Mount Meru, 3 day climb
Tanzania's second mountain, and the best preparation for Kilimanjaro
Mount Meru rises to 4,562m inside Arusha National Park, and it is a considerable climb in its own right, the fifth highest mountain in Africa, with a summit ridge along the rim of a collapsed volcanic crater that is more dramatic than anything on Kilimanjaro.
It is also the reason many people summit Kilimanjaro at all. Three or four days at this altitude a week beforehand is the single most effective piece of preparation available, and it costs a fraction of an extra Kilimanjaro day.
Because the lower slopes are inside a national park with buffalo and elephant, an armed ranger accompanies every group. Expect to walk past giraffe on the first morning.
- 3 days
- Socialist Peak
- Moderate to hard
From $1,020 per person, 5 sharing
- Momella Gate to Miriakamba Hut
- Miriakamba Hut to Saddle Hut, with Little Meru in the afternoon
- Summit day: Saddle Hut to Socialist Peak, then down to Momella Gate