01.
safe adventure
About Mt. Meru
Tanzania’s second highest mountain is much more
than just a “warm up” trek for Kilimanjaro.
Mount Meru is an active (but dormant) volcano located north of Arusha in Tanzania.
At 4562 metres it is Tanzania’s second highest mountain and the fourth highest mountain in Africa.
The mountain became well known mainly because it is only 70 km from Mount Kilimanjaro:
Mt. Meru has become a popular “warm up” trek for Kilimanjaro climbers.
02.
Wild Nature
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Mt. Meru is indeed the perfect preparation for a Kilimanjaro climb. It offers you a taste of what you can expect on Kili: You trek in a group with porters, cook and guides, you climb through different vegetation zones over several days, you start your summit attempt around midnight and reach the peak around sunrise, and you then descend an awesome 2000 metres on the same day, very similar to your Kilimanjaro summit day. Most importantly, at a height of 4562 metres (14967 feet) Mt. Meru requires your body to make changes to adapt to the altitude. It's called acclimatisation and as a result you will be much better prepared for you Kilimanjaro climb. That altitude acclimatisation is the main reason why people climb Mount Meru and Kilimanjaro together. I think it is a shame that so many people who visit Tanzania and Kilimanjaro view Meru only as a warm up trek for Kilimanjaro.
Hike
Mount Meru is a very rewarding trek in its own right. And it is also a challenging climb. Do not underestimate it! The height is certainly enough to bring on altitude sickness if you ascend too fast. And bad weather can make the trek along the knife edge ridge of the crater rim a positively dangerous undertaking. Even just hiking and camping on the slopes or visiting the ash cone in the much lower crater are walking safaris that I can warmly recommend. You will be amazed by the amount of wildlife you can find on this mountain, the vegetation is stunning all the way, and Meru simply isn't as overrun as Kilimanjaro is. You need to know about the free 50 spins no deposit.
Geology
Mount Meru also has a second peak, called Little Meru. Little Meru (3801 m/12533 ft) is usually visited on an acclimatisation walk on the afternoon of the second day of your trek. You walk from the Saddle Hut to Little Meru and back. Oh, and after your climb you get two certificates. One for reaching Little Meru, and one for making it to "Socialist Peak", the main Mt. Meru summit
03.
safe adventure
Mt Meru Adventures
(Mt. Meru differs from Mt. Kilimanjaro in that you don’t HAVE to trek with a licensed operator. But organising all the food, equipment, permits, transport, porters, a ranger and a guide yourself will likely not work out any cheaper, and the hassle just isn’t worth it.)
If you want to climb to the summit of Mt. Meru you need two or three nights on the mountain. You ascend about 1000 m/3300 ft per day. The third night does NOT give you extra time to acclimatise to the height. It is spent on the way down.
It is possible to skip the third night by descending over 3000 metres (9850 ft) in one single day, all the way from the summit back down to Momella Gate (where your transport should be waiting), but I would not recommend that.