Mount Meru

Mount Meru rises to 4,566 metres inside Arusha National Park, and though it stands in the shadow of Kilimanjaro fifty miles away, many people who climb both prefer it. The mountain blew out its eastern side in an ancient collapse, leaving a vast horseshoe crater with an ash cone in the middle, and the route follows the knife-edge of that rim on the summit night, with the drop into the crater on one side and, if the sky is clear, Kilimanjaro floating above the cloud as the sun rises. The lower slopes pass through genuine wildlife country, so the walk begins in the company of giraffe, buffalo and colobus monkeys and an armed ranger walks with every group for that reason. It is a shorter, steeper, cheaper climb than Kilimanjaro, and three or four days on it is the finest possible preparation for the bigger mountain.

What you actually see

• The crater rim ridge - the narrow summit ridge above the horseshoe crater.
• Sunrise over Kilimanjaro - the view across to the bigger peak from the summit.
• Wildlife on the lower slopes - giraffe, buffalo and colobus on the first day's walk.
• The ash cone - the inner cone standing in the crater below the rim.

When to go

June to February avoids the long rains, with the clearest mountain views typically from June to October and again around January; the summit night is bitterly cold in any season. Climbing Meru first and Kilimanjaro a few days later is a common and effective plan.

Honest expectations

It is a real mountain: the summit push starts around midnight, the ridge is narrow and exposed with long drops, and altitude affects people even at this height. An armed ranger is compulsory because of buffalo on the lower slopes, and groups move at his pace. Huts are basic and cold. It is cheaper than Kilimanjaro but not cheap, and park fees dominate the cost.

Nearby

Arusha town and the northern safari circuit start here; Kilimanjaro is visible to the east.