Mount Meru (4566 masl) - Tanzania (IBP = 338)
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 27.45 mi
- Elevation gain
- 10,823 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Very difficult
- Elevation loss
- 10,823 ft
- Max elevation
- 14,498 ft
- TrailRank
- 61
- Min elevation
- 5,128 ft
- Trail type
- Loop
- Moving time
- 14 hours 51 minutes
- Time
- 2 days 21 hours 5 minutes
- Coordinates
- 8003
- Uploaded
- January 3, 2022
- Recorded
- January 2022
near Engare Nanyuki, Arusha (Tanzania)
Viewed 350 times, downloaded 11 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
|
[Versión en CASTELLANO más abajo]
Photos/Fotos:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=antoni.sanz&set=a.10227231945454338
ENGLISH version
Complete track of the ascent and descent to Mount Meru, the fifth highest mountain in Africa and the second highest mountain in Tanzania. [NOTE: For the graduation of the difficulty of the routes, I use the IBP Index for hiking (https://www.ibpindex.com/index.php/es/). The difficulties that I report correspond to people of moderate physical preparation]
DAY 1 (+955m; -54m):
After the official registration and the weighing and preparation of the equipment, we depart (1:00 p.m.) from the Momella gate (1,600 masl) towards Miriakamba Hut (5:00 p.m., 2,500 masl) in a stage of 4h and 1000m of ascent. We are accompanied by our personal guide and the ranger of the National Park o Arusha, who is armed and his function is to protect us in preventing attacks by animals, as well as to guide us in relation to the flora and fauna of the park. Despite being a private trip for two people, the national park has decided to assign us a ranger shared with 6 other people and their respective guides, with whom we carry out the entire route except the attack and descent to the top of Mount Meru, which each mountaineer does with his respective guide. The ascent (through the "southern route") begins with a slight slope (10%), quite hot and forest terrain and semi-humid scrub, but as we gain height the landscape becomes a very lush rainforest, in which we have sporadic contact with some animals (wild pigs - pumba, antelope, baboon). The ranger decides to shorten the route by leaving the forest track that we ascend a couple of times, going fully into the rainforest, which significantly improves the visual experience, at the cost of increasing the slope and the perceived heat (it is quite humid) . The famous Fig Tree arch (a huge tree with a hole at its base that can accommodate a car) is the main stop we make on the ascent. Once we reach the Miriakamba Hut, the room assignments are made. We (two people) are assigned a room for 4 people, which has two reasonably comfortable two-bed bunk beds. After showering with a hot water basin (there is only cold water in the toilets), we have dinner at 7:00 p.m. and do the briefing with the guide for the next day.
DAY 2 (+1347m; -247m):
Breakfast at 7am and departure at 7:30am from Miriakamba Hut in the same group as the previous day. This stage takes us to the Saddle Hut, a 4-hour ascent (1000m of unevenness), it is steeper than the previous one (25% on average), although it is pleasant to walk due to the temperature and the views, which are spectacular . Every now and then we spot the top of Mount Kilimanjaro in a clearing in the rainforest. The path is perfectly laid out, it is a very good walk, and it develops until 3100 masl through the rainforest, to give way from that height to a shrubby area. Around 12 o'clock we arrive at the Saddle Hut (3,550 masl), and we carry out the same routines as in the previous stage: Assignment of rooms, bathroom with hot water bowl and lunch. After a short rest, in the afternoon we make a short acclimatization excursion to Little Meru (3820 masl) with 45 min uphill and 30 min downhill. Dinner at 6:00 p.m., briefing and we will try to sleep, since we will get up at midnight for the ascent to the top.
DAY 3 (+1134m; -2200m):
We wake up at 00:00, have breakfast at 00:30am and start the ascent to the top of Mount Meru at 01:00am. the path begins in a very flat area of bushes (slopes of 0% to 10%). After approximately one kilometer, a steep but relatively comfortable ascent begins (average slope 23%) along a zigzag path that takes us to Rhino Point (3800 masl), which is one of the 3 peaks that make up Mount Meru. We start a smooth and short descent that leads us to the only step of a certain technical commitment of the entire ascent, which is protected by a succession of 4 chains that allow us to overcome a descent. The level of commitment of this step is not very high, but it is increased by the absence of light and because the soil presents humidity and frost. From this point on, the ascent is resumed, in which some small sections of horizontal crossing alternate, progressing at all times along the crest of the mountain. There are some sections of simple progression on volcanic lava that are interspersed with sections of somewhat more difficult progression through rocky terrain and with slopes greater than 30%. The final attack to the top begins at level 4350 through very stony terrain, which is not technically very demanding but is difficult due to its combination with the high altitude and accumulated fatigue. The summit (4566 masl) is reached at sunrise (6.30am) and after the photos and rest, the way back to Saddle Hut is resumed, returning on the way out, now in full light, which allows us to see the majesty of the environment that surrounds us, with the crater of the volcano at our feet and Mount Kilimanjaro before us on the horizon. We arrived at Saddle Hut at 9:30 a.m.
After a short break at Saddle Hut to regain strength, the group linked to the ranger assigned by the Arusha National Park was reconstituted and we made the descent to Miriakamba Hut by the same route that we used to climb to Saddle Hut.
Afternoon rest, shower, dinner and breafing for the next day.
DAY 4 (+37m; -947m):
After breakfast, we begin the group descent to Momella Gate. This time we use the northern route, which is a path that goes directly down the mountain slope, and in which sections of jungle alternate with meadow clearings that allow a majestic perspective of Kilimanjaro, as well as allows us to see various animals . At level 1650 we make a detour to visit an interesting Tululusia waterfall (28m). Then we undo the path to resume the return to Momella Gate, and we pass through a large meadow where the pleasant surprise of a large herd of giraffes awaits us, which we approach without problems (at only 5m) to be able to appreciate and photograph them . We also pass some buffalo that graze on the other side of the river. Finally we arrive at Momella Gate, where we have breakfast and proceed to the ritual of farewell and distribution of tips to the ranger and our team.
The following should be remembered for the entire route:
The hiring of the guide team and porters is mandatory. It cannot be done on your own.
It is necessary to carry two backpacks: A small one for the mountaineer himself/herself to transport the equipment for each stage, and another that will contain the rest of the equipment and that will be carried from hut to hut by a porter. This big backpack must have a legal maximum weight of 15 Kgs., But it is recommended that it does not exceed 10 Kgs. In fact, for the 4-day itinerary it is not necessary to have equipment weighing more than 10 Kgs.
It is very important to carry a camelbak or another water transport system in your small backpack, with a capacity of 1.5L to 2L. In preventing acute mountain sickness, a very significant intake of water is necessary.
Accompaniment by an armed ranger is mandatory, except for the attack to the top. At its discretion, the park can group several mountaineers into a ranger's group.
The payment of park access fees, proportional to the number of days of stay, as well as the payment of the overnight stay in the huts is mandatory.
In the huts there are the following facilities: Rooms with bunk beds (they have a key and electric light), toilets, a Turkish plate type toilet, cold water showers and a living-dining room. However, there are no plugs for recharging electronic devices, so it is necessary to carry powerbanks, solar chargers or other recharging devices. The availability of toilet paper and soap in the sinks is intermittent and does not appear to be assured. Personal hygiene is carried out using bowls of hot water and soap that make their respective equipment available to the mountaineers.
In our case, for an expedition made up of two people, the hired crew consisted of 6 people: a guide, a cooker, a waiter, a porter-assistant guide, and two porters.
Below is the list of the material we use for the trip. It should be noted that it refers to the total equipment of our entire trip, which included 4 days of stay on Mount Meru and another 4 additional days of safari:
Suitcases
Big backpack
Small backpack
Waterproof for backpack
Carabiners
Chords
Camelback 2 / 3l
FP2 Surgical Masks
Thermal blanket
Hiking sticks
Sleeping bag
Front of
SUNGLASSES
Leggings
BOOTS
Neoprene camelback tube
Slippers rest
Pijama
Socks
Long pants
Panties / Puins
Short shirts
Thermal mesh
BERMUDA SHORTS
Winter pants
Waterproof pants
Waterproof / survey
HAT
Balaclava
GLOVES
Snow gloves
Buff
Cap / Visor
Thermal shirt
Jackets (2 layers)
Anorak (3 layers)
Towel
Solar battery
Batteries
USB Cable
USB charger
Smartphone
Tablet
Pulse oximeter
BOOK
Camera photos
Camera tridet
Adapter plug
USB Clock Cable
Tanzania Mobile Card
Brush teeth
Deodorant
Hotel of necessity
Moisturizing
Shaved machine
Shaved cream
Mirror
Soap / Shampoo
Team
Ibuprofen
Flu
Allergy pads
Rinocort
Strongec
To compose
Edemox
Voltarén Forte Pomade
Watermaker Pills
Wet wipes
Kleenex
Soap
Trousers
Repellent mosquito
Sunscreen
Lip cream
FLOSS
Power bars
GUMMINOLES (GRMS)
Isotonic pills
Vitamins and magnesium.
Passport
Visa
Mountaineering Federation card
Primer vaccines
COVID + PCR passport
ID card
Money ($)
Credit card
[NOTE: For the graduation of the difficulty of the routes I use the IBP Index for hiking (https://www.ibpindex.com/index.php/es/). The difficulties I report correspond to people of average physical preparation]
[CASTELLANO]
Track completo de la ascensión y descenso al Monte Meru, quinta montaña más alta de África y segunda montaña más alta de Tanzania. [NOTA: Para la graduación de la dificultad de las rutas utilizo el IBP Index para senderismo (https://www.ibpindex.com/index.php/es/). Las dificultades que reporto corresponden a personas de preparación física media]
DÍA 1 (+955m; -54m):
After the official registration and the weighing and preparation of the equipment, we set off (1:00 p.m.) from the Momella gate (1,600 masl) to Miriakamba Hut (5:00 p.m., 2,500 masl) in a stage of 4 hours and 1,000 meters of unevenness. We are accompanied by our personal guide and the national park ranger, who is armed and whose function is to protect us from animal attacks, as well as to guide us in relation to the flora and fauna of the park. Despite being a private trip for two people, the national park has decided to assign us a ranger shared with 6 other people and their respective guides, with whom we do the entire route except for the attack and descent to the top, which each mountaineer does with their respective guide. The ascent along the southern route begins with a slight slope (10%), quite hot and semi-humid forest and scrub land, but as we gain altitude the landscape becomes a very leafy jungle, in which we have sporadic contact with some animals (wild pigs - pumbaa, antelopes, baboons). The ranger decides to shorten the route, abandoning the forest track along which we ascend on a couple of occasions, entering fully into the jungle, which ostensibly improves the visual experience, at the cost of increasing the slope and the perceived heat (it is quite humid). . The famous Fig Tree Arch (a huge tree with a hole at its base through which a car can fit) is the main stop we make on the ascent. Once we reach the Miriakamba Hut, the room assignment is made. We are assigned a room for 4 people, which has two bunk beds with two reasonably comfortable beds. After showering with a hot water basin (there is only cold water in the sinks), we have dinner at 7:00 p.m. and have a briefing with the guide for the next day.
DAY 2 (+1347m; -247m):
Breakfast at 7 am and departure at 7:30 am from the Miriakamba Hut in the same group as the day before. This stage takes us to the Saddle Hut after about 4 hours of ascent (1000m difference in altitude), it is steeper than the previous one (25% on average), although it is pleasant to walk through due to the temperature and the views, which are spectacular. . From time to time we glimpse the top of Mount Kilimanjaro in a clearing in the jungle. The path is perfectly traced, it is very easy to walk, and it goes up to 3100 masl through the jungle, to give way from that height to a bushy area. Around 12 noon we arrive at the Saddle Hut (3550 masl), and we carry out the same routines as in the previous stage: room assignment, bathroom with hot water basin and food. After a short rest, in the afternoon we make a brief acclimatization excursion to Little Meru (3820 masl) with 45 minutes of ascent and 30 minutes of descent. Dinner at 6:00 p.m., briefing and we will try to sleep, since we will get up at midnight to climb to the top.
DAY 3 (+1134m; -2200m):
We wake up at 12:00 a.m., have breakfast at 12:30 a.m. and start the ascent to the top of Mount Meru at 1:00 a.m. the path begins in a very flat area of bushes (slopes from 0% to 10%). After approximately one kilometer, a relatively easy ascent begins (average slope 23%) along a zig-zag path that takes us to Rhino Point (3,800 masl), which is one of the 3 peaks that make up Mount Meru. We start a smooth and short descent that leads us to the only step of a certain technical commitment of the entire ascent, which is protected by a succession of 4 chains that allow us to overcome a descent. The level of commitment of this step is not very high, but it increases due to the absence of light and because the ground is damp and frosty. From this point the ascent resumes, in which some small sections of horizontal crossing alternate, and which progresses at all times along the crest of the mountain. There are some sections of easy progression on the volcanic lava that are interspersed with sections of somewhat more difficult progression on rocky terrain and with slopes greater than 30%. Starting at elevation 4350, the final attack to the top begins through very rocky terrain, which is not very technically demanding but is difficult due to its combination with the high altitude and accumulated fatigue. The summit (4,566 masl) is reached at sunrise (6:30 a.m.) and after taking photos and resting, the journey back to Saddle Hut is resumed, returning by the way to go, now in full light, which It allows us to see the majesty of the environment that surrounds us, with the crater of the volcano at our feet and Mount Kilimanjaro before us on the horizon. We arrive at Saddle Hut at 9:30 a.m.
After a brief rest at Saddle Hut to regain strength, the group linked to the ranger assigned by the Arusha National Park reconstitutes itself and we make the descent to the Miriakamba Hut by the same itinerary that we used to climb Saddle Hut. Rest afternoon, shower, dinner and breafing for the next day.
DAY 4 (+37m; -947m):
After breakfast, we begin the group descent towards Momella Gate. On this occasion we use the northern route, which is a path that goes straight down the mountainside, and in which stretches of jungle alternate with clearings of meadow that allow us to have a majestic perspective of Kilimanjaro, as well as allow us to see various animals. . At elevation 1650m we make a detour to visit an interesting Tululusia waterfall (28m). We then retrace our steps to return to Momella Gate, and we pass through a large meadow where the pleasant surprise of a large herd of giraffes awaits us, which we approach without problems (only about 5m away) to be able to appreciate and photograph them. . We also passed close to some buffalo grazing on the other side of the river. Finally we arrive at Momella Gate, where we have breakfast and proceed to the farewell ritual and distribution of tips to the ranger and our team.
The following should be remembered for the route as a whole:
Hiring the guide team and porters is mandatory. It cannot be done for free.
It is necessary to carry two backpacks: A small one for the mountaineer himself to transport the equipment for each stage, and another that will contain the rest of the equipment and that will be carried from refuge to refuge by a porter. This backpack must have a maximum legal weight of 15 Kgs., but it is recommended that it does not exceed 10 Kgs. In fact, for the 4-day itinerary, equipment weighing more than 10 Kgs is not necessary.
It is very important to carry a camelbak or other water transport system in your backpack, with a capacity of 1.5L to 2L. In prevention of acute mountain sickness, a very significant intake of water is necessary.
Accompaniment by an armed ranger is mandatory, except for the attack on the top. On a discretionary basis, the park may group several mountaineers in a ranger's group.
It is mandatory to pay access fees to the park, proportional to the number of days of stay, as well as the payment of overnight stays in the shelters ("huts").
The huts have the following facilities: Rooms with bunk beds (they have a key and electricity), toilets, Turkish plate-type toilets, cold-water showers and a living-dining room. However, there are no outlets for recharging electronic devices, so power banks, solar chargers, or other recharging devices are required. The availability of toilet paper and soap in the toilets is intermittent and does not seem to be guaranteed. Personal hygiene is carried out using basins of hot water and soap that are made available to mountaineers by their respective equipment.
In our case, for an expedition made up of two people, the contracted team was made up of 6 people: A guide, a cook, a waiter, an assistant porter-guide, two porters.
Below is the list of material we use for the trip. It should be noted that this refers to the total of the team for our entire trip, which included a 4-day stay at Mount Meru and an additional 4 days of safari:
Baggage
Big backpack
Small backpack
raincoat for backpack
small carabiners
lines
camelback 2 / 3l
FP2 Surgical Masks
Thermal blanket
hiking sticks
Sleeping bag
Front of
Sunglasses
Leggings
Mountain boots
camelback neoprene tube
slippers rest
Pijama
Socks
Long pants
Panties / Puins
Short shirts
thermal mesh
BERMUDA
winter pants
waterproof pants
waterproof / survey
hat
buff
fine gloves
Snow gloves
buff
Cap / Visor
thermal shirt
Jackets (2 layers)
Anorak (3 layers)
Towel
Solar battery
batteries
USB Cable
USB charger
Smartphone
Tablet
pulse oximeter
Book
camera photos
camera tripod
adapter plug
USB clock cable
Tanzania mobile card
brush teeth
Deodorant
hotel of necessity
Moisturizing
machine shaved
shaving cream
Mirror
Soap / Shampoo
Equipment
Ibuprofen
flu
allergy pads
rhinocort
Strongec
To compose
edemox
Voltaren Forte Ointment
Watermaker pills
Wet wipes
Kleenex
Soap
Pants
mosquito repellent
Sunscreen
lip cream
Floss
energy bars
jellies
Isotonic pills
vitamins and magnesium.
Passport
Visa
Hiking federation card
primer vaccinations
COVID Passport + PCR
identification card
money ($)
Credit card
[NOTE: For the graduation of the difficulty of the routes I use the IBP Index for hiking (https://www.ibpindex.com/index.php/es/). The difficulties that I report correspond to people of medium physical preparation]
Photos/Fotos:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=antoni.sanz&set=a.10227231945454338
ENGLISH version
Complete track of the ascent and descent to Mount Meru, the fifth highest mountain in Africa and the second highest mountain in Tanzania. [NOTE: For the graduation of the difficulty of the routes, I use the IBP Index for hiking (https://www.ibpindex.com/index.php/es/). The difficulties that I report correspond to people of moderate physical preparation]
DAY 1 (+955m; -54m):
After the official registration and the weighing and preparation of the equipment, we depart (1:00 p.m.) from the Momella gate (1,600 masl) towards Miriakamba Hut (5:00 p.m., 2,500 masl) in a stage of 4h and 1000m of ascent. We are accompanied by our personal guide and the ranger of the National Park o Arusha, who is armed and his function is to protect us in preventing attacks by animals, as well as to guide us in relation to the flora and fauna of the park. Despite being a private trip for two people, the national park has decided to assign us a ranger shared with 6 other people and their respective guides, with whom we carry out the entire route except the attack and descent to the top of Mount Meru, which each mountaineer does with his respective guide. The ascent (through the "southern route") begins with a slight slope (10%), quite hot and forest terrain and semi-humid scrub, but as we gain height the landscape becomes a very lush rainforest, in which we have sporadic contact with some animals (wild pigs - pumba, antelope, baboon). The ranger decides to shorten the route by leaving the forest track that we ascend a couple of times, going fully into the rainforest, which significantly improves the visual experience, at the cost of increasing the slope and the perceived heat (it is quite humid) . The famous Fig Tree arch (a huge tree with a hole at its base that can accommodate a car) is the main stop we make on the ascent. Once we reach the Miriakamba Hut, the room assignments are made. We (two people) are assigned a room for 4 people, which has two reasonably comfortable two-bed bunk beds. After showering with a hot water basin (there is only cold water in the toilets), we have dinner at 7:00 p.m. and do the briefing with the guide for the next day.
DAY 2 (+1347m; -247m):
Breakfast at 7am and departure at 7:30am from Miriakamba Hut in the same group as the previous day. This stage takes us to the Saddle Hut, a 4-hour ascent (1000m of unevenness), it is steeper than the previous one (25% on average), although it is pleasant to walk due to the temperature and the views, which are spectacular . Every now and then we spot the top of Mount Kilimanjaro in a clearing in the rainforest. The path is perfectly laid out, it is a very good walk, and it develops until 3100 masl through the rainforest, to give way from that height to a shrubby area. Around 12 o'clock we arrive at the Saddle Hut (3,550 masl), and we carry out the same routines as in the previous stage: Assignment of rooms, bathroom with hot water bowl and lunch. After a short rest, in the afternoon we make a short acclimatization excursion to Little Meru (3820 masl) with 45 min uphill and 30 min downhill. Dinner at 6:00 p.m., briefing and we will try to sleep, since we will get up at midnight for the ascent to the top.
DAY 3 (+1134m; -2200m):
We wake up at 00:00, have breakfast at 00:30am and start the ascent to the top of Mount Meru at 01:00am. the path begins in a very flat area of bushes (slopes of 0% to 10%). After approximately one kilometer, a steep but relatively comfortable ascent begins (average slope 23%) along a zigzag path that takes us to Rhino Point (3800 masl), which is one of the 3 peaks that make up Mount Meru. We start a smooth and short descent that leads us to the only step of a certain technical commitment of the entire ascent, which is protected by a succession of 4 chains that allow us to overcome a descent. The level of commitment of this step is not very high, but it is increased by the absence of light and because the soil presents humidity and frost. From this point on, the ascent is resumed, in which some small sections of horizontal crossing alternate, progressing at all times along the crest of the mountain. There are some sections of simple progression on volcanic lava that are interspersed with sections of somewhat more difficult progression through rocky terrain and with slopes greater than 30%. The final attack to the top begins at level 4350 through very stony terrain, which is not technically very demanding but is difficult due to its combination with the high altitude and accumulated fatigue. The summit (4566 masl) is reached at sunrise (6.30am) and after the photos and rest, the way back to Saddle Hut is resumed, returning on the way out, now in full light, which allows us to see the majesty of the environment that surrounds us, with the crater of the volcano at our feet and Mount Kilimanjaro before us on the horizon. We arrived at Saddle Hut at 9:30 a.m.
After a short break at Saddle Hut to regain strength, the group linked to the ranger assigned by the Arusha National Park was reconstituted and we made the descent to Miriakamba Hut by the same route that we used to climb to Saddle Hut.
Afternoon rest, shower, dinner and breafing for the next day.
DAY 4 (+37m; -947m):
After breakfast, we begin the group descent to Momella Gate. This time we use the northern route, which is a path that goes directly down the mountain slope, and in which sections of jungle alternate with meadow clearings that allow a majestic perspective of Kilimanjaro, as well as allows us to see various animals . At level 1650 we make a detour to visit an interesting Tululusia waterfall (28m). Then we undo the path to resume the return to Momella Gate, and we pass through a large meadow where the pleasant surprise of a large herd of giraffes awaits us, which we approach without problems (at only 5m) to be able to appreciate and photograph them . We also pass some buffalo that graze on the other side of the river. Finally we arrive at Momella Gate, where we have breakfast and proceed to the ritual of farewell and distribution of tips to the ranger and our team.
The following should be remembered for the entire route:
The hiring of the guide team and porters is mandatory. It cannot be done on your own.
It is necessary to carry two backpacks: A small one for the mountaineer himself/herself to transport the equipment for each stage, and another that will contain the rest of the equipment and that will be carried from hut to hut by a porter. This big backpack must have a legal maximum weight of 15 Kgs., But it is recommended that it does not exceed 10 Kgs. In fact, for the 4-day itinerary it is not necessary to have equipment weighing more than 10 Kgs.
It is very important to carry a camelbak or another water transport system in your small backpack, with a capacity of 1.5L to 2L. In preventing acute mountain sickness, a very significant intake of water is necessary.
Accompaniment by an armed ranger is mandatory, except for the attack to the top. At its discretion, the park can group several mountaineers into a ranger's group.
The payment of park access fees, proportional to the number of days of stay, as well as the payment of the overnight stay in the huts is mandatory.
In the huts there are the following facilities: Rooms with bunk beds (they have a key and electric light), toilets, a Turkish plate type toilet, cold water showers and a living-dining room. However, there are no plugs for recharging electronic devices, so it is necessary to carry powerbanks, solar chargers or other recharging devices. The availability of toilet paper and soap in the sinks is intermittent and does not appear to be assured. Personal hygiene is carried out using bowls of hot water and soap that make their respective equipment available to the mountaineers.
In our case, for an expedition made up of two people, the hired crew consisted of 6 people: a guide, a cooker, a waiter, a porter-assistant guide, and two porters.
Below is the list of the material we use for the trip. It should be noted that it refers to the total equipment of our entire trip, which included 4 days of stay on Mount Meru and another 4 additional days of safari:
Suitcases
Big backpack
Small backpack
Waterproof for backpack
Carabiners
Chords
Camelback 2 / 3l
FP2 Surgical Masks
Thermal blanket
Hiking sticks
Sleeping bag
Front of
SUNGLASSES
Leggings
BOOTS
Neoprene camelback tube
Slippers rest
Pijama
Socks
Long pants
Panties / Puins
Short shirts
Thermal mesh
BERMUDA SHORTS
Winter pants
Waterproof pants
Waterproof / survey
HAT
Balaclava
GLOVES
Snow gloves
Buff
Cap / Visor
Thermal shirt
Jackets (2 layers)
Anorak (3 layers)
Towel
Solar battery
Batteries
USB Cable
USB charger
Smartphone
Tablet
Pulse oximeter
BOOK
Camera photos
Camera tridet
Adapter plug
USB Clock Cable
Tanzania Mobile Card
Brush teeth
Deodorant
Hotel of necessity
Moisturizing
Shaved machine
Shaved cream
Mirror
Soap / Shampoo
Team
Ibuprofen
Flu
Allergy pads
Rinocort
Strongec
To compose
Edemox
Voltarén Forte Pomade
Watermaker Pills
Wet wipes
Kleenex
Soap
Trousers
Repellent mosquito
Sunscreen
Lip cream
FLOSS
Power bars
GUMMINOLES (GRMS)
Isotonic pills
Vitamins and magnesium.
Passport
Visa
Mountaineering Federation card
Primer vaccines
COVID + PCR passport
ID card
Money ($)
Credit card
[NOTE: For the graduation of the difficulty of the routes I use the IBP Index for hiking (https://www.ibpindex.com/index.php/es/). The difficulties I report correspond to people of average physical preparation]
[CASTELLANO]
Track completo de la ascensión y descenso al Monte Meru, quinta montaña más alta de África y segunda montaña más alta de Tanzania. [NOTA: Para la graduación de la dificultad de las rutas utilizo el IBP Index para senderismo (https://www.ibpindex.com/index.php/es/). Las dificultades que reporto corresponden a personas de preparación física media]
DÍA 1 (+955m; -54m):
After the official registration and the weighing and preparation of the equipment, we set off (1:00 p.m.) from the Momella gate (1,600 masl) to Miriakamba Hut (5:00 p.m., 2,500 masl) in a stage of 4 hours and 1,000 meters of unevenness. We are accompanied by our personal guide and the national park ranger, who is armed and whose function is to protect us from animal attacks, as well as to guide us in relation to the flora and fauna of the park. Despite being a private trip for two people, the national park has decided to assign us a ranger shared with 6 other people and their respective guides, with whom we do the entire route except for the attack and descent to the top, which each mountaineer does with their respective guide. The ascent along the southern route begins with a slight slope (10%), quite hot and semi-humid forest and scrub land, but as we gain altitude the landscape becomes a very leafy jungle, in which we have sporadic contact with some animals (wild pigs - pumbaa, antelopes, baboons). The ranger decides to shorten the route, abandoning the forest track along which we ascend on a couple of occasions, entering fully into the jungle, which ostensibly improves the visual experience, at the cost of increasing the slope and the perceived heat (it is quite humid). . The famous Fig Tree Arch (a huge tree with a hole at its base through which a car can fit) is the main stop we make on the ascent. Once we reach the Miriakamba Hut, the room assignment is made. We are assigned a room for 4 people, which has two bunk beds with two reasonably comfortable beds. After showering with a hot water basin (there is only cold water in the sinks), we have dinner at 7:00 p.m. and have a briefing with the guide for the next day.
DAY 2 (+1347m; -247m):
Breakfast at 7 am and departure at 7:30 am from the Miriakamba Hut in the same group as the day before. This stage takes us to the Saddle Hut after about 4 hours of ascent (1000m difference in altitude), it is steeper than the previous one (25% on average), although it is pleasant to walk through due to the temperature and the views, which are spectacular. . From time to time we glimpse the top of Mount Kilimanjaro in a clearing in the jungle. The path is perfectly traced, it is very easy to walk, and it goes up to 3100 masl through the jungle, to give way from that height to a bushy area. Around 12 noon we arrive at the Saddle Hut (3550 masl), and we carry out the same routines as in the previous stage: room assignment, bathroom with hot water basin and food. After a short rest, in the afternoon we make a brief acclimatization excursion to Little Meru (3820 masl) with 45 minutes of ascent and 30 minutes of descent. Dinner at 6:00 p.m., briefing and we will try to sleep, since we will get up at midnight to climb to the top.
DAY 3 (+1134m; -2200m):
We wake up at 12:00 a.m., have breakfast at 12:30 a.m. and start the ascent to the top of Mount Meru at 1:00 a.m. the path begins in a very flat area of bushes (slopes from 0% to 10%). After approximately one kilometer, a relatively easy ascent begins (average slope 23%) along a zig-zag path that takes us to Rhino Point (3,800 masl), which is one of the 3 peaks that make up Mount Meru. We start a smooth and short descent that leads us to the only step of a certain technical commitment of the entire ascent, which is protected by a succession of 4 chains that allow us to overcome a descent. The level of commitment of this step is not very high, but it increases due to the absence of light and because the ground is damp and frosty. From this point the ascent resumes, in which some small sections of horizontal crossing alternate, and which progresses at all times along the crest of the mountain. There are some sections of easy progression on the volcanic lava that are interspersed with sections of somewhat more difficult progression on rocky terrain and with slopes greater than 30%. Starting at elevation 4350, the final attack to the top begins through very rocky terrain, which is not very technically demanding but is difficult due to its combination with the high altitude and accumulated fatigue. The summit (4,566 masl) is reached at sunrise (6:30 a.m.) and after taking photos and resting, the journey back to Saddle Hut is resumed, returning by the way to go, now in full light, which It allows us to see the majesty of the environment that surrounds us, with the crater of the volcano at our feet and Mount Kilimanjaro before us on the horizon. We arrive at Saddle Hut at 9:30 a.m.
After a brief rest at Saddle Hut to regain strength, the group linked to the ranger assigned by the Arusha National Park reconstitutes itself and we make the descent to the Miriakamba Hut by the same itinerary that we used to climb Saddle Hut. Rest afternoon, shower, dinner and breafing for the next day.
DAY 4 (+37m; -947m):
After breakfast, we begin the group descent towards Momella Gate. On this occasion we use the northern route, which is a path that goes straight down the mountainside, and in which stretches of jungle alternate with clearings of meadow that allow us to have a majestic perspective of Kilimanjaro, as well as allow us to see various animals. . At elevation 1650m we make a detour to visit an interesting Tululusia waterfall (28m). We then retrace our steps to return to Momella Gate, and we pass through a large meadow where the pleasant surprise of a large herd of giraffes awaits us, which we approach without problems (only about 5m away) to be able to appreciate and photograph them. . We also passed close to some buffalo grazing on the other side of the river. Finally we arrive at Momella Gate, where we have breakfast and proceed to the farewell ritual and distribution of tips to the ranger and our team.
The following should be remembered for the route as a whole:
Hiring the guide team and porters is mandatory. It cannot be done for free.
It is necessary to carry two backpacks: A small one for the mountaineer himself to transport the equipment for each stage, and another that will contain the rest of the equipment and that will be carried from refuge to refuge by a porter. This backpack must have a maximum legal weight of 15 Kgs., but it is recommended that it does not exceed 10 Kgs. In fact, for the 4-day itinerary, equipment weighing more than 10 Kgs is not necessary.
It is very important to carry a camelbak or other water transport system in your backpack, with a capacity of 1.5L to 2L. In prevention of acute mountain sickness, a very significant intake of water is necessary.
Accompaniment by an armed ranger is mandatory, except for the attack on the top. On a discretionary basis, the park may group several mountaineers in a ranger's group.
It is mandatory to pay access fees to the park, proportional to the number of days of stay, as well as the payment of overnight stays in the shelters ("huts").
The huts have the following facilities: Rooms with bunk beds (they have a key and electricity), toilets, Turkish plate-type toilets, cold-water showers and a living-dining room. However, there are no outlets for recharging electronic devices, so power banks, solar chargers, or other recharging devices are required. The availability of toilet paper and soap in the toilets is intermittent and does not seem to be guaranteed. Personal hygiene is carried out using basins of hot water and soap that are made available to mountaineers by their respective equipment.
In our case, for an expedition made up of two people, the contracted team was made up of 6 people: A guide, a cook, a waiter, an assistant porter-guide, two porters.
Below is the list of material we use for the trip. It should be noted that this refers to the total of the team for our entire trip, which included a 4-day stay at Mount Meru and an additional 4 days of safari:
Baggage
Big backpack
Small backpack
raincoat for backpack
small carabiners
lines
camelback 2 / 3l
FP2 Surgical Masks
Thermal blanket
hiking sticks
Sleeping bag
Front of
Sunglasses
Leggings
Mountain boots
camelback neoprene tube
slippers rest
Pijama
Socks
Long pants
Panties / Puins
Short shirts
thermal mesh
BERMUDA
winter pants
waterproof pants
waterproof / survey
hat
buff
fine gloves
Snow gloves
buff
Cap / Visor
thermal shirt
Jackets (2 layers)
Anorak (3 layers)
Towel
Solar battery
batteries
USB Cable
USB charger
Smartphone
Tablet
pulse oximeter
Book
camera photos
camera tripod
adapter plug
USB clock cable
Tanzania mobile card
brush teeth
Deodorant
hotel of necessity
Moisturizing
machine shaved
shaving cream
Mirror
Soap / Shampoo
Equipment
Ibuprofen
flu
allergy pads
rhinocort
Strongec
To compose
edemox
Voltaren Forte Ointment
Watermaker pills
Wet wipes
Kleenex
Soap
Pants
mosquito repellent
Sunscreen
lip cream
Floss
energy bars
jellies
Isotonic pills
vitamins and magnesium.
Passport
Visa
Hiking federation card
primer vaccinations
COVID Passport + PCR
identification card
money ($)
Credit card
[NOTE: For the graduation of the difficulty of the routes I use the IBP Index for hiking (https://www.ibpindex.com/index.php/es/). The difficulties that I report correspond to people of medium physical preparation]
Waypoints
Waypoint
8,004 ft
Intersection
Summit
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