Mount Meru
Mount Meru, at 4566m and about 70 kilometres west of Kilimanjaro, is the perfect way to challenge yourself and enjoy a lot of the wildlife the mountain and surrounding plains are famous for. The mountain is the centrepiece of Arusha National Park that hosts diverse wildlife which you’ll witness on both the approach and the climb.
We recommend taking four days to reach the summit and come back and Mount Meru can be an excellent standalone trip or a prequel to climbing Kilimanjaro itself. Most people that have climbed both would agree that the terrain is actually more challenging on Mount Meru and the sense of remoteness and solitude is much stronger than Kilimanjaro.
The ascent can be steep in places and the route to the summit passes over a number of streams, moving through grasslands, tropical rainforest, alpine meadows, moorlands and desert uplands to snow and ice. The summit is reached by a narrow, barren ridge, which provides stunning views of the Ash Cone lying several hundred feet below in the crater.
There are further details on our parent company website climb Mount Meru, though worth noting that the prices on that site are based on foreign nationals, it is considerably cheaper for East African citizens, contact us directly to get the latest prices, foreign nationals should enquire through the UK site.
All of our Kenya team have climbed Mount Meru on numerous occasions so please feel
free to contact the office if you have any queries regarding the climb or your options, we have a dedicated team of experienced Guides and Porters working for our sister company, Adventure Alternative Tanzania.
Frequently Asked Questions – MOUNT MERU
How long does it take to climb MOUNT MERU?
A lot of companies offer 3 day climbs on Mount Meru but this does not offer a safe acclimatisation plan, our preferred itinerary is 4 days to allow for a safe ascent and descent.
How much does it cost to climb MOUNT MERU?
The cost to climb Mount Meru varies depending on whether you need accommodation before and after the climb and whether you’re an East African citizen or foreign national, the latest prices for foreign nationals can be found on climb Mount Meru.
How hard is it to climb MOUNT MERU?
There is no doubt that a Mount Meru climb is challenging as you are trekking to over 4,500m, however the pace is slow as that is essential for a safe and successful summit. When you start to look at altitude and altitude sickness and what it can do to your body, people do get concerned, however our policy of taking a minimum of four days allows you to acclimatise safely.
What equipment do you need to climb Kilimanjaro?
For climbing Mount Meru we have a recommended kit list (we provide all the group
equipment, particularly cooking equipment, however if you need personal equipment we can rent out kit like sleeping bags, waterproof jackets, trekking poles, etc). When choosing your footwear our trekking boot guide will help point you in the right direction as will our sleeping bag guide when deciding which weight / warmth bag suits you.
When is the best time to climb MOUNT MERU?
Mount Meru can be climbed all year round, though if you don't fancy trekking in the rainy seasons it's better to avoid mid-March to mid-May and October and November but it's getting increasingly difficult to predict the rains so if you have no alternative but to climb in these months then don't let the rains hold you back, the rain tends to fall after lunch on the mountain so a lot of the time we can avoid trekking in heavy rain.
How do you get to MOUNT MERU?
There is an airport near Moshi and Arusha called Kilimanjaro airport (JRO) which is well connected with Nairobi airport and the rest of the world. From Nairobi, the cheaper option would be to take a shuttle bus transfer to Arusha / Moshi and there are a number of companies providing that service, generally from Nairobi airport or River Road in the city. Although much longer than a flight the shuttle drives by Amboseli National Park so you tend to see some wildlife along the road, which always helps to pass the time