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Ice climber says 'big pieces' of Mount Kilimanjaro are 'missing' due to climate change

A file picture of Africa's highest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro: AFP via Getty Images
A file picture of Africa's highest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro: AFP via Getty Images

An ice climber has warned "big pieces" of Mount Kilimanjaro are missing due to climate change.

Earlier this year Will Gadd climbed Africa's tallest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro.

He told CNN Sport that he fears this could be the last time he scales the mountain's melting ice caps.

"Some of the ice that I climbed just six years ago, in 2014, it is gone," he said. "It's definitely a very different mountain.

"It's a bit of an emotional rollercoaster to get there and see the ice that we wanted to climb and then have big pieces of it missing."

The Kilimanjaro glacier viewed from Uhuru peak (Getty Images)
The Kilimanjaro glacier viewed from Uhuru peak (Getty Images)

Mr Gadd's comments come after a large fire engulfed the slopes of the mountain on Sunday .

Mr Gadd has earned the accolade of "Mountain Hero" from the United Nations for his work documenting how climate change has impacted the world's mountains.

The UN's Mountain Heroes campaign chooses athletes from around the world who dedicate some of their time to raise awareness of environmental issues.

In a statement on his website, Mr Gadd describes the "powerful" feeling of climbing the world's mountains.

"I think that everyone who is lucky enough to spend time in the mountains comes to feel a sense of ownership and investment in wild places," he said.

"It’s pretty hard not to care about wild places after you’ve visited them, it’s always powerful.”

He explains that the impact of climate change has become "obvious" to him where ever he travels.

"The speed is truly amazing when you start to look at historical records, watch the trees march up hillsides and the glaciers disappear," said Mr Gadd.

"Climate change isn’t really deniable to any observant person at this point, it’s just a question of how much and how fast.”

Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest single free-standing mountain in the world, with a height of 19,443 feet.

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