Kersten Glacier

The Kersten Glacier is one of the most prominent glaciers on the southern face of Kibo, Mount Kilimanjaro’s highest cone. Descending steeply from the Southern Ice Field, it is one of the dramatic ice cliffs that climbers see on their final approach to the summit — and, on its steepest sections, a place of genuine technical mountaineering high above the plains of Tanzania.

Named for an early European explorer of the mountain, the Kersten Glacier combines Kilimanjaro’s exploration history with some of its most spectacular ice scenery.

Overview of the Kersten Glacier

The Kersten Glacier is a steep outlet glacier fed by the Southern Ice Field, flowing down the southern flank of Kibo. It lies among the cluster of famous southern glaciers — alongside the Decken, Heim, Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers — that form the classic wall of ice seen from the southern approaches.

Because it faces the sun and the main climbing routes, the Kersten Glacier is one of the most visible and photographed of Kilimanjaro’s glaciers, its layered vertical ice walls catching the first light of dawn on summit morning.

Where Is the Kersten Glacier Located?

The Kersten Glacier descends the southern face of Kibo, flowing from the Southern Ice Field above 5,700 metres, on the side of the mountain that overlooks the Machame, Umbwe and Barafu approaches.

Key location details:

• Mountain: Mount Kilimanjaro (Kilimanjaro National Park)
• Position: Southern face of Kibo
• Source: Southern Ice Field
• Neighbouring glaciers: Decken and Heim
• Elevation: from about 5,700 m down the steep southern face
• Status: prominent, retreating southern glacier

Named for an Early Explorer of Kilimanjaro

The Kersten Glacier is named after Otto Kersten (1839–1900), the German scientist and explorer who travelled with Baron Carl Claus von der Decken on his expeditions to Kilimanjaro in the early 1860s. Those journeys were among the first serious European scientific attempts to reach and study the mountain, and the neighbouring Decken Glacier carries the Baron’s name.

Naming these southern glaciers for the members of that expedition ties the ice directly to Kilimanjaro’s age of exploration, when the mountain’s snows — first reported by the missionary Johannes Rebmann in 1848 — were only beginning to be documented and understood.

A Glacier for Technical Mountaineering

Unlike the gentler plateau ice on the summit, the southern glaciers fall steeply down the face of Kibo, and the Kersten Glacier is among the routes that have drawn technical mountaineers. Its steep ice and the neighbouring Breach area — where the Heim Glacier forms dramatic ice features — represent some of the most serious climbing on Kilimanjaro, a mountain otherwise known for its non-technical trekking routes.

These steep southern ice routes are for experienced ice climbers only, and are rarely attempted. For the vast majority of climbers, the Kersten Glacier is admired from a distance rather than climbed — a towering backdrop to the standard summit approaches.

Size, Elevation, and Conditions

The Kersten Glacier lies in Kilimanjaro’s arctic summit zone, where the air stays permanently below freezing while the equatorial sun is fierce — especially on this sun-facing southern aspect.

Conditions on the ice:

• Surface temperatures remain below freezing year-round, from a few degrees below zero by day to well under −15 °C on cold, clear nights.
• Its steep southern face is exposed to intense direct sunlight, which erodes the vertical ice walls.
• Precipitation falls as snow and graupel and often disappears within days.
• The glacier has no active accumulation zone, so it loses more ice than it gains.

A Retreating Glacier: Ice Loss on Kilimanjaro

The Kersten Glacier is part of one of the world’s most studied examples of tropical glacier loss. Almost 85 percent of Kilimanjaro’s ice cover disappeared between 1912 and 2011, shrinking from about 11.4 km² to under 1 km².

Key facts about the retreat:

• Average annual ice loss was about 1.1 percent from 1912 to 1953, rising to 1.4 percent (1953–1989) and 2.5 percent (1989–2007).
• Of the ice still present in 2000, nearly 40 percent had gone by 2011.
• The southern glaciers, including the Kersten, have thinned and retreated, and some once-connected ice has fragmented.
• One 2013 assessment estimated most of Kilimanjaro’s ice will vanish by around 2040, and that it is highly unlikely any ice body will remain after 2060.

Why the Kersten Glacier Is Retreating

The causes of Kilimanjaro’s ice loss are subtler than simple warming. Research points to a decline in atmospheric moisture — lower specific humidity following a sharp climate shift at the end of the 19th century — rather than rising air temperature as the main long-term driver. No clear warming trend was found at the elevation of these glaciers between 1948 and 2005.

Because the summit air stays below freezing, the ice rarely melts from the top. Instead it is lost mainly through solar radiation striking the vertical ice walls and through sublimation, where ice turns directly to vapour in the dry, sunlit air. On the sun-facing southern face, this process is especially effective.

Seeing the Kersten Glacier

The Kersten Glacier is one of the most accessible of Kilimanjaro’s glaciers to view, because it sits directly above the southern summit approaches.

• Climbers ascending from Barafu toward Uhuru Peak pass beneath the southern glaciers, with the Kersten prominent among them.
• The Machame Route, Lemosho Route and Umbwe Route all bring trekkers up the southern side toward this ice.
• From Stella Point on the crater rim, the southern ice cliffs spread out below in the sunrise.

Why the Kersten Glacier Matters

The Kersten Glacier brings together several strands of Kilimanjaro’s story: the exploration history recorded in its name, the technical mountaineering heritage of its steep ice, and the scientific record of a rapidly changing climate written in its retreat. For most climbers it is simply one of the great sights of the mountain — a wall of ancient ice suspended above equatorial Africa.

What the Experience Feels Like

To reach the crater rim at dawn and look upon the Kersten Glacier is to see Kilimanjaro at its most magnificent. After a long, cold night-time ascent, the steep ice cliffs glow gold and rose in the rising sun, a reward that makes the effort of the climb worthwhile and leaves a lasting impression of the roof of Africa.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Kersten Glacier

Where is the Kersten Glacier on Mount Kilimanjaro?

The Kersten Glacier descends the southern face of Kibo, flowing from the Southern Ice Field above 5,700 m, on the side of the mountain facing the main southern climbing routes.

Who is the Kersten Glacier named after?

It is named after Otto Kersten (1839–1900), the German scientist who accompanied Baron von der Decken on his early expeditions to Kilimanjaro in the 1860s.

Can you climb the Kersten Glacier?

Its steep ice offers serious technical mountaineering routes for experienced ice climbers, but these are rarely attempted. Almost all climbers admire the Kersten Glacier from the standard trekking approaches rather than climbing it.

Is the Kersten Glacier retreating?

Yes. Along with the rest of Kilimanjaro’s ice, it has retreated sharply — nearly 85 percent of the mountain’s ice was lost between 1912 and 2011, and most is projected to be gone by around 2040.

Can you see the Kersten Glacier when climbing Kilimanjaro?

Yes. It is one of the most visible glaciers on the mountain, seen at close range on the final ascent from Barafu toward Stella Point and Uhuru Peak.

Need help with Kilimanjaro National Park?

If you’d like help understanding Kilimanjaro National Park, choosing a southern route that brings you close to the summit glaciers, or planning a safe and well-paced climb toward features like the Kersten Glacier, we’re happy to guide you through the options and logistics so you can experience the roof of Africa at its most spectacular.