Ethiopia’s Simien Mountains offer stunning scenery, towering cliffs and escarpments, and rare animals like the Walia Ibex and Gelada Baboon for wilderness trekking. Our custom route climbs Simien Mountains escarpment trails. volcanoes. This amazing journey passes ancient obelisks, rock-hewn cathedrals, and medieval castles.
Gondar, a UNESCO heritage site Royal Palace Enclosure, makes Gondar one of Ethiopia’s most impressive cities (listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage monument). Gondar’s central enclosure has several impressive castles and other structures. This trip visits the Royal Palace Enclosure, Emperor Fasilidas’ Bath, and Gebre Birhan Selassie’s.
After picking up our hiking team, park scouts, food, and camping gear at Debark, we will drive to Sankabar Camp on a bumpy road. We leave the car a few kilometres before camp for a short acclimatization walk along the escarpment to see the majestic Simien mountain range. 3–7.5km/1.5–3 hours. Volcanic activity and lava flows created many high-elevation plateaus, and major rivers wore their western and northern flanks to create a stunning Simien Mountains panorama of craggy peaks and valleys. Our experienced trek guide and national park scouts will take us to remote mountain areas. Sankabar, picnic. Hill-climbing Gelada baboons. We then turn around, cross the river, and climb a terraced field past the village, levelled in 2015 to save the park. Campsites are 30 minutes from most Simien Mountains.
We then reach Chenek through massive Lobelias and meadows. Walking steep slopes intrigues even the most experienced traveller. Lunch at Inatiye (4070m). Chenek, with its giant Lobelias and escarpment views, is one of our prettiest campsites. Walia Ibex, an Ethiopian mountain goat with huge, ridged horns and colorful forelegs, is best seen here as well as rare Simien Foxes and Abyssinian wolves.
We then trek to Bwahit Pass (4200 metres) under our second-highest mountain, Bwahit Peak (4430 metres) which overlooks our campsite. This spot overlooks Ras Dashen (4533m), the valley’s tallest peak. After lunch, we descend steeply to Chiro Leba across Meshehe River. Ambiko requires another tough climb (300m).
Today’s optional hike to Ras Dashen’s 4533-metre summit starts early (3:00am). After 6-7 hours through lobelia forests and fields, we scramble to the summit in 20 minutes. Eritrea.
We’ll then cross the upper Meshehe River catchments through High Simiens farming country today. Talking to locals in villages, trails, and fields makes this day rewarding. Today’s peak is 3600m (Arkwasiye). You’ll be camped near Sona, a plateau village overlooking Imet Gogo and other Gorge peaks.
Try out a riverwalk where you’ll slowly climb to Hawaza village, looking back at the massive spires and cliffs we started from. End your trip’s last night camping at Mulit, a 45–60-minute walk with rocky pinnacles. Get off the mountain the next day by driving through the Simien massif’s pristine mountain landscapes as we stretch our legs and celebrate.
We then move onto Lalibela, today. The city has 11, 12th-century pink basaltic scoriae monolithic churches. A God sculpted city. Visit these churches in Lalibela. Sunsets and tiered walkways make “Benn Ababa (Mount of Flowers)” a popular dinner spot – the ideal way to end your Ethiopian visit.
