Acclimatisation on the Kilimanjaro Triple Expedition will be achieved with an ascent of Mount Meru, which will last three days and two nights. This pre-expedition climb, though serving to acclimatise the group for a successful ascent of Kilimanjaro is, nonetheless, a respectable attainment in its own right. For some it is expected that this will be their first peak above 4,000m.

Mount Meru, an extinct volcano, stands at 4,566m above sea level, only some 240m short of the height of Mont Blanc, western Europe’s highest peak. Depending on the team’s response to this early exposure to high altitude, we aim to climb both of Mount Meru’s twin summits.

We consider the necessity of good acclimatization to be paramount. Therefore, in cases of doubt we ask that all members agree to be subjected to simple painless tests. These include a measure of their oxygen saturation levels over a short time, by portable finger-clip pulse oximeter, and of their heart rates over as long as several hours at a time. Neither one of these methods should be considered reliable indicators of acclimatisation, but they do serve as helpful aids to confirm any concerns that the leader may have. However, the single most helpful method of co-operation a team member provides is a brief but frequent report of how they are feeling.