Mount Meru

Mount Meru is the volcano that looms over Arusha, and at 4,566 metres it is the second-highest mountain in Tanzania. It stands inside Arusha National Park, about 70 kilometres west of Kilimanjaro. An ancient eruption blew away the eastern side of the mountain, leaving a horseshoe-shaped crater with a younger ash cone inside it.

Climbs start at Momela Gate and follow one route up through montane forest, where buffalo, giraffe and monkeys are often seen, to Miriakamba Hut and Saddle Hut. Because wildlife roams the lower slopes, an armed park ranger walks with every group. On summit night you leave Saddle Hut around midnight and follow the narrow crater rim to Socialist Peak, with Kilimanjaro rising above the clouds to the east as the sun comes up.

We offer Meru as a three-day or a four-day climb, and as a one-day hike on the lower slopes. On the four-day climb there is time for an optional afternoon walk up Little Meru from Saddle Hut. Many climbers use Meru to acclimatise before Kilimanjaro, as the trail is quieter and the altitude builds steadily.