's ascent. Chaga hunters regularly climbed to high altitudes to hunt eland and other game. The mountain's Chaga name — Kipoo — referred specifically to the mountain's upper zones. Chaga guides made the 1889 ascent possible: their knowledge of water sources, camp locations, weather patterns, and route-finding above the tree line was indispensable.
The relationship between the Chaga people and the mountain is layered with centuries of cultural significance that European climbing history does not fully capture.
The End of Mystery
Before 1889, Kilimanjaro was one of the great geographical mysteries of the world — a snow-capped mountain on the equator that Europeans could see but not reach. Meyer's expedition resolved the debate over whether the summit was accessible.
Within 20 years, multiple expeditions had visited the summit. By the 1960s, the first commercial climbs were operating. Today, over 50,000 people attempt Kilimanjaro annually.
How Summit Night Has Changed — And Hasn't
The physical experience of climbing Kilimanjaro has changed enormously since 1889 — and yet the core of it remains identical. Standing at Uhuru Peak in 2026 feels fundamentally the same as it did for Meyer and Purtscheller in 1889. The altitude. The cold. The scale of what is around you.
| Element | 1889 (First Ascent) | 2026 (Modern Climb) |
|---|---|---|
| Summit altitude | 5,895m | 5,895m |
| Final push start time | 4:00am | 11pm–1am |
| Time to summit | 7 hours from camp | 6–8 hours from camp |
| Technical difficulty | Low (glacial walking) | Low (glacial walking) |
| Main danger | Altitude + exhaustion | Altitude + cold |
| Expedition size | ~60 people | 12–20 people on group climbs |
| Success rate | Unknown (2 of ~60 reached summit) | 65–95% depending on operator |
What Meyer Got Wrong
Historical accounts of the first ascent are remarkable for what they missed. Meyer described the summit of Kilimanjaro as being approximately 6,000m — he overestimated the height by over 100m. He also described the summit glaciers as being in a state of expansion, when satellite measurements have since confirmed they have retreated by approximately 85% since 1889.
The Furtwängler Glacier, which Meyer would have walked past on the summit approach, had collapsed by the 2010s. The mountain that Meyer climbed is measurably different from the one modern climbers experience — smaller, less glaciated, warmer.
The First Ascent in Numbers
43
Years of failed attempts
3
Meyer attempts (1887–89)
60
Porters on 1889 expedition
5,895m
Summit altitude (confirmed)
Why 1889 Still Matters — And Why Your Climb Is Different
You will not repeat the confusion that defined early attempts. You will not wonder if the summit is real, or whether the ice is a mirage, or whether the path exists. You will walk a marked trail with a team that has done this hundreds of times. The mountain is no longer unknown — it is a managed, studied, and refined climbing experience. What has not changed is the scale of it: 5,895m, 40% less oxygen than sea level, and a 6-8 hour ascent in the dark, in the cold, to the highest point in Africa.
The Modern Difference
Every guide is certified by Kilimanjaro National Park and has summited this mountain 50+ times
Itineraries built around the climb profile that produces the highest summit success rates
Purpose-built altitude clothing, sleeping systems rated to -25C, and modern navigation
95% summit success across all routes — tracked and published annually
95%
Summit success rate
across all routes
Follow in Their Footsteps
The Marangu route that Meyer and Purtscheller pioneered in 1889 remains the most popular path to Kilimanjaro's summit today. The same trail. The same altitude. The same cold at midnight. What has changed is everything we know about how to get you to the top safely.
138 years of accumulated climbing knowledge — acclimatization schedules tested on thousands of summiteers, gear designed for altitude, local guides who know every meter of the trail — stands between you and the roof of Africa. You still have to walk it yourself. But you will not walk it blind.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was the first person to climb Kilimanjaro?
German mountaineer Hans Meyer and Austrian climber Ludwig Purtscheller made the first confirmed ascent on October 6, 1889, reaching Uhuru Peak via what is now the Marangu route. They were the first Europeans to definitively document reaching the summit of Africa's highest mountain.
How many attempts were made before the first successful ascent?
At least seven documented European attempts were made between 1846 and 1888 before Meyer's successful ascent. Earlier explorers reached various altitudes but none confirmed reaching the summit. Meyer himself attempted twice before succeeding in 1889.
What route was used for the first ascent?
The first ascent used what is now known as the Marangu route — the same path that over 15,000 climbers take annually. The route follows the southeastern slope, ascending through forest, moorland, and alpine desert before the final push to Uhuru Peak.
Did local Chaga people climb Kilimanjaro before Europeans?
The Chaga people, who have lived on Kilimanjaro's slopes for over 1,000 years, almost certainly ascended the mountain before Europeans. Chaga hunters regularly climbed to high altitudes. However, no written record exists of pre-colonial Chaga ascents — the first documented climb is European.
How has the mountain changed since the first ascent?
The most significant change is glacial retreat. The summit glaciers have shrunk by approximately 85% since 1889. The Furtwangler Glacier that Meyer walked past has collapsed entirely. Despite climate change, the climbing experience remains fundamentally similar — the altitude, cold, and physical challenge are unchanged.
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