Mt. Meru

Hi Everyone,

Just wanted to quickly let you know that I finally got my chance to climb Mt. Meru after having to postpone several days due to bad weather. Mt. Meru is located in the middle of Arusha National Park and reaches just over 14,800 ft. The trail starts out as a casual walk thru grassy plains that are home to water buffalo, giraffe, zebra, and elephants. Most climbers opt to go with a guide, porters, cook, and park ranger offered thru safari companies but with me being so cheap, I just opted for the ranger. Also feels more satisfying to lug your own gear to the top of a mountain. Park rangers are required to accompany all climbing parties in case an animal decides they don't like you in their territory. Needless to say, the hike becomes a bit of a challenge when having to sidestep the biggest water buffalo droppings I've ever seen while keeping your eyes constantly peeled on the underbrush in case one decides to charge.

Luckily, the only wild animals we encounter were the mild mannered and beautiful giraffe who are more then happy to get out of the way.

From the grasslands we slowly ascend into the rain forest with huge moss covered trees and emerge at Mirakamba Hut (8500ft.) The huts are quite lavish and I make the most of it by getting a good nights sleep prior to attempting the summit the next day.



Once we leave the Hut the path climbs steeply through pleasant glades where magnificent views of the summit and the crater are visible. The path then continues thru some open grass clearings, over several stream beds, and then follows a very long and narrow ridge between the outer slopes of the mountain and the sheer cliffs of the inner crater.

The last 2000 ft of the trail then turns into bare rock and ash which has many people convinced that this trek is actually tougher then Kili. In rain and snow that might be true, however, I have absolutely perfect weather and the only thing I'm worried about is altitude sickness after having decided to ascend 6000ft in one day.

After 8 hours of climbing I finally reach the summit and am rewarded with some of the most amazing views I've seen to date in Tanzania. Ozzy, my trusty ranger, and I sit on the top for an hour just soaking up the sun and taking in the beautiful views of Mt. Kilimanjaro, the Serengeti, and Kenya. After many pictures and moments of complete silence, its time to head back down to hut 2 for a much needed rest.


My trip up Mt. Meru was an absolutely fantastic experience and one I will not forget. I would like to thank all those who have sponsored me on this hike and more importantly the "Women of Pasua." In the next couple weeks I will be sending each of you an email with more information about the women you have decided to support. At this time, I'd like to ask that you stop making donations thru the justgiving.com web site as I no longer will be able to direct funds to this specific project.


A BIG THANK YOU once again to all of you who have helped me with this cause.