Breakfast at 7am started badly with porridge which I declined but improved dramatically with sausage and eggs on toast. We left about 8:30 for the Saddle Hut which proved to be a much steeper climb than yesterday. The weather was still good with the sun shining and the odd breeze

On the way up I learned that the Bantu word for duck is Mbu (pronounced mmmm Boo), so now he is Eddy Mbu. It was a steady plod upwards with good views of Kilimanjaro on the way which was nice.

Eventually we got to the hut and after the usual sorting, sat down to chicken and chips for lunch. Water refills and more kit faff preparing for a very early start in the morning (midnight) so it will be a get up and go. The good news is that we can leave our gear until we come back from the summit of Meru tomorrow. As a result of the walk up, we were all covered in dust but there was no point changing as we were off to Little Meru. 3pm departure and 45 minutes or so of climbing bought us to the summit, enjoying the views of Meru and building up our acclimatisation red blood cells.

Soon enough it was time to return to the hut for more faff and then pre-dinner hot chocolate and peanuts. Dinner was nice with some kind of meat, stir fry and the usual soup and fruit for starter and dessert. Due to the early morning start, I was in bed by 7pm