Mount Meru

Mount Meru is a dormant stratovolcano located 70 kilometers (43 miles) west of Kilimanjaro in Arusha Region. At the height of 4,562.13 meters (14,968 ft), it is visible from Mount Kilimanjaro on a clear day, and is the second highest mountain in Tanzania and fifth highest mountain Africa, dependent on definition. It was first summited in the early 20th century by German explorers during their colonisation of East Africa, although it is disputed whether the first successful expedition was led by Carl Uhlig in 1901 or Fritz Jaeger in 1904. Mount Meru has become a popular “warm up” trek for Kilimanjaro climbers. Mt. Meru is indeed the perfect preparation for a Kilimanjaro climb. It offers you a taste of what you can expect on Kilimanjaro. 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 acclimatize to the height. It is spent on the way down. Mount Meru is the topographic centerpiece of Arusha National Park. Its fertile slopes rise above the surrounding savanna and support a forest that hosts diverse wildlife, including nearly 400 species of birds, and also monkeys and leopards. Accommodation for climbers on Mount Meru is in two very well appointed, big huts, the Miriakamba Huts at 2514 m (8248 ft) and the Saddle Huts at 3570 m (11712 ft). Mount Meru also has a second peak, called Little Meru (3,801 m/12,533 ft) and is usually visited on an acclimatization walk on the afternoon of the second day of your trek. You walk from the Saddle Hut to Little Meru and back. Mount Meru treks combine a conventional trek with a walking safari through a diverse variety of ecosystems.