|
The
Shira Route is a difficult route that begins in the west,
at Shira Gate. What is unque about Shira is that the first
section of the trail is not hiked, but rather driven. Therefore,
climbers using Shira will miss out on hiking through one of
Kilimanjaro's ecological zones, the rain forest. The gate
is located at 11,500 feet, which is a hefty altitude gain
for someone who slept at Moshi, at 2,500 feet, on the previous
night.
The route takes six days minimum to complete, although seven
days is recommended. The descent is down Mweka, in the south-east.
Because the starting point is far from Moshi, it is more expensive
to climb this route due to the added transportation cost of
getting climbers to the gate. Scenicaly, Shira is beautiful
because it crosses the spectacular Shira Plateau, and then
combines with the Machame route to share its viewpoints around
the southern circuit. Shira has low traffic until it combines
with Machame.
Shira
is ideal for those who are confident in their ability to acclimatize
to altitude, and to walk over steeper paths for extended periods.
[more
info on Shira Route... ]
|
