SIMIEN NATIONAL PARK
THIS AWE INSPIRING TREK THAT CAN BE EITHER A 3 DAY JAUNT OR A FULL TREK TO THE ROOF OF AFRICA. FULLY SUPPORTED WITH A GUIDE, COOK AND CREW. THE 3 DAY TREK INCLUDES WONDERFUL LODGING OPTIONS.
THE UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE–LISTED SIMIEN MAINS NATIONAL PARK (የሰሜን ተራሮች ብሔራዊ ፓርክ) IS ONE OF AFRICA’S MOST BEAUTIFUL RANGES. THIS MASSIVE PLATEAU, RIVEN WITH GULLIES AND PINNACLES, OFFERS TOUGH BUT IMMENSELY REWARDING TREKKING ALONG THE RIDGE THAT FALLS SHEER TO THE PLAINS FAR BELOW. IT’S NOT JUST THE SCENERY AND ALTITUDE THAT WILL LEAVE YOU SPEECHLESS, BUT ALSO THE EXCITEMENT OF SITTING AMONG A GROUP OF GELADA MONKEYS, OR WATCHING MAGNIFICENT WALIA IBEX JOUST ON ROCK LEDGES. WHETHER YOU COME FOR A STROLL OR A TWO-WEEK TREK, THE SIMIENS MAKE A GREAT COMPANION TO THE HISTORICAL CIRCUIT’S MONUMENT-VIEWING.
TREKKING ETHIOPIA'S SIMIEN MOUNTAINS
A MYSTICAL WORLD OF PRIMEVAL FORESTS, MISTY PEAKS, BIZARRE PLANTS AND EXOTIC CREATURES. TREKKING THESE STUNNING HIGHLANDS IS LIKE STEPPING INTO AN OTHERWORLDLY PARADISE
VIOLENT VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS 40 MILLION YEARS AGO CREATED THE SIMIEN MOUNTAINS MASSIF, WHICH RISES TO OVER 4500M. EROSIVE FORCES HAVE SCULPTED ITS JAGGED PINNACLES, DEEP RAVINES AND VOLCANIC PLUGS. TREKS OF BETWEEN THREE AND TEN DAYS ALONG HIGH-ALTITUDE ESCARPMENTS, ACROSS ALPINE MEADOWS AND THROUGH THE FERTILE LOWLANDS ARE THE BEST WAY TO FULLY APPRECIATE THE AMAZING DIVERSITY OF THE SIMIENS,
STEEP ASCENTS LEAD TO LUSH PLATEAUS POPULATED WITH GIANT LOBELIAS – FREAKY FLESHY-LEAVED PLANTS GROWING TO 3M IN HEIGHT, EVOKING IMAGES OF DINOSAURS AND ANCIENT DAYS. ESCARPMENT VISTAS ARE FILLED WITH SHEER CLIFFS, PLUNGING WATERFALLS, AND ROCKY TURRETS SPIKING OUT FROM THE FORESTED VALLEYS BELOW. RIBBONS OF MIST DRIFT OVER THE GROUND. VULTURES AND RAVENS CRUISE THE SKIES. RED HOT POKER PLANTS STANDING ON AN ABYSSIAN ABYSS
DROPPING OFF THE ESCARPMENT, THE LANDSCAPE UNDERGOES A DRAMATIC TRANSFORMATION AS IT DESCENDS SOME 2000M INTO THE LOWLANDS – LOWLANDS BEING A MISNOMER GIVEN THESE VALLEYS ARE STILL OVER 2000M IN ALTITUDE. VIBRANTLY COLOURED RED HOT POKER PLANTS COVER THE MOUNTAIN SLOPES, AND DESERT-STYLE CACTUS TREES AND GROVES OF ALOE VERA LINE THE TRAIL. CULTIVATED FIELDS OF YELLOW CANOLA FLOWERS AND FEATHERY GREEN TEF ARE PEPPERED WITH TROPICAL-STYLE GIANT FICUS AND PALM TREES.
ENDEMIC WILDLIFE LIVING IN THE HIGHLAND IS A RARE AND EXOTIC CACHE OF WILDLIFE – THE GELADA (AKA 'BLEEDING HEART BABOON'), THE ELUSIVE ETHIOPIAN WOLF, THE MAJESTIC WALIA IBEX AND THE GIANT LAMMERGEIR (A BEARDED VULTURE WITH A 3M WINGSPAN). THERE’S A GOOD CHANCE OF SPOTTING ALL OF THESE CREATURES, AND MORE, ON A TREK THROUGH THE SIMIEN MOUNTAINS. GELADAS FORM TROOPS NUMBERING OVER 100 INDIVIDUALS, AND ARE EASILY SEEN AROUND SANKABAR AND CHENEK. WITH THEIR EXPRESSIVE FACES, PLAYFUL ANTICS AND MAGNIFICENT SILVER MANES, THE GELADAS ARE SIMPLY DELIGHTFUL. ONCE ALMOST HUNTED TO EXTINCTION, THES ARE NOW A PROTECTED SPECIES. THE GELADA IS FOUND ONLY IN THE SIMIENS. THEY LIVE IN GROUPS OF ONE HUNDRED OR MORE, AND FAVOUR THE ESCARPMENT WHERE THEY CLAMBER OVER AND UNDER THE CLIFF EDGE LIKE AGILE ACROBATS. UNLIKE MOST PRIMATES THAT ADVERTISE SEXUAL RECEPTIVITY WITH SWOLLEN RED BUTTOCKS, THE GELADA HAS A SCARLET PATCH OF SKIN ON ITS CHEST, WHICH LED TO ITS ‘BLEEDING HEART' MONIKER. IT IS EASY TO APPROACH WITHIN A FEW METRES OF THESE WILD ANIMALS, ESPECIALLY THOSE FOUND AROUND SANKABAR (3600M) AND CHENEK (3620M). THE ENDEMIC ETHIOPIAN WOLF IS THE WORLD'S RAREST. THE ETHIOPIAN WOLF, OR SIMIEN FOX, IS EXTREMELY RARE. IN FACT IT IS THE PLANET’S RAREST CANID, WITH AN ESTIMATED POPULATION OF LESS THAN 50 IN THE SIMIEN MOUNTAINS, AND NO MORE THAN 400 IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY. AFRO-ALPINE ZONE. THE ENDANGERED WALIA IBEX, LOOKING LIKE A LARGE DEER WITH IMPRESSIVELY LONG, RIDGED HORNS, IT IS ACTUALLY A MEMBER OF THE GOAT FAMILY. LIKING STEEP, ROCKY PLACES, THEY MIGHT BE FOUND AT CHENEK GRAZING THE VERTICAL CLIFFS BELOW THE ESCARPMENT. ON THE LONG CLIMB TO RAS DASHEN (4543M), ETHIOPIA'S HIGHEST PEAK.
DUE TO ITS SCOPE AND SIZE, THE MIGHTY MOUNTAIN MASSIF OF THE SIMIEN MOUNTAINS IS POETICALLY CALLED THE ‘ROOF OF AFRICA’. RAS DASHEN, AT 4543M, IS ETHIOPIA’S HIGHEST PEAK. TREKKING TO THE SUMMIT IS CHALLENGING BUT NOT TECHNICAL. SUMMIT ATTEMPTS GENERALLY LAUNCH FROM THE LOCAL VILLAGE OF AMBIKO (3170M) ON THE MESHEHE RIVER. AND IN TRUE SUMMIT DAY FASHION, HIKING STARTS WELL BEFORE DAWN. THE FIRST FEW HOURS ARE COLD AND DARK AND WRAPPED IN SILENCE. HEADLAMPS HIGHLIGHT A TRAIL LEADING STEADILY UPWARDS FOR 10KM THROUGH FARMLAND, GIANT LOBELIA FORESTS AND ALPINE MEADOWS. FINALLY, AFTER SIX HOURS OF CONTINUOUS CLIMBING, A SHORT SCRAMBLE UP A ROCKY WALL LEADS TO THE SUMMIT.
THE DRIEST TIME OF YEAR FOR HIKING IS FROM DECEMBER TO MARCH BUT AT THE END OF THE RAINY SEASON, IN OCTOBER, THE LAND IS A RIOT OF GREEN. WILDFLOWERS BLOOM IN AUGUST AND LAST WELL INTO OCTOBER.
ITINERARY: 3 DAY TREK/ HOTEL LODGING
DAY 1 - INTRODUCING, THE SIMIEN MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK THE FIRST DAY OF PROPER HIKING STARTS WITH BREAKFAST BEFORE YOU HEAD OUT TO THE TRAIL ALONG THE RIDGE. THERE’S A WONDERFUL VANTAGE POINT, OFFERING INCREDIBLE VIEWS OVER THE FOOTHILLS ~800 METRES BELOW. THE MOUNTAINS ARE KNOWN WORLDWIDE FOR THEIR BIODIVERSITY AND YOUR GUIDE WILL POINT OUT ALL POINT OUT FLORA AND FAUNA OF NOTE. ALONG THE TRAIL, GELADA BABOONS, KLIPSPRINGER AND WALIA IBEX MAKE REGULAR APPEARANCES AND BIRDS SOAR ON THE THERMALS BENEATH YOU AS YOU LOOK OUT OVER THE VIEWS. THE HIGHLIGHT OF TODAY’S TREK IS GENBAR FALLS, A WATERFALL OVER A SOBERING 500M SHEER DROP, WHICH YOU’LL SEE FROM OPPOSITE. THESE PLUMMET INTO GEECH ABYSS - A VAST CANYON CUT INTO THE MAIN WALL OF THE ESCARPMENT. AFTER A BREAK FOR LUNCH, YOU’LL CARRY ON TOWARDS GEECH, A REMOTE TRADITIONAL VILLAGE WITH THATCHED ROOFS. GEECH CAMP IS A GREAT SPOT TO WATCH THE SUN GO DOWN OVER THE RANGE AND YOU’LL OFTEN SEE TROOPS OF GELADA BABOONS CLIMBING DOWN THE PRECIPITOUS SLOPES TO THEIR SLEEPING QUARTERS IN CAVES IN CLIFFS BELOW. ROUTE: DEBARK TO GEECH (3,600M)
DAY 2 - IMET GOGO (3,925M) TODAY YOU’LL HEAD TO IMET GOGO, A HEADLAND AT THE EDGE OF THE RIDGE THAT STANDS CLOSE TO 4000 METRES ALTITUDE WITH UNBELIEVABLE 360 DEGREE VIEWS OF THE SURROUNDING MOUNTAINS. YOU CAN SEE WEST, BACK TOWARDS SANKABER AND GEECH, AND SOUTH EAST ALONG A LARGE GORGE TOWARDS TOMORROW’S DESTINATION, INYATE. TRAIL THROUGH GIANT ERICA WOODLANDS BEFORE BEFORE EMERGING ON THE MOORLAND TOP AT INATYE, THE SECOND HIGHEST PEAK IN THE WESTERN PART OF THE PARK. DROP DOWN TO CHENEK CAMP ALONG A PATH THAT HAS SOME IMPRESSIVE VIEWS OF THE LOWLANDS BELOW. OVERNIGHT AT CHENEK CAMP WHICH IS THE BEST SPOT TO SEE BOTH ETHIOPIAN WOLVES AND WALIA IBEX. LENGTH OF HIKE: 5-6 HOURS/13KM
DAY 3 - WE LIKE THE VIEW FROM THE SIMIEN LODGE AND AFTER 2 DAYS OF HIKING IT HAS THE COMFORTS OF HOME. CHECKING OUT LATE MORNING WE WILL DRIVE ONWARD TO CONTINUE THE TRIP. ADDITIONAL DAYS CAN BE ADDED TO REACH THE HIGHEST POINT AND CAMPING IS ALSO POSSIBLE ON THIS EXCURSION.
THE UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE–LISTED SIMIEN MAINS NATIONAL PARK (የሰሜን ተራሮች ብሔራዊ ፓርክ) IS ONE OF AFRICA’S MOST BEAUTIFUL RANGES. THIS MASSIVE PLATEAU, RIVEN WITH GULLIES AND PINNACLES, OFFERS TOUGH BUT IMMENSELY REWARDING TREKKING ALONG THE RIDGE THAT FALLS SHEER TO THE PLAINS FAR BELOW. IT’S NOT JUST THE SCENERY AND ALTITUDE THAT WILL LEAVE YOU SPEECHLESS, BUT ALSO THE EXCITEMENT OF SITTING AMONG A GROUP OF GELADA MONKEYS, OR WATCHING MAGNIFICENT WALIA IBEX JOUST ON ROCK LEDGES. WHETHER YOU COME FOR A STROLL OR A TWO-WEEK TREK, THE SIMIENS MAKE A GREAT COMPANION TO THE HISTORICAL CIRCUIT’S MONUMENT-VIEWING.
TREKKING ETHIOPIA'S SIMIEN MOUNTAINS
A MYSTICAL WORLD OF PRIMEVAL FORESTS, MISTY PEAKS, BIZARRE PLANTS AND EXOTIC CREATURES. TREKKING THESE STUNNING HIGHLANDS IS LIKE STEPPING INTO AN OTHERWORLDLY PARADISE
VIOLENT VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS 40 MILLION YEARS AGO CREATED THE SIMIEN MOUNTAINS MASSIF, WHICH RISES TO OVER 4500M. EROSIVE FORCES HAVE SCULPTED ITS JAGGED PINNACLES, DEEP RAVINES AND VOLCANIC PLUGS. TREKS OF BETWEEN THREE AND TEN DAYS ALONG HIGH-ALTITUDE ESCARPMENTS, ACROSS ALPINE MEADOWS AND THROUGH THE FERTILE LOWLANDS ARE THE BEST WAY TO FULLY APPRECIATE THE AMAZING DIVERSITY OF THE SIMIENS,
STEEP ASCENTS LEAD TO LUSH PLATEAUS POPULATED WITH GIANT LOBELIAS – FREAKY FLESHY-LEAVED PLANTS GROWING TO 3M IN HEIGHT, EVOKING IMAGES OF DINOSAURS AND ANCIENT DAYS. ESCARPMENT VISTAS ARE FILLED WITH SHEER CLIFFS, PLUNGING WATERFALLS, AND ROCKY TURRETS SPIKING OUT FROM THE FORESTED VALLEYS BELOW. RIBBONS OF MIST DRIFT OVER THE GROUND. VULTURES AND RAVENS CRUISE THE SKIES. RED HOT POKER PLANTS STANDING ON AN ABYSSIAN ABYSS
DROPPING OFF THE ESCARPMENT, THE LANDSCAPE UNDERGOES A DRAMATIC TRANSFORMATION AS IT DESCENDS SOME 2000M INTO THE LOWLANDS – LOWLANDS BEING A MISNOMER GIVEN THESE VALLEYS ARE STILL OVER 2000M IN ALTITUDE. VIBRANTLY COLOURED RED HOT POKER PLANTS COVER THE MOUNTAIN SLOPES, AND DESERT-STYLE CACTUS TREES AND GROVES OF ALOE VERA LINE THE TRAIL. CULTIVATED FIELDS OF YELLOW CANOLA FLOWERS AND FEATHERY GREEN TEF ARE PEPPERED WITH TROPICAL-STYLE GIANT FICUS AND PALM TREES.
ENDEMIC WILDLIFE LIVING IN THE HIGHLAND IS A RARE AND EXOTIC CACHE OF WILDLIFE – THE GELADA (AKA 'BLEEDING HEART BABOON'), THE ELUSIVE ETHIOPIAN WOLF, THE MAJESTIC WALIA IBEX AND THE GIANT LAMMERGEIR (A BEARDED VULTURE WITH A 3M WINGSPAN). THERE’S A GOOD CHANCE OF SPOTTING ALL OF THESE CREATURES, AND MORE, ON A TREK THROUGH THE SIMIEN MOUNTAINS. GELADAS FORM TROOPS NUMBERING OVER 100 INDIVIDUALS, AND ARE EASILY SEEN AROUND SANKABAR AND CHENEK. WITH THEIR EXPRESSIVE FACES, PLAYFUL ANTICS AND MAGNIFICENT SILVER MANES, THE GELADAS ARE SIMPLY DELIGHTFUL. ONCE ALMOST HUNTED TO EXTINCTION, THES ARE NOW A PROTECTED SPECIES. THE GELADA IS FOUND ONLY IN THE SIMIENS. THEY LIVE IN GROUPS OF ONE HUNDRED OR MORE, AND FAVOUR THE ESCARPMENT WHERE THEY CLAMBER OVER AND UNDER THE CLIFF EDGE LIKE AGILE ACROBATS. UNLIKE MOST PRIMATES THAT ADVERTISE SEXUAL RECEPTIVITY WITH SWOLLEN RED BUTTOCKS, THE GELADA HAS A SCARLET PATCH OF SKIN ON ITS CHEST, WHICH LED TO ITS ‘BLEEDING HEART' MONIKER. IT IS EASY TO APPROACH WITHIN A FEW METRES OF THESE WILD ANIMALS, ESPECIALLY THOSE FOUND AROUND SANKABAR (3600M) AND CHENEK (3620M). THE ENDEMIC ETHIOPIAN WOLF IS THE WORLD'S RAREST. THE ETHIOPIAN WOLF, OR SIMIEN FOX, IS EXTREMELY RARE. IN FACT IT IS THE PLANET’S RAREST CANID, WITH AN ESTIMATED POPULATION OF LESS THAN 50 IN THE SIMIEN MOUNTAINS, AND NO MORE THAN 400 IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY. AFRO-ALPINE ZONE. THE ENDANGERED WALIA IBEX, LOOKING LIKE A LARGE DEER WITH IMPRESSIVELY LONG, RIDGED HORNS, IT IS ACTUALLY A MEMBER OF THE GOAT FAMILY. LIKING STEEP, ROCKY PLACES, THEY MIGHT BE FOUND AT CHENEK GRAZING THE VERTICAL CLIFFS BELOW THE ESCARPMENT. ON THE LONG CLIMB TO RAS DASHEN (4543M), ETHIOPIA'S HIGHEST PEAK.
DUE TO ITS SCOPE AND SIZE, THE MIGHTY MOUNTAIN MASSIF OF THE SIMIEN MOUNTAINS IS POETICALLY CALLED THE ‘ROOF OF AFRICA’. RAS DASHEN, AT 4543M, IS ETHIOPIA’S HIGHEST PEAK. TREKKING TO THE SUMMIT IS CHALLENGING BUT NOT TECHNICAL. SUMMIT ATTEMPTS GENERALLY LAUNCH FROM THE LOCAL VILLAGE OF AMBIKO (3170M) ON THE MESHEHE RIVER. AND IN TRUE SUMMIT DAY FASHION, HIKING STARTS WELL BEFORE DAWN. THE FIRST FEW HOURS ARE COLD AND DARK AND WRAPPED IN SILENCE. HEADLAMPS HIGHLIGHT A TRAIL LEADING STEADILY UPWARDS FOR 10KM THROUGH FARMLAND, GIANT LOBELIA FORESTS AND ALPINE MEADOWS. FINALLY, AFTER SIX HOURS OF CONTINUOUS CLIMBING, A SHORT SCRAMBLE UP A ROCKY WALL LEADS TO THE SUMMIT.
THE DRIEST TIME OF YEAR FOR HIKING IS FROM DECEMBER TO MARCH BUT AT THE END OF THE RAINY SEASON, IN OCTOBER, THE LAND IS A RIOT OF GREEN. WILDFLOWERS BLOOM IN AUGUST AND LAST WELL INTO OCTOBER.
ITINERARY: 3 DAY TREK/ HOTEL LODGING
DAY 1 - INTRODUCING, THE SIMIEN MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK THE FIRST DAY OF PROPER HIKING STARTS WITH BREAKFAST BEFORE YOU HEAD OUT TO THE TRAIL ALONG THE RIDGE. THERE’S A WONDERFUL VANTAGE POINT, OFFERING INCREDIBLE VIEWS OVER THE FOOTHILLS ~800 METRES BELOW. THE MOUNTAINS ARE KNOWN WORLDWIDE FOR THEIR BIODIVERSITY AND YOUR GUIDE WILL POINT OUT ALL POINT OUT FLORA AND FAUNA OF NOTE. ALONG THE TRAIL, GELADA BABOONS, KLIPSPRINGER AND WALIA IBEX MAKE REGULAR APPEARANCES AND BIRDS SOAR ON THE THERMALS BENEATH YOU AS YOU LOOK OUT OVER THE VIEWS. THE HIGHLIGHT OF TODAY’S TREK IS GENBAR FALLS, A WATERFALL OVER A SOBERING 500M SHEER DROP, WHICH YOU’LL SEE FROM OPPOSITE. THESE PLUMMET INTO GEECH ABYSS - A VAST CANYON CUT INTO THE MAIN WALL OF THE ESCARPMENT. AFTER A BREAK FOR LUNCH, YOU’LL CARRY ON TOWARDS GEECH, A REMOTE TRADITIONAL VILLAGE WITH THATCHED ROOFS. GEECH CAMP IS A GREAT SPOT TO WATCH THE SUN GO DOWN OVER THE RANGE AND YOU’LL OFTEN SEE TROOPS OF GELADA BABOONS CLIMBING DOWN THE PRECIPITOUS SLOPES TO THEIR SLEEPING QUARTERS IN CAVES IN CLIFFS BELOW. ROUTE: DEBARK TO GEECH (3,600M)
DAY 2 - IMET GOGO (3,925M) TODAY YOU’LL HEAD TO IMET GOGO, A HEADLAND AT THE EDGE OF THE RIDGE THAT STANDS CLOSE TO 4000 METRES ALTITUDE WITH UNBELIEVABLE 360 DEGREE VIEWS OF THE SURROUNDING MOUNTAINS. YOU CAN SEE WEST, BACK TOWARDS SANKABER AND GEECH, AND SOUTH EAST ALONG A LARGE GORGE TOWARDS TOMORROW’S DESTINATION, INYATE. TRAIL THROUGH GIANT ERICA WOODLANDS BEFORE BEFORE EMERGING ON THE MOORLAND TOP AT INATYE, THE SECOND HIGHEST PEAK IN THE WESTERN PART OF THE PARK. DROP DOWN TO CHENEK CAMP ALONG A PATH THAT HAS SOME IMPRESSIVE VIEWS OF THE LOWLANDS BELOW. OVERNIGHT AT CHENEK CAMP WHICH IS THE BEST SPOT TO SEE BOTH ETHIOPIAN WOLVES AND WALIA IBEX. LENGTH OF HIKE: 5-6 HOURS/13KM
DAY 3 - WE LIKE THE VIEW FROM THE SIMIEN LODGE AND AFTER 2 DAYS OF HIKING IT HAS THE COMFORTS OF HOME. CHECKING OUT LATE MORNING WE WILL DRIVE ONWARD TO CONTINUE THE TRIP. ADDITIONAL DAYS CAN BE ADDED TO REACH THE HIGHEST POINT AND CAMPING IS ALSO POSSIBLE ON THIS EXCURSION.
