Overview

Though often ignored in favor of its big sister Kilimanjaro, Mount Meru is a worthy trekker’s paradise. This massive volcano towers over 3,000 meters above Arusha town, which lies at the foothills on its south side. The mountain endured a violent explosion in the distant past, and in its wake, the explosion left towering cliffs in a gaping U-shaped ridge facing east towards Kilimanjaro. The crater stands today in a protected Amphitheatre of sorts, thousands of feet below the summit rocks. The craggy top lies at the westernmost point of the summit ridge and juts boldly into the sky at 4566 m (14,979 feet). From the top, one can look out at Kilimanjaro from the highest perch possible perhaps there is no better vantage point to gaze at Africa’s tallest mountain, approximately 80 km to the northeast.