KLIMANJARO SHIRA ROUTE – 6 DAYS from $3 095 pps
Long Way Expeditions will accompany you on the Shira route, which traverses the large Shira Plateau to join the Machame Route. The Shira Plateau west of Kibo forms the remains of Kilimanjaro’s first volcano. Mawenzi erupted second, and finally, supported by its neighbours, Kibo rose to its great height between Shira and Mawenzi. Older and more eroded than Mawenzi, the Shira Plateau’s ridges and moorland comprise one of Kilimanjaro’s most scenic areas.
The drive to Shira offers magnificent views of the Great Rift Valley, Mount Meru, and Longido, and the plateau’s cones extend north of the road, rising from plain to plateau. The vegetation changes along the route are striking. The plateau is grassland, heath, and moor, with Senecios up to 10 metres high in the valleys near the cone.
You can see eland on the plateau, and you may see signs of buffaloes, leopards, and other animals. The Shira Cone rises 200m above the plateau, and west of the cone is Shira Ridge, a steep rough rise reaching almost 400m above the plateau. The southern ridge of the Shira Plateau has two dramatic peaks called Cathedral and the Needle. The road to Shira is only accessible by 4-wheel-drive vehicles and can become impassable during wet periods. The Shira Route traverses the plateau to join the Machame Route.
DAY 1: ARRIVAL AND TRANSFER TO ARUSHA
Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport. You will be met at the airport by our representative and transferred to your hotel in Arusha for your overnight stay including dinner and breakfast.
DAY 2: MOSHI – SHIRA CAMP
After breakfast and a briefing from your guide, leave Moshi and drive for several hours to the Shira Gate on the western side of Kilimanjaro where you will register with the national park. Begin hiking, and enter the rainforest immediately. Your walk through the rainforest is on a winding muddy trail up a ridge. At these lower elevations, it can be wet and muddy, so gaiters and trekking poles will help. Stop halfway for lunch, and reach the Shira Camp in the afternoon. Unpack, rest, and have some tea or coffee. Dinner is served during the early evening at 7 PM.
DAY 3: SHIRA CAMP – BARRANCO CAMP
After breakfast, you will hike east up a steepening path above the highest vegetation toward Kilimanjaro’s looming mass. After several hours, you walk through a rocky landscape to reach the prominent landmark called Lava Tower at 4 630 m/15 190 ft. This chunky remnant of Kilimanjaro’s earlier volcanic activity is several hundred feet high, and the trail passes right below it. For extra credit, the sure-footed can scramble to the top of the tower. After a lunch stop near Lava Tower, descend for 2 hours below the lower cliffs of the Western Breach and Breach Wall to Barranco Camp at 3 950 m/12 960 ft. There are numerous photo opportunities on this hike, especially if the walls are festooned with ice. Barranco Camp is in a valley below the Breach and Great Barranco Walls, which should provide you with a memorable sunset while you wait for your dinner. On this day, be careful to notice any signs of altitude sickness.
DAY 4: BARRANCO CAMP – BARAFU CAMP
In the morning, you hike east over intervening ridges and valleys to join the Mweka Route, which will be your descent route. Turn left toward the mountain and hike up the ridge through a sparse landscape for another hour to the Barafu Hut where you will receive a hot lunch. The last water on the route is in the Karanga Valley; there is no water at Barafu Camp, even though Barafu is the Swahili word for “ice.” The famous snows of Kilimanjaro are far above Barafu Camp near the summit of the mountain. Your tent will be pitched on a narrow, stony, wind-swept ridge, so make sure that you familiarize yourself with the terrain before dark to avoid any accidents. Prepare your equipment and warm clothing for your summit climb, and drink a lot of fluids. After an early dinner, go to bed for a few hours of precious sleep.
DAY 5: BARAFU CAMP – UHURU PEAK – MWEKA CAMP
You will rise around 11:30 PM, and after some steaming tea and biscuits, you shuffle off into the night. Your 6-hour climb northwest up through heavy scree between the Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers to Stella Point on the crater rim is the most challenging part of the route for most climbers. At Stella Point (5 685 m/18 650 ft) you stop for a short rest and a chance to see a supremely sanguine sunrise. At Stella Point, you join the top part of the Marangu Route but do not stop here too long, as it will be extremely difficult to start again due to cold and fatigue. Depending on the season and recent storms, you may encounter snow on your remaining hike along the rim to Uhuru Peak.
On the summit, you can enjoy your accomplishment and know that you are creating a day that you will remember for the rest of your life. After your 3-hour descent from the summit back to Barafu Camp, you will have a well-earned but short rest, collect your gear, and hike down a rock and scree path into the moorland and eventually into the forest to Mweka Camp (3 100 m / 10 170 ft). This camp is in the upper forest, so you can expect mist or rain in the late afternoon. Dinner and washing water will be prepared, and the camp office sells drinking water, soft drinks, chocolates, and beer!
DAY 6: MWEKA CAMP – ARUSHA
After a well-deserved breakfast, it is a short, scenic, 3-hour hike back to the park gate. Don’t give your porters any tips until you and all your gear have reached the gate safely, but do remember to tip your staff at the gate. At Mweka Gate, you can sign your name and add details to a register. This is also where successful climbers receive their summit certificates. Climbers who reached Stella Point are issued green certificates and those who reached Uhuru Peak receive gold certificates. From the Mweka Gate, you will continue down to the Mweka Village, possibly a muddy, 3 km, 1-hour hike if the road is too muddy for vehicles. Our driver will transfer you to your hotel for a long hot shower and overnight. You can extend your trip to Serengeti, Ngorongoro or Zanzibar beach holiday.
INCLUDED IN TREKKING PACKAGE:
- Kilimanjaro trekking according to the itinerary
- Professional, English-speaking Wilderness First Responder & CPR certified guide
- Proper ration of mountain crew (cook & porters)
- Pre and post accommodations (2 nights bed and breakfast)
- Airport transfers
- Meals according to the itinerary
- Drinking water and Full Board meals
- All national park & hut fees, crew permits and VAT
- Rescue fees and Emergency Evacuation Coverage with AMREF
- Fair and sustainable crew wages and salaries
- Gate transfers
- Complimentary oxygen cylinder
EXCLUDED FROM TREKKING PACKAGE:
- Flights
- Visa fees
- Travel insurance (required)
- Gamow Bag
- Medication
- Tips for porters and mountain crew (20% Industry Standard Recommended)
- Personal spending money for souvenirs etc.
- Energy food & beverages, alcoholic and soft drinks
- Personal hire gear such as trekking poles, sleeping bags, etc.
- Additional lodge nights if early decent from the mountain @ $150 per room
BOOK THIS TREK
This Mountain Trek can be added onto a safari tour or a few well-deserved recovery days in Zanzibar. Contact us now to plan your journey!
Tripadvisor Reviews
Expedition Extraordinaire - Ann and Abu delivered 100% on Long Way’s objective to “provide guests with safari expeditions & great experiences, always taking into consideration individual interests.”
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27 February 2024
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As a family-owned small business that prioritises slow travel and personal connections, we’re so proud to say all our guests go home satisfied.