4 Days
Daily Tour
Unlimited
English
Mount Meru is the fifth highest mountain on the African continent and the second highest in Tanzania and dominates the Arusha National Park with its huge cliffs. The mountain is often used as warm-up hiking in preparation for the Kilimanjaro. However, the technical requirements are greater on Mount Meru than on the Kilimanjaro Routes. On the four-day trekking tour, you are more than likely to see giraffes, buffalos, antelopes and baboons; therefore, a park ranger will accompany you for your safety.
LessWe begin our trek at the Momella Gate (located at 1,500 m altitude). The trail leads through open grassland showcasing scenic views of Arusha’s wildlife, then continues steadily ascending through lush forest. We’ll stop for lunch near or at the Fig Tree Arch, then continue through forest terrain which is inhabited by an abundance of birds and monkeys.
By the late afternoon, we’ll see our first clear views of Mt Meru’s towering edges and the Ash Cone. We’ll camp for the night at the Miriakamba Hut (located at 2,514 m altitude), nested in a cosy grassy plain.
We’ll make the steep, steady hike from the Miriakamba Hut to the saddle below Little Meru until we reach the halfway point: Elephant Ridge. The trail continues ascending through tall heather and lush vegetation before stopping for lunch at Saddle Hut (located at 3,570 m altitude). You’ll then have the option of resting or making a small acclimatization hike to Little Meru’s nearby summit (located at 3,820 m altitude).
We’ll begin our ascent at 2 am to reach the Rhino Point (located at 3,800 m altitude) and then continue to Cobra Point (located at 4,350 m altitude) at sunrise. The magnificent views of the Crater Rim, the Ash Cone, Mt Meru’s famous neighbour: Mt Kilimanjaro, and the Rift Valley to the west are simply breathtaking!
After about an hour of steady hiking, we’ll reach the summit: Socialist Peak (located at 4,566 m altitude). After taking in the stunning sights we’ll begin descending on narrow ridges between the sloping outer wall of the crater and the steep cliffs of the inner crater wall illuminated by the morning light to return to Rhino Point. We’ll rest and enjoy brunch at Saddle Hut before continuing the steady descent to Miriakamba Hut.
We’ll take the direct route to descend to Momella through open grassland and lush forest rich with wildlife and beautiful views of the Crater and the National Park’s open plains. We’ll arrive at the Momella Gate by late morning where we’ll board a vehicle that will take us to the lodge to relax and unwind!
