Mt Meru - buy now

The first day of your Meru climb will be spent at our Springlands hotel in Moshi and will either start with a pickup from the airport or with your arrival from the slopes of Kilimanjaro depending on whether Meru is a prequel or a sequel to your Kilimanjaro Climb. The afternoon will be a meet and greet with your guide and time for a briefing of the Meru climb.

After breakfast you will get all your gear together and head to the Momella Gate in the late morning which marks the start of your climb. The trail passes some open grassland where you may see Buffalo, Warthog, and Elephants, so keep your camera ready! The trail then starts a steady climb through the forest until we have lunch at the famous “Fig tree”. After lunch the trek continues through less dense forest, where there are a lot of birds and monkeys and the first closer views of the towering cliffs and the Ash Cone. You will reach Miriakamba Hut in time to enjoy the last of the afternoon sun and beautiful views over the surrounding plains towards Kilimanjaro.

Altitude 2514m

The trek to Saddle Hut is a short day but a steep sustained climbing all the way, starting through open and lush montane forest, the path carries on uphill through giant heather and other moorland vegetation to reach Saddle Hut. The afternoon is free to rest and enjoy the views. The crater rim is now in full view and it can be seen curving up to the summit. Later in the afternoon you can make the short climb to the nearby summit of Little Meru at 3’820 m for superb views just before sunset, its also a good acclimatisation climb before returning to Saddle Hut.

Altitude 3570m (Little Meru 3820m)

We wake up between midnight and 2am and have hot drink and some snacks before starting the summit climb or Meru. The first destination is Rhino Point at 3820m, the view from here is stunning with the crater rim, the ash cone and the summit all becoming visible. The trail then drops back down before steadily gaining in altitude and following a long narrow rocky trails along the crater rim to Meru Peak’s summit know as Socialist Peak. The views from the summit are awesome. As the sun rises you get a full 360 panorama from above the clouds and a breathing view of Mt Kilimanjaro . After some time taking photos, celebrating The route back to Rhino Point in the sharp morning light along a narrow ridge between the sloping outer wall of the crater and the sheer cliffs of the inner wall is one of the most dramatic and exhilarating walks in Africa. Then after a few hours you will be back at Miriakamba Hut for a much need rest.

Altitude 4’566m

A fast descent through open grassland and mixed forest, with good chances of seeing wildlife so keep your eyes peeled for monkeys in the trees! This trail has excellent views back towards the crater and over the plains of the National Park. You will pass through the well-known Fig Tree Arch and can visit an impressive waterfall hidden in a ravine not far from the road. Your car will be waiting at the gate to return you to Springlands for a hot shower and well deserve drink.

This day will be spent relaxing at the hotel and will count as day 1 of your Kilimanjaro itinerary.

(unless you climb Meru after Kilimanjaro, in which case you would depart for the airport)