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Summary Itineraries
The Shira Route traverses the large Shira Plateau to join
the Machame Route.
Price: USD $1,438 person.
Duration : 6 days trekking from Moshi/Arusha; 4 and a half
days ascending, 1 and a half days descending
Length : 98 km/61 mi total; 60 km/37 mi ascent; 38 km/24 mi
descent
Elevation(m): 4,065 m to 3,915 m descentShira Gate 1,830 m
to Uhuru Peak 5,895 m and descent to Mweka Gate 1,980 m
Elevation(ft):13,340 ft to 12,840 ft descentShira Gate 6,000
ft to Uhuru Peak 19,34ft and descent to Mweka Gate 6,500 ft
Description
The Shira Plateau west of Kibo is the remains Kilimanjaro’s
first volcano. Mawenzi erupted second, and finally,
supported by its neighbors, Kibo rose to its great height
betShira 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 parasitic cones extend north of
the road, rising from from plain plateau. The vegetation
changes along the route are striking. The plateau is
grassland, heath, and moor, with senecios up to 10 meters
high in valleys near the cone. You can see Elands on the
plateau, and you may see signs of buffaloes, leopards, and
other animals. The Shira Cone rises 200 meters above the
plateau, and west of the cone is Shira Ridge, a steep rough
rise reaching almost 400 meters 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
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Note:
We do not place groups together. This way you are ensured
the full attention of our guide, but with the added
knowledge of our guides’ experiences. It also means that we
can start the climb on the day you prefer.
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Detailed Itineraries
Arusha/Moshi
Arrive at the Kilimanjaro International Airport. You will be
met at the Airport and transferred to the hotel in
Arusha/Moshi for your overnight and briefing by our mountain
guide
Day 1: Moshi /Arusha to Shira Gate to Shira Camp 2
Elevation(m): 915 m to 1387m to 1,830 m to 1,830 m
Elevation(ft): 3,000 ft to 6,000 ft to 6,000 ft
Distance: 18 km,
Hiking Time: 5-7 hours
Habitat: Montane forest.
After breakfast and a briefing from your guide, leave
Moshi/Arusha and drive for several hours to the Shira Gate
on the western side of Kilimanjaro, 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 2: Shira Camp 2to Lava Tower to Barranco Camp
Elevation(m): 3840m to 4,630 m to 3,950 m
Elevation(ft): 12,600 ft to 15,190 ft to 12,960 ft
Distance: 15 km,
Hiking Time: 7 hours
Habitat: Semi-Desert
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 aliffs of the Western Breach and Breach Wall to
Barranco Camp at 3,950 m/12,960 ft. There are numerous photo
opportunities on 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 dinner. On this day, be
careful to notice any signs of altitude sickness
Day 3: Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp
Elevation(m): 3,900 m to 4,200 m
Elevation(ft): 12,800 ft to 13,780 ft
Distance: 7 km
Hiking Time: 4 hours
Habitat: Alpine Desert
After breakfast, we continue up a steep ridge to the great
Barranco Wall, then you climb this imposing obstacle, which
turns out to be easier than it looks. Topping out just below
the Heim Glacier, you can now appreciate just how beautiful
Kilimanjaro really is. With Kibo’s glaciers soaring
overhead, you descend into the lush Karanga Valley to the
Karanga Valley campsite. From the camp, you can look east
and see the jagged peaks of Mawenzi jutting into the African
sky. After a hot lunch in camp, your afternoon is at leisure
for resting or exploring. After two long days, this short
day is very important for your acclimatization, since your
summit push is about to start.
Day 4: Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp
Elevation(m): 4,200 m to 4,550 m
Elevation(ft): 13,780 ft to 14,930 ft
Distance: 13 km,
Hiking Time: 8 hours
Habitat: Alpine Desert
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: Summit Day! Barafu Camp to Uhuru Peak to Mweka
Camp
Elevation(m): 4,550 m to 5,895 m to 3,100 m
Elevation(ft): 14,930 ft to 19,340 ft to 10,170 ft
Distance: 7 km up, 23 km down
Hiking Time : 8 hours up, 7-8 hours down
Habitat: Scree and seasonal snow
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 to Mweka Gate to Moshi/Arusha
Elevation(m) :3,100 m to 1,980 m to 890 m/1378m
Elevation(ft) :10,170 ft to 6,500 ft to 2,920 ft/4921ft
Distance: 15 km
Hiking Time: 3 hours
Habitat: Forest
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 in 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. In
the Mweka Village you will be served a delicious hot lunch
after which you are driven back to Moshi/Arusha for an
overdue hot shower and comfortable night in a nice hotel.
Arusha/Moshi:
Depart for the airport or other destinations in Tanzania or
Kenya. A trip to the beaches at Zanzibar is a good way to
recuperate. We can arrange many reasonably priced trips and
safaris to the Tanzania Nothern Parks such as trips to
Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara
National Park, Tarangire National Park and to Arusha
National Park. Also we can arrange trips to Southern Circuit
such as trips to Selous game reserve, Mikumi National Park
and Ruaha National Park.
Extra Day for Acclimatization
You can add an extra day to your trek by staying at Barranco
Camp for two nights. Then, you will hike to the Karanga
Valley Camp on Day 5, the Barafu Camp on Day 6, summit on
Day 7, and finish your descent on Day 8. Adding this day
will ease your effort, and amplify your acclimatization.
Price:
US $1,438 per person sharing (minimum 2pax) - 6 days
climb
Extra days on the Mountain: US $240 per person per day
* Discounts available for groups of 4 persons and above
Price Above Includes:
- Transport to and from mountain gates.
- All parks entry fees.
- All camping fees.
- Rescue fees.
- Guide and porters fees.
- Guide and porters salaries.
- All accommodations on the mountain based on three meals a
day.
- Cook and all kitchen utensils.
Price Above Excludes:
- International and domestic flights (we can arrange on
request)
- Accommodation on the first night upon your arrival before
climb and on the last day after climb (book with us)
- Airport transfers (book with us)
- Tips, drinks and all items of personal nature
- Hard and soft drinks and tips
- Sleeping bags but we can provide for hire on request.
- All Mountain Gears (we can arrange hire of this)
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