Shira Camp Rescue

I received another phone call today from two clients on Shira Camp on Mount Kilimanjaro. Apparently the 15 year old boy, with his father, is having trouble on the mountain. He is tired, has a headache, and they have been trekking through the rain for eight hours. They will probably will not continue, but I will find out tomorrow morning.

The benefit this group has is there is an emergency descent route located nearby. Just a few hours from Shira Camp is an emergency road where rescue vehicles can transfer people down the mountain and back to their hotel. If they were to continue, the rescue becomes much harder, as there are no quick routes down from Barranco Camp or Karanga Camp. After Karanga Camp, you can descend via Mweka Route, but this is still two days away.

I kind of feel bad when people aspire to climb Kilimanjaro and plan and train for many months. Sometimes the mountain beats you, and you have to admit defeat, and just continue on with your safari in Tanzania. Take warning all you future climbers!