Mount Meru climb

Grandfather and I made it safely back home yesterday lunchtime after the physically hardest few days of our lives! Climbing Mount Meru involved almost no horizontal walking. Two days of steep uphill for 4-5 hours followed by a summit day of a solid 5 hours ascending 1000m in the dark over rugged terain, then 3 hours descending back down, with a short rest before another 3 hours descending another 1000m. Then a final day descending the further 1000 m down to the ranger post to be taken home. Legs are killing me but otherwise we're fine!

Anticipation - the view of Mount Meru as we entered Arusha National Park

Nice lunch spot

Oh dear - tired already

Strangler fig!

The ash cone, with our park ranger Vitus

First hut - Miriakamba

The view from the hut setting off on day 2

Beautiful forest to climb through

And then out into tall heather moorland with some other interesting plants...

and occasional tantalising views of Little Meru

Reaching the summit of Little Meru on the afternoon of Day 2, having first waited out a violent hail storm in our bunks.

No photos of summit climb as we set off at 2 am and did all but the last 10 mins in the dark. Here I am on the peak. Grandfather got to within 300m altitude (but with another hour and a half of gruelling up and down climbing to go) but exhaustion drove him back.  I only just made it myself

We did the whole climb with a swiss lass called Hannah, who was great company. She and I were very pleased to be the first to the summit that day!

Views on the way down - thank goodness we couldn't see any of it on the way up!

interesting plants just below the summit

this little chap was waiting for us back at the hut, to see us off on the final 3 hours of the day back down to Miriakamba hut for 11 hours sleep...

Last day - lovely waterfall near the bottom.

and big beasties to negotiate - buffalo here

And finally driven back home for a hot shower and collapse. Great to have done it but I think once was enough!