Set within the game rich Arusha national park, even the drive towards Meru is fantastic. As you bump along the dirt road you’ll see the heads of inquisitive giraffes peering over and between acacia trees, while warthogs dart for cover. You may even have to stop while a troop of baboons defiantly crosses the road in front of you.
The four day hike up one of Africa’s highest peaks, at 4,566 metres, is aided by using local porters to lighten your load (please tip well, clothing is always appreciated) as well as the two large dorm huts to sleep in, allowing you to forgo needing to bring/hire a tent.
It can be tackled faster, but to acclimatize we recommend taking four days and an easy pace. The Momela Route hike starts in the forest, and climbs steadily up to the Miriakamba Hut - around a 4 hour hike (2515 metres). After a night here it’s a steep climb to the Saddle Hut, which is above the tree line, again around a 4 hours hike to an altitude of 3570 metres.
Summit day is tough, with an early start on the frozen scree to the summit, which should take around 5 hours. If you time it right, you’ll reach the summit as the sun rises from behind Kilimanjaro, a mere 30 miles away. The steep route back down to the summit hut takes 3 hours. Rest up and eat before hiking down to Miriakamba Hut, 3 hours, for a final night on the mountain. Mount Meru should also be considered as the perfect acclimatisation hike for Kilimanjaro.
There are many good reasons to choose Mount Meru over Kilimanjaro - it’s a more achievable altitude, but to us, more importantly, it’s a far less crowded mountain. It also takes four days rather than six, freeing up more time for other activities within Tanzania, such as going on safari or a visit to Zanzibar. Another reason to climb Mount Meru, rather than Kilimanjaro, are the park fees. Fees for Arusha National Park are $45/day whereas they are $70 for Kilimanjaro in 2013
