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- Create Date September 9, 2025
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The day starts very early (7 a.m.) with a pick up at your hotel in Arusha/Moshi, and drive through the rich agricultural area at the base of the Mount Kilimanjaro. It varies from hand tilled small holdings to large commercial farms before giving way first to plantation forest and finally to indigenous forest.
You will reach Shira trailhead (Morum gate) at around 9a.m. Once through the Morum you will start your 3 hour trek. The road climbs more steeply up a rough track moving quickly through the different layers of vegetation from thick mountain forest with towering trees gradually giving way to the giant heath. These giants initially tower ten to fifteen feet high but as you get higher they become gradually thinner/shorter. When you crest the final rise on the Shira plateau they are only a few feet high.
From Morum Gate, your guide will carry trail food and a picnic lunch. Each hiker needs a small rucksack to carry water, warm jacket and rain gear (or a poncho) – the weather can change incredibly quickly as clouds swoop down from the summit.
Exploration of the Shira plateau; Trek east toward Kibo’s glaciered peak, with the option to visit the ancient Shira Needle/Cathedral.
At 2p.m. you will have your picnic lunch and rest for an hour or less.
At 3p.m. you will start your descent back to Morum Barrier. Mid afternoon it will be time to return to the vehicle and bump back down the track and across the plains to Arusha. You will be back at your hotel late afternoon or early evening.
Equipment: You will need warm and waterproof clothes (It is possible to hire them) and a pair of walking/hiking boots as in some areas the ground can be wet.
