Shira Route
Starts high on the Shira Plateau after a drive from Londorossi Gate, skipping the rainforest; joins the Lemosho trail at Shira 1 Camp.
About the route
The Shira route begins with a drive from Londorossi Gate up to the edge of the Shira Plateau, so you start walking at around 3,600 m, without the rainforest days of the other routes. It joins the Lemosho trail at Shira 1 Camp and follows the southern circuit to the summit.
Starting so high on the first day is hard on the body, so Shira suits climbers who are already acclimatised. For most people the Lemosho route, which covers the same plateau after two days of gradual climbing, is the better choice.
Good for: acclimatised trekkers who want to skip the forest and spend more time on the plateau.
Highlights
- Starts high on the Shira Plateau
- Shira Cathedral and the plateau moorland
- Joins the Lemosho and Machame trails
- Lava Tower and the Barranco Wall
Map
Map of the Shira Route
Press a camp on the map or in the list below to see its altitude.
Trail lines and camps: © OpenStreetMap contributors. Altitudes from park signposts where available.
Altitude profile
Day by day
The Shira Route in 7 days
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Day1
Londorossi Gate, drive onto the plateau and walk to Shira 1 Camp
After registering at Londorossi Gate (2,250 m) you drive up a forestry track to the edge of the Shira Plateau and walk a short distance to Shira 1 Camp.
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Day2
Shira 1 Camp to Shira 2 Camp
An acclimatisation day across the plateau, with an optional detour to the Shira Cathedral.
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Day3
Shira 2 Camp to Lava Tower and Barranco Camp
Up to the Lava Tower (4,630 m) and down into the Barranco Valley to sleep.
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Day4
Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp
The day opens with the Barranco Wall, a 250-metre scramble on good holds that looks harder from below than it is. Above it the trail rolls across ridges and valleys under the glaciers of the southern icefields to Karanga, the last water point before base camp.
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Day5
Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp
A short, steady climb onto the rocky ridge of Barafu, the base camp for the summit. You arrive by lunchtime, eat early, check your kit and sleep for a few hours before the summit attempt.
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Day6
Summit day: Uhuru Peak, then down to Mweka Camp
You leave Barafu around midnight and climb by headtorch up the scree to Stella Point (5,756 m) on the crater rim, reaching it around sunrise. Uhuru Peak (5,895 m) is a gentler hour along the rim, past the glaciers. After photos you descend to Barafu for a rest and a meal, then continue down to Mweka Camp in the heath zone.
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Day7
Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate
A last walk down through the rainforest, often with colobus monkeys in the trees, to Mweka Gate, where you sign out and collect your summit certificate before the drive back to Moshi or Arusha.
Mount Kilimanjaro
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