Feb 16th we started our 4 day trek to the peak of Mt. Meru (4,566m, 14,976 ft). We drove from Arusha and as soon as we ventered into the Arusha National Park we saw a giraffe at the main gate into the park. After a quick lunch at the park’s office at the Momela Gate and sorted out the porters we started our hike to the first hut with our guides and a ranger from the park service. The ranger is required to accompany each group through the park and up the mountain. This includes a gun that he carries to protect hikers from the dangerous wildlife J
We saw water buffalo, zebras and giraffes at the base of the mountain. What a great way to start a hike I Africa! It was a short day of 3 hrs through a beautiful forest with moss dripping off the trees. For the entire hike we could see the incredible and gorgeous mountain Mt. Meru. The 1st night we stayed at the Miriakamba Hut which was recently built and where an unexpected surprise as they were really nice. There is also a dining hut that has a balcony to view Mt. Kilimanjaro. However today the mountain was hidden behind the clouds, but there was a nice rainbow visible where Kili should have been seen.
Feb 17th and the mountain is out! Mt. Kilimanjaro was in full view this morning. It is quite an impressive mountain rising above valley and clouds. The main peak of Kilimanjaro, Kibo, is huge and very visible from this distance. We also had great views of Kili throughout the day hiking 4 hour to reach the 2nd hut – Saddle Hut (11483 ft). We reached the hut early in the afternoon, so after lunch another hiker, Cathy & I hiked up t the top of Little Meru (12,529 ft) to help acclimatize for tonight’s hike up to the peak of Mt. Meru.
Feb 18th up at 1am and on the trail at 2am after some tea and biscuits. It was very dark and cold. The stars were brilliant since it was a new moon and no artificial lights, except that coming from our headlamps. My hiking buddies for today were Cathy, Matthew, (both Americans working in Dar for the CDC) and Sam & Nick (English and Australian traveling about the world) whom Gabie and I had met along the way. Gabie was not able to do this day of hiking as she was having some difficulties with the altitude, which was a shame because today was her birthday. However as we hiked I in dark and cold, she was still sleeping in the warm hut and hike to Rhino Point for sunrise views of Kilimanjaro.
Our little hiking group started out together with the various guides and rangers on the path to Mt. Meru. The trail ascended gradually on a good path to Rhino Point. Once we passed this point the trail changed and we had to scramble up and over rocks, all the while in the dark. It was challenging because we could not see the surroundings of what exactly we were walking along - every once in a while the light from my headlamp caught the emptiness of what I determined to be a steep drop off on one side, and at some sections both sides of the trail. One of the guides, Safi, was singing Tanzanian songs the whole way up which made the tiring hike a little more bearable J Just about sunrise we reached the peak for amazing views all around!
Start of our hike with Mt. Meru in the background:
Cathy & I took a short hike to the top of Little Meru to help acclimatize. However it was too cloudy for good views, so no good photos from the top...except us:
Sunrise view of Mt. Kilimanjaro:
Sitting on the Peak of Mt. Meru
The hike down:
Me & Kilimanjaro:
The Crater Cone, the valley and Mt. Kilimanjaro:
The Crater Cone and Mt. Meru:
Another stellar view of Kilimanjaro:
On the last day of the hike, as we were coming back down the mountain, we saw the very furry Black and White Colobus Monkey
