Mount Meru: Kilimanjaro’s quieter, wilder neighbour
At 4,566 metres, Mount Meru is a beautiful climb in its own right and one of the best ways to prepare for Kilimanjaro.
Look west from Kilimanjaro on a clear morning and you will see a sharp, dark peak rising above Arusha. That is Mount Meru, at 4,566 metres the second-highest mountain in Tanzania. Many climbers have never heard of it, which is part of its charm: the trails are quiet, the scenery is dramatic, and the summit view is one of the finest in East Africa.
A climb through a national park
Meru stands inside Arusha National Park, so the walk begins among wildlife. Giraffes, buffalo, warthogs and colobus monkeys are common on the lower slopes, and for that reason an armed park ranger walks with every group. It is a safari and a trek in one.
The lower trail climbs through thick montane forest.
Huts, ridges and the summit
Climbers sleep in simple mountain huts rather than tents. The route rises through forest and heath to the saddle below the peak. Summit night begins in the early hours along a narrow ridge on the rim of an old crater, with steep drops on one side and the ash cone of the volcano on the other.
Reach the top at dawn and you will watch the sun rise behind Kilimanjaro, floating above the clouds on the horizon. It is a moment few people forget.
Meru is not just a warm-up. Many of our climbers say it was the most beautiful walk of their trip.
The perfect preparation for Kilimanjaro
Because Meru takes you above 4,500 metres, it is excellent acclimatisation for Kilimanjaro. Climbing it first lets your body adjust to altitude, which makes the higher mountain safer and more comfortable.
We offer Meru as a four-day or five-day climb. The extra day gives you more time to adjust and a more relaxed pace. Ask us about combining it with your Kilimanjaro trek.