The 7 Day Kilimanjaro Climbing Shira Route is a difficult route that begins in the west, at Shira Gate. Unique about the route is that the first section of the trail is not hiked, but rather driven.
Therefore, climbers using Shira will miss out on hiking up one of Kilimanjaro’s ecological zones, the rainforest. An off-road vehicle transports climbers to the Shira gate, located at 11,500 feet, where the hike begins to Simba Camp.
This is a sizable altitude gain for someone who slept at Moshi or Moshi on the previous night. Complications from altitude can occur due to failed acclimatization.
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.
Although Shira is a varied and beautiful route, it is less favorable than its successor due to the relatively high altitude of Shira’s starting point, which is accessed quickly by vehicle. It is possible that climbers will experience some altitude related symptoms on the first day while camping at 11,800 feet.
Leave Arusha early in the morning after your cup of coffee, drive to Mount Kilimanjaro Shira gate where you will meet your potters and the chef, register with the park authorities and you will be given a ranger to escort you in your hike before we begin our 7 Days Kilimanjaro Trek Safari (Shira Route). We will hike towards the Shira camp with a stop obver on the way for lunch then proceed to the camp for refreshments and dinner.
Day 2 of 7 Days Kilimanjaro Trek Safari (Shira Route). When done with the breakfast, hike East up a steepening path above the highest vegetation towards Mount Kilimanjaro looming mass.
After several hours of hiking you will walk through rocky landscape to reach the prominent landmark called Lava Tower. We will have stop at the tower for our lunch then proceed with our journey descending down for 2 hours depending on your fitness to the lower cliffs of the western Breach and the Breach wall to Barranco Camp have some nice pictures with the ice especially at sun set in the camp. Dinner and overnight.
We add more one day at this camp wake up at leisure for breakfast and amplify on our acclimatization for your .7 Day Kilimanjaro Climbing Shira Route
After morning cup of tea, we hke up to the steep ridge of the great Barranco wall then 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 Mount Kilimanjaro is. With Kibo glaciers soaring overhead, you will descend in to lush Karanga valley campsite. After your hot lunch we will have leisure afternoon.
Day 5 of 7 Days Kilimanjaro Trek Safari (Shira Route). In the morning, after great breakfast we hike East over intervening ridges and valleys to join the Mweka Route, which will be your descent route 7 Day Kilimanjaro Climbing Shira Route.
Turn on the left and hike up the ridge through a phrase landscape for another hour to the Barafu Hut where you will receive hot lunch. The last water on the route is in the Karanga Valley. We will have our tents pitched on a narrow stony windswept ridge so that we can familiarize ourselves with the terrain before dark. Dinner and overnight.
You will rise up before midnight with steaming tea and biscuits, shuffle off in to the night with head lamps in your forhead, we climb Northwest up through heavy scree between the Rebman and Ratzel glaciers to Stella point on the crater rim one of the most challenging part of the route.
7 Day Kilimanjaro Climbing Shira Route At stella have brief short rest as you see the sun rise continue with our journey hike up wards as we may start getting snow from this point till we reach to the peak. Enjoy happiness at the peak raise your flags take as many pictures as you can as we have conquered the highest mountain in Africa Mount Kilimanjaro. Descend down to Mweka camp passing through all rocky stages of the mountain dinner and overnight.
After well served breakfast, hike back to the park gate sign and wait for your certificates to be issued as conquerors of the Kilimanjaro. We will drive back to Arusha now for more fun and refreshment from long hard 7 Days Kilimanjaro Trek Safari (Shira Route) reviews.