Magnetized by Mt Kilimanjaro, the hikers often overlook Mt Meru, the second highest peak of Tanzania. Towering over Arusha National Park, Mount Meru offers both an excellent warm-up exercise for Kilimanjaro, in addition to being a stunning trekking experience in the wild by its own right.
Mount Meru trekking is a real adventure. The slopes of this dormant (yet active – the last eruption was in 1910) volcano offer fascinating panoramic vistas and bustling wildlife around.
This volcano was “born” around 500,000 years ago, and its very first eruption virtually exploded its eastern side, creating its, peculiar appearance. In addition to that, Mt Meru has one of the deepest craters – over 1,500 meters!
Price per person for 2 pax = 650 $
After a short registration at the Momela Gate, our walk will begin with full armed ranger escorting us, simply we can see along the way the wild animals including elephants, zebras, and giraffe , monkeys, antelope, and often elephants along the route. Dinner and overnight night at Miriakamba Hut.
After Breakfast will start a walk from Miriakampa Hut to the saddle below Little Meru is a steep sustained climb all the way. Starting through beautiful and lush montane forest, the path continues beyond the halfway point of Elephant Back Ridge and carries on uphill through the giant heather and other moorland vegetation to reach Saddle Hut for lunch. In the afternoon, you can make the short climb to the nearby summit of Little Meru for superb views. It takes about one hour to walk up and 30 minutes to walk down.
Summit day has an early start at around 12:00AM. There is a 1 hour steep climb to Rhino Point (3,800m / 12,467ft), then the path continues along a ridge of ash and rock to reach Cobra Point (4,350m / 14,272ft). The summit of Socialist Peak (4,566 m) is an hour further on a steep path with magnificent views of Kilimanjaro. Depending on your speed, you can enjoy sunrise at Cobra Point or the summit. The views are stunning: the cliffs of the Crater rim, the Ash Cone rising from the crater floor, Kilimanjaro floating on the morning clouds, and the Rift Valley. 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. Brunch and a brief rest are taken at Saddle Hut before continuing the descent to Miriakamba Hut. Our tour ends by driving you to your accommodation in Arusha or Moshi.