Mount Meru
A 14,980-foot volcano climbed in three days, with giraffes on the first stretch.
Duration
48 hrs – 72 hrs
Difficulty
●●●●●
Best time
Dry season, June to October
Open
Every day
Entry price
To confirm
Meru tops out at four thousand five hundred and sixty-six metres and is Tanzania's second summit. Its eastern flank was blown away by an eruption around eight thousand years ago, which gives it its horseshoe shape: the final ridge runs along the rim of that collapsed crater, sheer on both sides.
The climb crosses Arusha national park, and an armed ranger must accompany every group — the first day is walked among giraffes, buffalo and colobus monkeys. Many climb it to acclimatise before Kilimanjaro.
Getting there
Momella gate, in Arusha national park, an hour and a half by road from Arusha. Departure must be with an authorised group.
What the price covers
the climb goes through Arusha National Park: entry fees, an armed ranger and a guide are mandatory, rates to be confirmed
What to bring
- Walking shoes
- Sportswear
Rules on site
An armed ranger is compulsory, as is a guide: this is wildlife country, not a free-range hike. The summit push starts around midnight and altitude sickness is real up there — immediate descent is the only treatment.