The coldest erupting lava in the world is the natrocarbonatite lava of the volcano Oldoinyo Lengai, Tanzania that erupts at temperatures of 500-600°C (930-1,110 °F). Common basaltic lavas erupt at temperatures between 1,100 and 1,200°C (2,010-2,190 °F). Oldoinyo Lengai is the only active carbonatite volcano on Earth. The bizarre carbonatite lavas look rather like molten chocolate upon eruption. It is extremely runny and has the lowest viscosity of any lava. Upon cooling it turns white in colour.
The fastest ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro on crutches is 4 days 20 hours 30 minutes and was achieved by John Sandford Hart (UK) from 24 to 29 October 2009. They left camp at 9.45 am on the 24th of October arrived at the summit (Uhuru) on October 29th at 6.15 am.
Gerard Bavato (France) ran the 34 km (21.1 miles) from the base to the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro in a time of 5 hr 26 min 40 sec, on 26 October 2007.
The fastest solo unsupported ascent-descent of Mount Kilimanjaro was completed in a time of 9:21.47, by Simon Mtuy (Tanzania) on 22 Feb 2006. Mtuy started at the Umbwe entrance gate to Kilimanjaro National Park at 1,661 meters, ran up the Umbwe Route to Uhuru Peak at 5,895 meters and descended via the Mweka Route to the Mweka Gate.
In Tanzania, Africa, rats are being trained by a Dutch Non Governmental Organisation (APOPO) to sniff out landmines, having already been used successfully in Mozambique for this purpose. Out of nearly 2,000 species in the order of rodents, the Giant African Pouched Rat (Cricetomys gambianus), is the favoured animal, as it is found everywhere in sub-Saharan Africa and is resilient to most tropical diseases. They are a cost effective and efficient way of undertaking what is otherwise a highly dangerous task for human operatives. The
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The oldest man to climb Mount Kilimanjaro is Richard Byerley (USA, b. 26 Mar 1927), who reached the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, aged 84 years 71 days, on 6 October 2011. The farmer from Washington, USA, began scaling the mountain on 2 October 2011 at noon through Machame Route, accompanied by his grand children, Bren, aged 24, and Annie, aged 29, who also conquered Kilimanjaro, and reached Africa’s highest peak on 6 October 2011 at 6:15 a.m.