To Meru or not to Meru………….

Before I book my flights there’s one more decision I need to make, whether or not to tackle the nearby Mt Meru (4,652m) as a warm up to Kilimanjaro? 

 As the type of person who likes to squeeze every last drop out of anything, the opportunity to climb two mountains for the price of one (!?!) is hard to resist but there is another valid reason for taking on Mt Meru first, ACLIMATISATION.

Because I’m a borderline control freak I try and remove the element of chance wherever possible and to this end me (and my kit) will be in the best possible shape that I can realistically achieve

BUT

that might not matter because there’s no real way to predict how prone to AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness/Altitude Sickness) you might be and if it strikes the only option you have is to get yourself down the mountain, FAST!

The generally accepted method for minimising the likelihood of AMS is to spend time at altitude, allowing the body to adapt to the lower oxygen levels, this is why climbers tackle Everest over months repeatedly climbing and descending the mountain preparing for their summit attempt. 

So as well as offering a fabulous experience in its own right trekking Mt Meru seems to offer the opportunity to get a head start on the acclimatisation process and therefore improve my chances of reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro!