The Shira Route Kilimanjaro
The Shira route is yet another unique way that journeys you to the Kilimanjaro from the western direction. It is actually more or less the same as the Lemotho Route. In the actual sense, Shira used to be taken as the original route, while today; the alternate route is the Lemotho. At Londorossi gate, the Lemotho route starts on the track moving on through the green rainforest up the shira one camps while the
shira route
bypasses this way moving on slowly and while using a safari vehicle to get the climbers to the Shira. This is located next to the Shira Ridge.
The climbers begin hiking at 11800 feet or 3600 meters as they spend a night at
Simba camp
which has very similar altitude, as on the very first day of climbing up the mountain. It is from here that the route then meets with the
Lemotho route
and then following all the way along the track on the southern circuit.
Given the higher altitude from which the Shira starts, the Lemotho route is therefore much more recommended in comparison even when the Shira route is quite special and still a very appealing route.
It is very possible that the climbers will experience symptoms that are related to mountain sickness due to failure to well conform themselves with the altitude that keeps changing. This is usually noticed on the very first day.
It is therefore recommended that the Shira route be used by those trekkers who are certain of a chance to well acclimatize with the changing altitude as well as having the ability of walking up the steep slopes for longer periods of time.
Even when the shira route is difficult in starting from the shira gate in the west, it is also exceptional at the same time where the first part of the track that you move is driven and not trekked. Although those that use the shira route still miss out on climbing up on the ecological zones of the
Kilimanjaro
and the rainforests.
To accomplish this hike, you may need about 6 days. However, 7 days are advised. You will decline at Mweka in the south eastern direction. Moshi and
Arusha
are far from the starting point hence also more expensive as you have to incur extra costs to transport the hikers to the gate.
In terms of the landscape, Shira is stunning because it crosses the magnificent Shira plateau and then joins with the Machame route where it shares its sight points around the circuit in the south. The shira is not so crowded not until it joins with Machame.
Things to note about the Shira route.
- The route has high levels of success which enhances acclimatization.
- The Shira is an outlying and dazzling with dramatic gorges and sights of the Kilimanjaro in the west.
- On the fourth day of hiking, the Shira combines with Machame at Baranco
- In comparison with Lemotho, Shira offers higher points at the beginning and poor conformation.
- For your camping along the Shira, you are fully pampered.
The Shira-Route is yet another exceptional path that summits the Kilimanjaro from the western direction, and it’s actually almost similar to the Lemosho-Route. In reality the Shira served as the original route so day, Lemosho is the enhanced variant. Whereas the Lemosho-Route begins at Londorossi Gate trailing through the verdant rain-forest up to Shira One Camp, this Shira-Route sidesteps this trail by use of a safari-vehicle to transport hikers to the Shira Gate situated close to the Shira Ridge.
On the very first day up the mountain, hikers start climbing from 11,800 ft or 3,600 meters and also spend that overnight at a similar altitude at Simba Camp. From there, the route joins with the Lemosho-Route and follows all the way along the southern circuit trail.
Although the Shira-Route is a different yet attractive trail, the Lemosho-Route is much recommended as compared to the Shira owing to the higher altitude from which the Shira-Route begins. It is probable that hikers may experience mountain-sickness associated symptoms especially on the very first day because to failure to properly acclimatize with altitude change. Hikers that use the Shira-Route should be certain of an opportunity to well acclimatize.
