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Shira Plateau

Shira Plateau (Tanzania)

Practical information on Shira Plateau

  • Viewpoint
  • Hiking / Trekking
  • Mountain
  • Volcano
  • Essential
3 / 5 - One review
How to get there
5 hour walk from Machame
When to go
From January to February and from July to October
Minimum stay
One day

Reviews of Shira Plateau

David Debrincat Seasoned Traveller
459 written opinions

At 6km from the Machame camp, the Shira Plateau, at 3,840m high, is where the Machame and Shira trails meet. So it's a busy place.

My suggestion:
And the final stage before passing 4,000m in altitude. It's really important to relax and drink lots of water at this point.
My review

During my trip to Tanzania I climbed the mythical Kilimanjaro, using the Machame trail. I therefore had the chance to cross the 3,840 meter high Shira Plateau.

The camp is the meeting point between the Machame and Shira routes. At this altitude there is almost no vegetation at all. Clumps of giant ragwort, a local plant, appear here and there. But little by little, the landscape becomes lunar. Here, you are above the clouds. This is the last stage before you pass the 4,000 meter cap. It's often at this height that the first signs of altitude sickness appear. I can't tell you how important it is to go really slowly (pole pole, in Swahili, are the key words) and to drink lots of water - at least 3 liters a day per person. It's only the second day, the hardest are yet to come, but at this stage you are well on your way to conquering the ascent.

Above the clouds on the Shira Plateau