Altitude Changes Everything

Climate depends on altitude as much as latitude, which is why tropical mountains can still hold glaciers near the equator.

Kilimanjaro rises through five climate zones in 5,895 meters: tropical forest, heath, moorland, alpine desert, and arctic ice. A climber feels the equivalent of traveling from the equator to the Arctic in one trek.

Cities exploit this too. Quito sits on the equator yet enjoys spring-like weather year-round at 2,850 meters. Bogota, Nairobi, and Addis Ababa likewise escape tropical heat by perching on high plateaus.