Climbing Mount Meru in Tanzania
Mount Meru is standing at 4,562 meters (14,968 feet) high; Mount Meru is Tanzania’s second-highest mountain after Kilimanjaro and the ninth tallest mountain in Africa. A historically active but primarily dormant volcano is almost 45 miles (72 kilometers) from the western part of Mount Kilimanjaro on the edge of the Great African Rift Valley. To trek Mount Meru it is six days to reach the summit and come back. Climbing Mount Meru in Tanzania is an excellent standalone trip or a prequel to climbing Kilimanjaro itself. Some people say that Meru is actually more challenging, and for sure it is much quieter. Therefore there is a lot more wildlife to be seen and the sense of remoteness and solitude is much stronger than on the more famous peak nearby.
Mount Meru is located at the centerpiece of Arusha National Park, the ash cone and crater rim of Mount Meru is within the protected area, but there are small farms and Massai herdsmen graze their flocks on the lower forested slopes and surrounding savannah. For the indigenous people of Arusha and Meru. Mount Meru is the home of the rain god, with its life-giving mists, rivers, waterfalls and rich, ash-fertile soil.
Mount Meru’s fertile slopes rise above the surrounding savannah and are home to a variety of wildlife, including nearly 400 species of birds, but also buffalos, leopards, giraffes and different species of monkeys, such as baboons and colobus monkeys. The opportunity for spotting wildlife in its natural habitat is of particular appeal for anyone considering Mount Meru trekking tours.
Climbing Mount Meru in Tanzania to the top of this volcano is a fantastic one that leads us through many different vegetation zones: from grasslands to thick and lush green rainforest, heath, and moorland along the knife-edge of the crater rim, and alpine desert.
As Mount Meru trekking is often used as a way of acclimatizing and warming up for the challenging trek up Mount Kilimanjaro, we are pleased to offer a combination treks of both Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru. Whether you choose to trek Mount Meru on its own or in combination with Kilimanjaro, Meru will enthrall with it stunning vistas of its surroundings and views of its big brother, Mount Kilimanjaro, to the east.
Climbing Mount Meru in Tanzania you will not need any special equipment except stout boots, walking poles, and wet weather gear, especially in November, with warmer clothing at higher altitudes, but the climb of Mount Meru is demanding and you need to be healthy and fit. Mount Meru is not just visited as a prelude to a Kilimanjaro climb, but serves as a focus for a Tanzanian tour of Arusha National park, with trips to Memella Lake for canoeing and bird watching, or game drives to the less frequented Ngurdoto crater, a miniature a version of Ngorongoro Crater, from Buffalo Point on the crater wall, you can view animals undisturbed by a man.
Although Mount Meru has been climbed in 1 day and 2 days is very reasonable, the park has a regulation stating that climbs of the mountain will take a minimum of 3 days with a recommendation for 4.
When planning Climbing Mount Meru in Tanzania you can extend your Mount Meru Trip either to other northern Tanzania trip like Tarangire NP, Mount Kilimanjaro, Lake Natron, Odoinyo Lengai, Lake Manyara NP, Serengeti NP, Ngorongoro Crater or to Southern Tanzanian’s National parks namely Mikumi NP, Ruaha NP, Udzungwa Mountains, Kitulo NP, Saadani NP, Selous game Reserve, even have relaxation on the beach of Zanzibar.
In case you are looking to discover the whole Easter Africa, we recommend extending the Mount Meru Hike with Massai Mara in Kenya, Gorilla trekking in Rwanda, or Gorilla trekking in Uganda.
For more information and trip arrangement you can Enclose Africa Safaris!