Mt. Kilimanjaro National Park: Day Hike

View of the mountain with local flora.

I finally got the opportunity to go into Mt. Kilimanjaro National Park. My Chinese friends wanted to do a day hike and insisted I join them, which  seemed like the perfect opportunity to finally enter the park. I haven't entered the park before because park fees are quite high and I can't bring myself to pay nearly $100 for a day hike. But, it was perfect to spend some time with my friend as well as experience a unique landscape.

The hike began at the Morum Barrier at 3500m (11,500 ft). I was really surprised at how high we started and somewhat disappointed we passed through the montane rainforest. What lay ahead of us was a barren and desolate Shira Plateu, a 13km stretch that is actually a caldera, or collapsed volcano. It was nearly entirely devoid of fauna and the beautiful landscape with the eerie silence gave a vibe reminiscent of a desert. We had chosen this route because my companions were worried about the physical demands (the lower routes in the forest are very steep) but the drawback was there was no loop and we simply walked until we were tired, then turned around. As a result of being above the tree line there was also a notable absence of shady places to rest.

It was really cool to be so close to Mt. Kilimanjaro and we lucked out with a relatively clear day allowing us to see fantastic views. I was happy to experience the unique plateau, though it is probably the closest I'll ever get to the top!

Small river.

If you look closely you can see the camp in the distance.

Starting point.

Trailhead.