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Who was the first white person to climb Kilimanjaro?
Hans Meyer, Ludwig Purtscheller, and the complicated legacy of the 1889 ascent
The first Europeans to stand on the summit of Kilimanjaro were Hans Meyer (German) and Ludwig Purtscheller (Austrian) on October 6, 1889. But their achievement – while historic – sits within a wider story of colonialism, local resistance, and the invisible labour of African porters whose names were never recorded. This article separates myth from fact and honours everyone who made that first “white” ascent possible.
The men behind the record
Hans Meyer was a geographer from Leipzig, Germany, who had already attempted the mountain twice. In 1887, he reached 5,400 m (17,700 ft) but lacked proper ice gear. In 1888, he was taken hostage during the Abushiri rebellion and barely escaped with his life. Ludwig Purtscheller was an experienced Austrian mountaineer who had climbed extensively in the Alps. Meyer invited him to join the third attempt, and Purtscheller’s technical skills proved decisive.
The unsung African heroes
The expedition included over 80 porters, cooks, and guides, many of them Chagga and Maasai. The most notable was Chief Mansur (also known as Mangi Rindi), who provided protection and logistical support. A porter named Kinyala is believed to have reached the summit alongside Meyer and Purtscheller – making him the first African to stand on the roof of Africa, though history rarely mentions him. The porters carried heavy loads, built camps, and navigated the treacherous glacier sections without crampons or modern ropes.
Why “white person” is a loaded term
In the colonial era, the media celebrated Meyer and Purtscheller as “the first men to conquer Kilimanjaro”, completely erasing the Africans who were integral to the success. However, there is strong oral evidence that Chagga warriors may have reached the snowline – and possibly the summit – centuries earlier. Still, because no written European record exists, official records credit Meyer and Purtscheller as the first documented climbers, which by default makes them the first “white” climbers in the historical archive.
Their route and equipment
They followed what is now the Marangu route, but their itinerary took much longer – about 16 days from the mountain’s base to the summit. They used hobnailed leather boots, woollen clothing, canvas tents, and iron alpenstocks (early ice axes). They carried no advanced weather forecasting, no GPS, and no bottled oxygen. The fact that they survived, let alone succeeded, is a testament to their resilience – and to the skill of their African support team.
After the summit
Meyer returned to Germany and became a celebrated explorer. He wrote a bestselling book, “Across East Africa”, which inspired many future climbers. Purtscheller went back to the Alps and died in a climbing accident in 1900. The peak they summited was originally called Kaiser-Wilhelm-Spitze after the German emperor. After Tanzania’s independence in 1961, it was renamed Uhuru Peak (Freedom Peak).
First white woman to climb Kilimanjaro
The first white woman to reach the summit was Sheila MacDonald (British) in 1927. She climbed with her husband, and the expedition was heavily publicised, challenging the notion that women couldn’t endure high‑altitude cold. Today, more women than men attempt Kilimanjaro, and many succeed.
Other notable early white ascents
- 1861 – Baron von der Decken (German) reaches 4,300 m, turns back.
- 1887 – Hans Meyer’s first attempt (5,400 m).
- 1889 – Meyer & Purtscheller (summit).
- 1899 – First repeat ascent by British army officer.
- 1914 – First ascent via the Western Breach (harder route).