KILIMANJARO CLIMB: SHIRA ROUTE, 8-DAY TREK & 2 NIGHTS HOTEL STAY
Explore Tours
The Shira Route is a little used trail that begins near Shira Ridge. It is nearly identical to the Lemosho route. In fact, Shira was the original route and Lemosho is the improved variation. This route is sometimes referred to as the Lemosho route with a “high altitude drop off.” The route approaches Mount Kilimanjaro from the west, beginning with a long drive from Moshi to Shira Ridge. The vehicle bypasses the rain forest zone and the hiking trail begins on Shira Ridge. The Shira route crosses the entire Shira Plateau from west to east in a pleasant, relatively flat hike. Then the route traverses underneath Kilimanjaro’s Southern Ice Field on a path known as the Southern Circuit before summiting from Barafu.
Included/Exclude
- One night at the Hotel before starting the climbing trip.
- One night at the hotel after finishing the climbing trip.
- Entry Fees at the Mountain Kilimanjaro National Park.
- Rescue Fees, Guides, Porters and Cooks Fees
- Mountain Staff/Crew salaries and allowances.
- All meals on the mountain, Breakfast, Lunch, evening refreshments and dinner.
- Drinking water will be provided during the climb.
- Oxygen cylinder, Ox-meters and Special daily check-up care while on the mountain.
- Mountain Gears, Sleeping Tents, Dinning Tents, sleeping form mattress are provided
- Plastic cover for your day packs, to cover baggage, porters will carry for protection of wet and rain on the mountain.
- Pick up and drop off to and from hotel to starting point for climbing the mountain.
- Pick up transfer after descend from mountain and transfer back to Hotel.
- Government Taxes, Office Agent fees, Operational costs.
- Airports pick up and drop off transfers.
- Gratuities / Tips, Extra service Laundry,
- Other personal care like massage (Can be offered as special Service after Kilimanjaro Climb)
- Alcohol, International flights tickets, but can be booked on requests.
- Domestic flight tickets ie, Flight to Zanzibar, Mafia Island, or to Parks like Serengeti, Selous, Ruaha and Gombe within Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda or to Amboseli Park in Kenya (Can be booked on requests)
- Medical services in case of sickness or you will need to get Insurance cover from your country.
Tour Plan
At the Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar or Dar es Salaam International Airport, and meet by our representative, load your entire luggage, belongings in a shuttle for transfer to the hotel for Overnight.
On this day will wake up at 06:00am, and have breakfast from 06:30am to 07:30am. Leave Moshi 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, as you will be on the high altitude, will need to reach at the Camp early so you get used to the weather around Shira. 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. You will have Dinner and Overnight at Shira Camp 2. FB
Wake up at around 06:30am and after breakfast, you will start the hike around 07:30am to east up to a steepening path above the highest vegetation toward Kilimanjaro 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. In the evening you will have Dinner and overnight at Baranko Camp. FB
After breakfast, we continue up a steep ridge to the great Barranco Wall, 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. After dinner you will overnight at Karanga Camp. FB
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.
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. After your 3-hours descent from the summit back to Barafu Camp, you will have a well-earned but short rest, collect your gears, 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 or evening. Dinner, and washing water will be prepared, and the camp office sells drinking water, soft drinks hot tea or coffee! After Dinner you will overnight at Mweka Camp. FB
After a well-deserved breakfast, it is a short, scenic, 3-hours hike back to the park gate. This is also where successful climbers receive their summit certificates. Some climbers likes to get their Certificates at the Hotel or where they will be staying and have a celebration lunch or Dinner and drinks with your crew, Porters and Guides and get Certificates with photos of a Give presenting the Certificates to each member of the Group for Good Memory after accomplish the DREAM and later be transferred to stay in a Hotel/Lodge.
Depart for safari to Ngorongoro, Serengeti, Tarangire or other Parks in Southern part of Tanzania like Selous /Nyerere Park and other historic attractions like Bagamoyo, Kilwa ruins and Zanzibar. A trip to Zanzibar beaches is a good way to recuperate. We can arrange as many for reasonably priced trips around East Africa.
