Mount Meru: 4-Day Climb with 2 Hotel Nights

Kilimanjaro needs no ropes or technical climbing skills, but it is a serious high-altitude trek. You walk for several hours a day on uneven ground, nights are cold, and summit night starts around midnight in thin air. Walking regularly on hills before you come, with a loaded daypack, is the best preparation.

We choose routes and itineraries with enough days on the mountain, and we follow the principle of climbing high and sleeping low. On the Machame route, for example, you take short walks above camp at Shira, Lava Tower, Karanga and Barafu before returning to sleep lower. Walk slowly, drink plenty of water and tell your guide straight away about any headache, nausea or dizziness.

Many climbers use acetazolamide (Diamox) to help with acclimatisation, but it is a prescription medicine and not right for everyone. Talk to your own doctor before the trip, especially about allergies and side effects, and tell your guide if you are taking it.

Kilimanjaro can be climbed all year, but the driest months are mid-January to mid-March and late June to October, which are also the busiest. The long rains from late March to early June bring wet trails and cloud, and we generally advise against climbing then unless you are experienced in those conditions. November brings short rains, often in the afternoon.

On our Kilimanjaro packages with hotel nights, you stay at our partner hotel, Weru Weru River Lodge near Moshi, or a similar hotel, on the night before and the night after the climb. Your guide holds the pre-climb briefing and gear check there.

You need good broken-in hiking boots, warm layers including a down jacket, waterproof jacket and trousers, gloves, a warm hat, a headtorch and a daypack. Tents, mats and all group and cooking equipment are provided. Your specialist will confirm what can be rented locally, including sleeping bags, and send you a full packing list.

Yes. On the three-day climb you sleep at Miriakamba Hut and Saddle Hut, then on summit day you go up to Socialist Peak and all the way down to Momella Gate, a long day of 12 to 14 hours. The four-day climb splits that descent with a second night at Miriakamba, which is kinder on your legs and gives you more time on the mountain.

Mount Meru lies inside Arusha National Park, where buffalo and elephant live in the forest. The park requires every climbing group to walk with an armed ranger. They know the animals well and are there as a precaution.

We do not advise climbing in April and May, the long rains, when the rock is slippery and the ridge is often in cloud. In heavy rain, ice or thick fog the ranger can call off the summit attempt for safety.