From the itinerary: A day to help acclimatisation and to explore the grassy moorland and the volcanic rock formations of the plateau. We walk to the summit of Shira Cathedral, a huge buttress of rock surrounded by steep spires and pinnacles. The views from our camp near Shira Hut (3840m) of Mt. Meru floating on the clouds are simply unforgettable. The afternoon is free to relax. Approx 4-5 hours walking, 6 miles.
September 1, 2019 and we're starting to feel the altitude as we entered the high desert. My tent as it gets broken down for transport to Shira Hut.
As we move out we saw volcanic rock formations on the plateau. In addition we saw whole areas of stacked stones - after awhile it got kind of creepy. Pigeons and crows seemed to be at every campsite, but other than that we didn't see much in the way of wildlife during the entire trip.
Going up to Shira Cathedral there were route signs along the way and a lot of scrubby plant life. The weather was wonderful, but by afternoon clouds moved in and created some wonderful views.
Along the way we knew we were getting into higher altitudes as we had some final warnings and final options in case of altitude, or other sickness, in the form of the last helipad along the route.
We finally get to the last push to the top of Shira Cathedral and the valley opens below us.
Mount Meru
Shira Hut campground and We were able to see the campground from a ridge along the way.
Sun going down over the campground and the moon
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