3-Day Mount Meru Trek

Mount Meru is a dormant stratovolcano on the western edge of Arusha National Park, the fifth-highest mountain in Africa, and Tanzania's second-highest at 4,566 m. The summit, Socialist Peak, sits on the rim of a horseshoe-shaped crater that opens to the east, the result of a massive eruption around 8,000 years ago that blew the eastern flank clean off. It is one of the most dramatic skylines in East Africa, particularly seen from Kilimanjaro at sunrise.

The trek up Meru is a serious, technical climb in its own right, the final ridge to Socialist Peak is a knife-edge with steep drops on either side, but it is also the perfect Kilimanjaro acclimatisation. We run a three-day version for climbers on tight schedules and a four-day version (separate listing) for guests who want an extra acclimatisation day. The summit and route are identical; the difference is one rest day.

Because Meru lies inside Arusha National Park, the lower slopes are working game country. The walk-in from Momella Gate to Miriakamba Hut is escorted by an armed ranger and crosses open meadows where buffalo, giraffe, warthog, bushbuck and (occasionally) elephant are routine sightings. You walk through the wildlife rather than driving past it, a rare experience in Tanzania.

The trek uses two mountain huts, Miriakamba (2,514 m) and Saddle Hut (3,570 m), both with dormitory bunks, dining rooms and pit-toilet ablutions. No camping is required. Summit night is a midnight start from Saddle Hut to reach Socialist Peak at sunrise, with the view of Kilimanjaro silhouetted to the east as the sun comes up.