Standing 19,341 feet above sea level, Mount Kilimanjaro is both the highest mountain in Africa and the highest single free-standing mountain above sea level on Earth.

A few years ago, I traveled to Tanzania to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. When I did, I was required to have a licensed guide for the climb because it is illegal to climb Mount Kilimanjaro without one. This makes sense. Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is dangerous, with estimates suggesting that roughly a dozen people die climbing the mountain each year, and 1,000 more require medical attention or to be rescued during their climbs.