Ilkiding’a Cultural

4 Days Mount Meru
Mount Meru Second Mountain in Tanzania.

Mount Meru Is one of Africa’s highest and most beautiful volcanoes. The route to the summit passes through parkland, montane forest, a giant heather zone and moorland. Finally, the summit is reached by a narrow, barren ridge, which provides stunning views of the Ash Cone lying several thousand feet below in the crater and Kilimanjaro in the background. Over 400 species of birds, rhino, elephant, buffalo, baboon, warthog, black and white Colobus monkey and duiker are all found in this delightful “gem among st parks”. The visit to the Ngurdoto crater and Momella lakes, with their superb scenery, flamingoes and other wildlife, is an unforgettable experience.What makes this trek truly special is the chance to see animals on foot. The lower section of the trail runs into the forest on the Meru crater floor, with many large, potentially dangerous game animals about. An armed ranger comes along on this trek for safety, the biggest danger being Cape buffalo and Elephant. You may see while on this trek many animals, including Cape Buffalo, giraffe, elephant, waterbuck, bushbuck, dik dik, warthog, olive baboon, Abyssinian (black & white) Colobus monkey, sykes monkey, and may find traces of leopard, civet cat, red duiker and mountain duiker. Bird life is amazing, with the Momella Lakes close by, attracting thousands of European and African migrant species in the green season.
The group will be accompanied Park Guide and porters on Mount Meru . On the mountain we use dormitory style huts. A sleeping bag and mat are required for the huts,

Climbing mt meru in Arusha Tanzania is a good trekking mountain for acclimatization for Mt kilimanjaro climb. Mt Meru trekking is an adventure with close contact with wildlife

Meru is a stratovolcano in Tanzania. It has quite an explosive history, having erupted four times. The most recent eruption occurred in 1910. Lava eruption from Meru varies from thin flows to thick intrusive domes.

The main cone of the volcano has a caldera which is 2.2 miles (3.5 Km) in diameter. It has a huge breach on its eastern side. A graben runs down the side of the volcano from this breach. Many debris flows came through the breach in the caldera. These cover 1500 sq km to the north-east, east and south-east. Following the eruption of this debris, a lava dome and ash cone grew on the floor of the caldera.

The route to the summit of Mount Meru passes through Arusha National Park. Over 400 species of animals roam the lower slopes of the volcano; these include birds, elephant, buffalo, baboon, warthog, black and white colobus monkey and duiker. A visit to Ngurdoto Crater and Momella Lakes offers superb scenery with flamingos and other wildlife. Accommodation on this ascent is in dormitory styled huts. Hiking to the summit of Mount Meru is over terrain which is often steep and could prove to be a tough challenge for some.

Day 1 – Park’s gate to Miriakamba Hut (2470 m)
After entering the main park’s gate on the outskirts of Arusha, your adventure starts with a walk through Arusha National Park. For safety reasons a ranger will accompany you as buffalo, and even elephant roam the lower slopes of Meru. Porters and guides will carry all your gear and meals as you gradually ascend towards the first camp, Miriakamba (2470 m). This day presents numerous opportunities for photographs and game viewing. Encounters with some of the animals grazing a few meters away from the man path are quite common. Ablution facilities are clean, with bunk beds available for a good nights rest. On a clear day, there are spectacular views of Kilimanjaro.

Day 2 – Miriakamba Hut (2470 m) to Saddle Hut (3500m)
After breakfast the steep ascent towards Saddle Hut (3500 m) passes through fine forest and the heather zone. A half way stop allows for a short rest and lunch, and the location also offers spectacular views of Meru towering above. After reaching camp you have two options, rest or walk to Little Meru for breathtaking sunset pictures. After dinner is served, take time to prepare your gear for a midnight assault on the Socialist Peak (4562 m).