Wild world

Hiking in Ethiopia

Hiking in the Simien Mountains

The Simien mountains are where most of the spectacular landscape photographs of Ethiopia are taken, and a trek is a highlight of many visits to this most rewarding and challenging of destinations. The simplest way to organise a trek is to go with a UK-based company who can make arrangements for you as well as providing guides and equipment. Exodus Travel offers 15 days in Ethiopia, including internal flights to and from the fascinating city of Gondar, 10 days’ hiking and an ascent of Ras Dashen, at 4,353m the highest mountain in the country, for £1,999 or £2,379 including flights. You’ll be hiking with a small group and this is an ideal option if it’s your first visit to Ethiopia or you’ll a slightly nervous traveller.

Hiking in Ethiopia – Lonely Planet travel forum

I went hiking in the Simiens in January this year, and it was amazing. In Gondar, we went to Abyssinia Travels (in the circle of town) were Sayoum and his wife took care of all the details (good prices and incredibly safe!). We went on a 4×4 to the Simiens where we camped for 2 nights (optional, but well worth it) we hiked and saw many Gelada boboons! It was incredible, they are so breathtaking! At Abyssinia, ask for Nega as your guide, he is nice and speaks good english and he also cooks! I am telling you, this group of people really made my trip to Ethiopia memorable.

Ethiopia Bird Watching, Hiking and Trekking

Ethiopia’s dramatic high mountain terrain was formed in the earth’s long history of violent geographical change. The most recent volcanic upheavals took place in eastern Africa, followed by torrential rains which created the thousand gushing waterfalls which in turn eroded away the newly formed mountain massif, creating the great gorges and gulleys which are so typical of the region.

The mountain massif is a broad plateau, cut off on the north and west by this enormous single crag over 60 kms. (40 miles) long and 1,000-1,500 metres (3000-5000 ft.) high. As far as the eye can see looking north from the escarpment, the fused volcanic cores stand starkly defying the elements. Overhead stretches the vast dome of a sky of the deepest blue, which spreads downwards as clear as sapphire to the mauve of the horizon.

The Simien mountains

The Semiens are remarkable as being one of the few spots in Africa where snow regularly falls. First mentioned in the Monumentum Adulitanum of the 4th century AD (which described them as “inaccessible mountains covered with snow” and where soldiers walked up to their knees in snow), the presence of snow was undeniably witnessed by the 17th century Jesuit priest Jerónimo Lobo. Although the later traveler James Bruce claims that he had never witnessed snow in the Semien Mountains, the 19th century explorer Henry Salt not only recorded that he saw snow there (on 9 April 1814), but explained the reason for Bruce’s failure to see snow in these mountains — Bruce had ventured no further than the foothills into the Semiens

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