Swiss complete balloon flight over Kilimanjaro

After two aborted attempts, a research team from Fribourg University has taken its first hot air balloon flight over Kilimanjaro to collect data on climate change.

The team, which includes mineralogists Mario Meier and Daniel Wiedenmann, drifted up to 5,500m and crossed over the massif but were unable to fly directly over the summit after winds pushed the balloon toward the south.

Kilimanjaro rises to 5,895 metres above sea level and is Africa’s highest peak.

“The landing was very impressive,” Meier said in a statement. “Suddenly people appeared out of nowhere to welcome and congratulate us.”

The scientists brought along equipment to measure fine particles in the air. The material gathered will be studied back in Fribourg to help researchers better understand how volcanoes influence climate change. It is the first time such research has been conducted from a hot air balloon.

Kilimanjaro, which soars over the plains of northeast Tanzania, holds several eruption centres and is covered by a rapidly shrinking ice cap. In the early 1900s the cap covered 12 square kilometres. Today it measures just 2.5 square kilometres. It is expected to disappear completely during the next 100 years.

On Sunday the team plans to fly near another volcano, Ol Doinyo Lengai, about 100 kilometres northwest of Kilimanjaro. The scientists say a flight directly over the summit will be too dangerous because of volcanic activity.

swissinfo.ch