GreatOutdoors.com has posted an update to their Planet Ice Project page, this time with a look at the vanishing ice on Kilimanjaro.

You may recall that the Planet Ice Project is the brain child of writer and photographer James Martin, who is traveling to various places around the globe over the next two years, to check the health of glaciers and polar ice caps. He hopes to write a book and photo essay on the impact of global warming on some of these iconic ice fields.

In the case of Kili, there are some estimates that the famed "Snows of Kilimanjaro" may completely be gone by 2015. While I was there, some of the long time guides talked about how far the glacier use to reach down the mountain, and while it still appears to have a heavy snow cap, it is retreating at an alarming rate. If you want to see snow on the top of Kilimanjaro, you may want to schedule that visit sooner than later.

It seems fitting that this is my 1000th post to The Adventure Blog, as announce that the blog is going to be on a two week hiatus following this post. Tomorrow, March 31st, I'll be heading off to Tanzania to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro and then take in a Safari. This has been one of my dream trips for some time, and I'm greatly looking forward to the break, and the adventure.

I fully intend to take a lot of pictures, and blog the whole experience when I get back, but in the mean time, I'll have very limited Internet access so you'll just have to wait until my return on April 14th to resume my regular blog schedule. I promise to share the fun when I get home though. :)

I'm doing both the climb and the safari with Duma Explorer and I can highly recommend them so far. Through every step of the process they have been very helpful and patient, answering all kinds of questions, and responding to my needs when called upon. I expect that same level of service will continue when I arrive in Tanzania, as they have been a joy to work with so far. If you're planning a trip to Africa soon, you'll definitely want to give them a look.

Wish me luck on my climb. I hope to report back with a successful summit. This will be the highest altitude that I've ever been, and while we talk about 8000m peaks around here quite regularly, this will be a nice challenge and personal goal for me. I'll be back soon. Everyone be safe!

What could be better than a timelapse of an incredibly starry night? How about a timelapse of an incredible starry night over one of my favorite places. In this case, Kilimanjaro – the tallest mountain in Africa. The mountain makes a dramatic backdrop as the celestial light show plays out over head. Quite beautiful. I hope you enjoy.

A Starry Night of Mt.Kilimanjaro from kwon, o chul on Vimeo.

There have been some dire predictions about the snows of Kilimanjaro and how soon they would disappear forever. Global warming has caused them to retreat in recent years, and some reports have said that they could be completely gone by as early as 2015.

In stark contrast to these reports, a new US-Austrian joint team are stating that the snows on the slopes of the mountain will last another 30-40 years, and that the glacier itself may last indefinitely. The team came to this conclusion following seven years of measurements on the mountain itself according to NationalGeographic.com

This is good news for anyone who hopes to climb the mountain in the near future, and for the tourism industry in Tanzania. The Kilimanjaro is a big draw, and an important part of the economy there. But most of all, it's great news for the environment as well, as much of the fresh water found around the mountain is due to glacial run off.