Mount Meru is Tanzania's second highest mountain. With an altitude of 4566 m, the hike to the peak affords hikers with an amazing view at sunrise of Kilimanjaro 80 km away. But scenery is not the only reason to include this hike in your travels; the 3- to 4-day hike is not as busy as Kili, and helps one to acclimatise to higher altitudes before heading for Kibo!   

Getting there  
Mount Meru is located in Arusha National Park, about 35 km out of Arusha. In Arusha, all of the tour agents in the streets will provide a package price.... be careful!!! After the fact, we learned that the Momella Lodge (see below) offers pick-up from and to Arusha, and this is probably the best bet.   

Momella Lodge is inside the park. At $49 per person, including dinner and breakfast, the price is worth it. Get up early in the morning and you can stand beside grazing giraffes.   
  

Park fees   
A daily fee of $50 per person, which includes a mattress in the bunkhouses along the way, must be paid before entering the park. A park ranger must accompany each group visiting the park, for a minimal fee. The ranger carries a rifle, and is responsible to protect the group from water buffalo (who will charge a group when away from a herd).  Our ranger, Joseph, was both our ranger and our trip guide, and we carried all of our own gear.  For those hikers who want the easy life, one can also hire a guide, porters to carry gear, and cooks (we had the joy of hiking at the same time as 2 Rheinlanders, who had hired a ranger, a guide, 2 porters, and a cook).  

Food and supplies  
Some food at an inflated price is available at the camps on the route, but if you are cooking yourself then purchase food in Arusha. WARNING! Fresh water is NOT available!  There are large containers set underneath the hut roof waterspouts which store rainwater. A water filter and/or iodine crystals should definitely be used.   

The ascent to the peak of Mt. Meru leaves in the middle of the night, so be sure to pack a headlamp. The weather changes dramatically at the higher altitude, so lots of warm and wind-proof clothing is a must.  

While the path is not marked, there is no mistaking the well-trodden route.  The hike is not difficult, although some might find hiking in the night challenging. The rise in altitude can cause shortness of breath and headache.  To succeed in reaching the peak, the best strategy is to go pole pole - Swahili for slowly!  We hiked with 2 German couples at a moderate pace. Our ranger lead the way, and we were the only travellers we saw carrying all of our own gear.   
 

Momella Lodge -> Park gate -> Miriakamba Hut   
Hiking time:  4 hours, including breaks to take in the scenery   
Altitude change: 1000 m  
Weather:  sunny and hot followed by afternoon rain showers   
  

Momella Lodge is about 1 km from the park gate. All along the road, men waited, eager to be hired as porters, guide, or cooks, all to no avail by our group. After the official check-in, we hiked over a small river and across a large clearing. It was like being on the set of Jurassic Park, as we passed by grazing giraffes, water buffalo, and wild boar.  The ascent begins following the clearing, and passes through fields and lucious green forest.  At 2514 m is the camp, consisting of 2 bunkhouses for hikers and cooking & sleeping huts for the crews.   

Miriakamba Hut -> Saddle Hut   
Hiking time:  3:10 hours   
Altitude change:  1050 m   
Weather:  Hot & sunny!   

At 6 am Mt. Meru was a rosy shade of pink, and Kilimanjaro's Kibo peak was visible above a blanket of clouds.  This stretch of the hike is much steeper than the previous day, with paths that lead through forest. Nettle plants brushing legs and arms can cause an unpleasant sting; wearing light hiking pants is recommended.   

Twenty minutes into our hike, a forest clearing was the stage for dozens of baboons, both large and small. Another half hour along, we were looking down into the Meru crater. If you are lucky, which we were not, one can sight elephants and hyena from third point.  Along the path were Red Hot Pokers, named for the change of colour of the petals during blooming stages.   

The path continued steeply through forest until the last 15 minutes of the hike that was purely rock. Saddle Hut is located appropriately on the saddle between the peak of Mt. Meru and Little Meru. By the time we reached the hut, we were surrounded by clouds, so we forewent the short hike to the top of Little Meru.  Planning to wake up at 02:00, we made an early retreat to a very full bunkhouse (the bad weather kept a group of 20 Austrians from descending).   
 

Saddle Hut -> Mt Meru Peak -> Momella Lodge   
Hiking time:  14 hours   
Altitude change: up 1000m, down 3500 m   
Weather:  cold & windy to HOT and sunny!   

At 2 am, our tired but excited group headed out, destination Mt. Meru summit. As luck would have it, the almost-full moon in the clear sky lit our way. The path is mostly rock and sand, and the main challenge is to trust your footing in the darkness.  What is most important is to wear lots of layers and to bring plenty to drink. At a slow but steady pace, we reached the summit in time for sunrise, which was truly spectacular. The sun hitting the mountain allows Mt. Meru to cast a huge triangular shadow over the flatlands below. 80 km away, trekkers on the peak of Kibo are also seeing the first light of day.   

On the descent, you get to see all of the scenery you missed a few hours earlier. The out-and-back route ends at the park gate after a few hours of descending. The long day of hiking ended with a warm shower and a delicious meal back at the Momella Lodge.  

  
   
  
Mt. Meru seen from Kilimanjaro summit