Hans Meyer (geologist)

Hans Meyer (March 22, 1858 -- July 5, 1929) was an German geology professor from Hildburghausen, who is credited with being the first European to reach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro (19,341 ft, 5,895 m). Kilimanjaro is comprised of three peaks; Shira- 12,999 ft (3962 m), Mawenzi- 16,893 ft (5149 m) and Kibo- whose summit was reached by Meyer in 1889.

In 1887, in his first attempt to climb Kilimanjaro, Meyer reached the base of Kibo, but was forced to turn back. He did not have the equipment necessary to handle the deep snow and ice on Kibo. The following year, Meyer planned another attempt with cartographer Oscar Baumann, but the mission was aborted when they were captured and taken prisoner in the midst of the Abushiri Revolt.

On October 5, 1889, Meyer reached the summit of Kilimanjaro, along with professional mountaineer Ludwig Purtscheller and lead guide Johannes Kinyala Lauwo (1871-1996). After the climb Lauwo showed them an easier route through a gap in the ice, which Meyer named "Johannes Notch". They named the summit- "Kaiser Wilhelm Spitze"; also on old maps of Tanganyika, Mawenzi is named "Hans Meyer Peak". Later in his career, Meyer did extensive mountain climbing in the Canary Islands and the Andes Mountains of South America. He also published several articles concerning his adventures in German East Africa, Ecuador and the Canary Islands.

References

* [http://www.ntz.info/gen/n00398.html Details on Meyer's Ascent on Kilimanjaro]
* German Wikipedia page on Hans Meyer