This route approaches Kilimanjaro from the west and is nearly identical to the Lemosho Route. In fact, Shira was the original Lemosho route in this western side of the mountain. While Lemosho starts at Londorossi Gate and treks through the rain forest to Shira 1 Camp, the Shira route bypasses this segment by using a vehicle to transport climbers to Shira Gate, located near the Shira Ridge.
On the first day on the mountain, climbers begin their hike from (3,400 m) and end at Shira One Campsite, (3,500 m). The remainder of the route follows the southern circuit route, traversing beneath the Southern icefields before summiting from Barafu or Western Breach Route.
Mikio Tours staff will meet and pick you up from JRO (Kilimanjaro International Airport) and transfer you to your hotel in Moshi for overnight B/B.
Drive from Moshi to the trailhead to Londorosi gate for registration. Following this you will board a vehicle again and drive further up to Moram gate. You trek through the moorland and heather vegetation heading to the east crossing ridges and valley as well as a long flat distance to Shira One campsite.
This day you will trek to east across Shira plateau visiting Cathedral Peak (3850m) for acclimatization. At this peak you will have great views of both Mt. Meru and Kibo Peak and other many spectacular special features then continue walking to Shira Two camp where you will have a meal and spend the night.
This is a long but important acclimatization day. You will have an early breakfast then continue trekking east to a junction leading to Lava tower rock (4600m) for acclimatization after when you will continue to Barranco hut camp for supper and spend the night.
Today is a short day walk. In the morning you will start climbing Barranco wall and reach 4200m for acclimatization and continue crossing ridges and valleys to Karanga campsite for a hot lunch. After lunch you will have a bit of rest and get another acclimatization of trekking up the scree slopes towards the Southern ice field and there after you will return to the camp for supper and spend the night.
Today you will trek up to the Barafu ridge campsite which is tough because of altitude. The walk will take a few hours because of short distance but it is steep and therefore it needs a slow walk so as to avoid tiredness. You will completely walk across an alpine desert with strong and cold winds blowing from the ever closer Kibo peak and its ice. You will have an early dinner at 1700hrs then rest until midnight when we you commence your push for the summit.
Wake at midnight to a light breakfast and then prepare for your summit ascent. The goal is to climb before dawn so that you can reach Uhuru Peak shortly before or after sunrise.
Leave for the peak at 12:00AM, switchback up steep scree or possibly snow, and reach Stella Point on the crater rim at 5,861 m/18,640 ft between 4 and 5 AM. At this point you will be having the views of the fabled crater and its icecaps facing you.
Then after 1 hour of hiking along the Kibo crater rim near the celebrated snows which take you to Kilimanjaro true summit, Uhuru Peak where you will spend some time taking photos. After your summit activities are done, you will descend back to the Barafu Huts campsite, for lunch, rest, collect your belongings, and continue down through moorland and heath zone to Mweka Huts campsite.
You will have dinner and spend the night at Mweka hut campsite.
After breakfast, today is your last day on the mountain so you will descend down to Mweka park gate walking across montane forest. This descent will take 3-4 hours. Then here at the gate you will sign out and get ready to board the vehicle ready for the transfer back to the hotel in Moshi for your certificate presentation celebration.
Mikio Tours staff will meet and pick you up from Moshi and transfer you back to JRO (Kilimanjaro International Airport) or to Safari or Zanzibar if you have extension because we do organize safaris too. Please request for this service. Thank you.