3-Day Mount Meru Trek from Momella Gate with Rhino Point Ascent

• Start from Momella Gate {1,500 m} in the late morning with your Tanzania tour guide. The trail soon passes through open grassland, where you can enjoy game viewing and spot buffalo, warthog, elephants, and more before beginning a steady climb through montane forest.

• Have lunch at the famous "Fig Tree". After lunch, continue the trek through a less dense forest, where there are many birds and monkeys, including the black-and-white colobus.

• By mid-afternoon, you will catch the first closer views of the towering cliffs and the Ash Cone. Reach Miriakamba Hut (2,514 m), situated in an idyllic grassy glade, and enjoy the sun and beautiful views over the surrounding plains towards Kilimanjaro. It takes about 4 to 6 hours of walking. The ascent is 1,014 m.

The walk from Miriakamba Hut to the saddle below Little Meru is a short day, but it is a steep and sustained climb.

• Start through attractive, open, and lush montane forest, then continue beyond the halfway point of Elephant Ridge uphill through giant heather and other moorland vegetation to reach Saddle Hut {3,570 m}.

• Have lunch. The afternoon is free to rest and enjoy the views. For energetic climbers, there is a short ascent to the nearby summit of Little Meru {3,820 m} for superb views just before sunset. It takes about 3 to 5 hours of walking. The ascent is 1,056 m. The path is a little exposed as it traverses the rocky ridge, with fine views across Kenya and the Maasai Hills. The descent follows the same route up, as going down the other ridge to make a traverse is strictly forbidden.

• Begin at around 02:00 hrs with a steep climb to Rhino Point {3,800 m}. The path continues along an undulating ridge of ash and rock to reach Cobra Point {4,350 m} around sunrise. The views are stunning: the cliffs of the Crater rim, the Ash Cone rising from the crater floor, Kilimanjaro floating on the morning clouds, and the Rift Valley if the weather is clear. The summit of Socialist Peak {4,566 m} is another hour away on a superb, though often steep, path.

• The route back to Rhino Point in the sharp morning light, along a narrow ridge between the sloping outer wall of the crater and the sheer cliffs of the inner wall, is one of the most dramatic and exhilarating walks in Africa.

• A fast descent through open grassland and mixed forest provides good chances of seeing wildlife. This trail also offers excellent views back towards the crater and over the plains of the National Park.

• Reach Momella Gate by late morning. It takes about 2 to 3 hours of walking, with a descent of 1,014 m.