Trekking in Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia
20-22 February 2020
Fulfilling a Dream
Several years ago, when we were thinking about cycling across Africa, we watched a number of television programs in an effort to learn more about the continent. There are a whole lot of programs that focus on Africa’s stunning wildlife. They typically focus on the plains of Kenya and Tanzania - lions, wildebeests and elephants, etc. But one documentary stood out, and captured our attention.
The program focused on little-known and unique places in Africa. And one of the stars of the show was the Simien Mountains of Ethiopia - with their most charismatic residents, the grass-eating, cliff-dwelling, Gelada monkeys.
Gelada monkey grazing high up in the mountains of Ethiopia. Simien Mountains National Park. Copyright © 2019-2020 Pedals and Puffins.
Ever since that day, we’ve had a dream of visiting the Simien Mountains. Not just to see the Geladas, but hopefully to also see some of the other beautiful, odd, and unique species that inhabit the Roof of Africa. Having arrived in Ethiopia, we were finally going to get our chance to fulfill this dream.
We arranged our trip through a trekking coordinator recommended by the hotel where we were staying in Gonder. Since the coordinator was the brother of the owner of the hotel, we weren’t surprised that he was recommended. But we decided to play along since he could meet us at the hotel, which was super convenient. Late one afternoon the coordinator, Hailu, met with PedalingGuy and me, plus two cyclists from France who decided to join us on the trek. In the garden courtyard of the hotel, Hailu spread out a topographic map of the Simien Mountains, and started telling us about our options (click on photo to enlarge image). The first step was to decide on where we wanted to go and how far.
A topographic map of the Simien Mountains helped us visualize the options for a trek in the highlands of the National Park. We basically covered the loop in the middle of the map. Ethiopia. Copyright © 2019-2020 Pedals and Puffins.
We wanted to spend enough time in the mountains to immerse ourselves in the experience, without keeping us away from our cycling too long. Pretty quickly, we settled on a duration of three days and two nights camping in the park. Then we narrowed it down between two options, and we all agreed we’d like to take the route that had more walking, and that got us away from roads through the park. We settled on a start date for the trip, and shook hands with Hailu to seal the deal.
The next step was to get the money to pay for the trip (they only took cash, no credit cards). Hailu gave the two guys a ride to a nearby bank. PedalingGuy was a little apprehensive since he had recently had a bad experience with an Ethiopian ATM. A few days ago he had used an ATM, but was a touch too slow in grabbing the money after it came out of the machine. As a result, the machine sucked the money back in, but still deducted it from our account. It was a pretty rude shock, to say the least.
The ordeal of trying to get that money back into our account could be a whole blog post in of itself. Suffice it to say, it has not been easy, and we still haven’t gotten our money back (yes, still in process). Instead of using the ATM, PedalingGuy went inside the bank and was able to talk to a bank administrator who helped him out. Unfortunately, for some unknown reason this same method did not work for our French friends. But luckily they were able to use the ATM outside to make multiple transactions, and were fast enough to grab their money before the machine could take it back.
A Bumpy Start
None of us slept particularly well the night before the trip. Our French friends were both recovering from stomach trouble as was PedalingGuy. It may not have been coincidence, since we had all eaten together at the same restaurant the previous night. Nonetheless, we decided to move ahead with our plans, anyway. Stomach issues from food are fairly common in Africa, and sometimes you have to just push on regardless.
This would also be evident a few days later when we were camping near other trekkers in a high mountain camp. During the night several people suffered from explosive vomiting attacks. Your heart bleeds for people in this situation. Sleeping in a tent in a remote mountain camp at high elevation with temperatures near freezing is not the most pleasant place to be sick. We were taking a chance starting out with bad stomachs, but we were hoping everyone in our group was in the process of getting better rather than worse. The best advice: think twice about eating at restaurant buffets.
The route from Gonder to Debark, where the park’s headquarters is located, followed an rough undulating mountain road. For the next two hours, we swayed around hairpin turns and soared over steep hills, with surprising speed. That is, until we had to pass through a village. The village roads were crammed with people, donkeys, goats, sheep and often with piles of stuff like wood waiting to be loaded onto trucks. Needless to say, our pace would slow to a crawl in each village, as the driver honked and swerved, seeking a path through the crowds and animals.
Arriving in Debark, we stopped for the mandatory registration at the Simien National Park headquarters. Then things got a bit chaotic. Basically, no-one took charge, or told us what was happening. The four of us waited in the park office after signing in, not sure if we were done or if there was another step. After waiting about 15 minutes, PedalingGuy went over to the guy who had escorted us from our vehicle to the office, and asked if we were finished. Yes, he said, we were done and could return to our van.
Simien Mountains National Park recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. It was among the first places in the world to be designated as a World Heritage Site by the UN. Ethiopia. Copyright © 2019-2020 Pedals and Puffins.
When we got back to the vehicle it was surrounded by a group of guys all haggling with each other in Amharic. Amharic has little similarity to any of the languages that we are familiar with, so we couldn’t make out the problem. Some of the discussion seemed very heated, on the verge of escalating. When we asked our driver what the problem was, he didn’t answer. We got the feeling he didn’t want us to know. After a few more minutes things started to settle down, and it appeared that they got things sorted out. Three guys proceeded to get into the van with us, but they didn’t introduce themselves. So we asked them who they were.
It took some effort to clarify who was who. We finally determined that we were now accompanied by a driver, a cook, an armed guard (Dereche), and our guide (Worku). One of the reasons that these trips can get expensive is that even small groups like ours (four people) end up with a large entourage made up of support staff.
Every trekking group that enters Simien Mountains National Park is required to be accompanied by a local guide and a guard. There are also head cooks, assistant cooks, drivers, travel coordinators, and the people who handled our mules. It’s not like any of them were getting paid too much, because the money is split so many ways, among many well deserving people. We were glad to cover these costs since, although some would say that it is inefficient, it also helps to build a coalition of people with a strong vested interest in the park. Without local advocates who have a strong interest in protecting the park, it would rapidly become exploited for wood, overgrazed, and used for whatever would provide an alternative source of local income.
The guide leads the trip by showing the way, providing commentary about the park, answering the trekkers’ questions, and coordinating the work of the other support staff. Often, the guide is the only one who speaks English.
The guard’s role is a little bit more ambiguous. All of the guards are armed with automatic weapons. When we asked about the need for a gun, our guide told us that it was for our safety, for example, in case we encountered any leopards! Apparently there are a very small number of leopards in the lower elevations of the park. Perhaps there are other reasons for the armed guards that the locals would rather not talk about. It is hard to know. It seemed like a bit of overkill to have an armed escort, but there’s no getting around it. It is required by law, we were told. As an added benefit Dereche, our guard, was also careful to follow along behind our group to ensure no one got left behind or lost.
In addition to the guide, the cook, and the guard, most of our gear was moved between campsites by mules. So we also employed mule handlers, even though we never met them. The mule handlers arrived to collect our bags after we were out on the trail, and delivered them via the shortest route to the next campsite before we arrived. (Click on photos to enlarge an image.)
After dropping off the cook near the edge of town so he could start preparing our supplies, we drove for another two hours up a very rough dirt road to a pullout. We all piled out of the vehicle and were handed a sandwich. We weren’t quite sure what was going on, until the vehicle drove away without us, which gave us the strong impression that we had probably arrived at the start of our hike.
The Grand Canyon of Africa
The Simien Mountains are spectacular - almost beyond description. They were formed by ancient lava flows that have been uplifted by the collision of continents, and eroded over millions of years. Small rivers cut deep gorges through the landscape, exposing sheer cliffs colored in ribbons of alternating light and dark layers. Many of the vistas are reminiscent of the Grand Canyon, with steep precipices, lofty spires, and rugged rock formations. But these mountains rise higher, and the valleys seem to extend even farther than the Grand Canyon.
Even grander than the Grand Canyon. A maze of canyons and cliffs stretched out as far as the eye could see. Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia. Copyright © 2019-2020 Pedals and Puffins.
The park is not just inhabited by wildlife. Small villages dot the mountainsides, often seeming to be perched on impossibly steep hillsides. Herds of cows and sheep can be encountered almost anywhere, usually accompanied by a very young, or elderly shepherd. The landscape is more lightly used than in most parts of Ethiopia, but the grass is still pretty short in some places from the ongoing grazing by domestic animals.
How do they get to those houses? We are talking about those small dots in the lower center of the picture. If you can’t see the houses, click on the picture to make it larger. It’s a wonder the houses don’t just slide down into the valley. Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia. Copyright © 2019-2020 Pedals and Puffins.
Our route started just up the main road from a place called the Sankabar Camp. We hiked a short distance to a viewpoint overlooking a well-known landmark, the Jinbar Waterfall. The falls plunge more than 500 m (1,600+ ft) from an alpine watershed that ends abruptly at a sheer cliff. It’s very reminiscent of Bridal Veil Falls in Yosemite, except that in this case, you’re looking down on the falls from a higher vantage point, rather than viewing them from the valley floor. In fact, the Deche Nedala overlook itself is quite impressive. It’s perched on a narrow tongue of rock with sheer drop-offs into the Jinbar River canyon. No guard rails here. It’s just you, the rocks, and the open chasm below. It was the perfect place to eat our lunch.
Jinbar Waterfall. Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia. Copyright © 2019-2020 Pedals and Puffins.
Unique and Beautiful Creatures
From there our trek covered terrain ranging from 3,150 m (10,335 ft) to 4,070 m (13,350 ft). These lofty heights have created a unique ecosystem chock full of plants and animals that are restricted to the highlands - many of which are found only in Ethiopia.
One of the first of these unusual species that we encountered was a troupe of Gelada monkeys - the charming stars of that television documentary that we watched several years before the trip. From the overlook, we hiked down a steep slope to the river that feeds the waterfall. Before long, our guide motioned for us to look up on a nearby ridge. Coming over the rim of the hill, and heading right towards us, was a big male Gelada followed by a crowd of females and a few infants. The big guy was a magnificent animal. He strode purposefully down the hill, with his long mane billowing in the wind and his piercing, yellow eyes glancing back and forth to check for any signs of danger. A couple of other impressive males soon followed.
Here comes the boss. This splendid male led a troupe of Gelada monkeys right towards us. Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia. Copyright © 2019-2020 Pedals and Puffins.
The Geladas grazed intently, paying little attention to us. Their diet is made up almost entirely of alpine grasses - not very nutritious for a monkey that can weigh up to 20.5 kg (45 lbs). Consequently, the lack of nutritional density is offset with volume and they spend nearly all of their time sitting, rapidly pulling up handfuls of grass and stuffing it in their mouths.
Their most striking features include a bright red patch of skin on their chests (giving them the nickname, the bleeding-heart monkey), a big cape of long hair on the males (giving them another nickname, lion monkeys), and crazy-looking yellow eyes. The appearance of the males is quite fierce. But our guide assured us that they were friendly, and that villagers considered them to be peaceful neighbors. We watched for a long time as the adult Geladas ambled through the grass, and the little-ones played rough-and-tumble games of chase on the hillside. Some of them came so close to us that we could hear the soft grunts they use to communicate. It was thrilling.
Such a beautiful animal. Other names for Geladas include the “bleeding heart monkey” and the “lion monkey.” It’s easy to see why. Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia. Copyright © 2019-2020 Pedals and Puffins.
When we reached the Jinbar River above the falls Worku, our guide, stripped down to his shorts and went for a swim. The guard washed off in the icy mountain stream as well. But the water was quite cold. The rest of us were content to just splash our feet in the shallow pools to cool off.
The Jinbar River offered a convenient rest stop, including a refreshing spot to splash our feet in the cold water. Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia. Copyright © 2019-2020 Pedals and Puffins.
From there it was a long, uphill hike to the Gich Camp. We entered the high alpine zone, where two more unusual species occur. Giant Lobelia (Lobelia rhynchopetalum) is a fascinating species found only in the Ethiopian highlands. The prehistoric-looking plants grow for as many as 20 years before sending up a tall flowering spire which can reach a height of 10 m (33 ft). After flowering, rather anticlimatically, they die. The other dominant species was Tree Heather (Erica arborea). It is also found in Europe, and is therefore considered a relict from a time when there was a closer floral connection between Europe and Africa.
We also passed through a grove of nonnative eucalyptus trees that had been planted by a now-abandoned village. Four years ago, the villagers had been relocated outside the park by the government - a move that some of the residents were not happy about. It was unclear why this village was relocated while others have been allowed to stay.
When we arrived at the camp, our cooks had prepared a snack of popcorn, biscuits, and tea. It was a fantastic end to the hike. Before long, all the popcorn was gone.
The camp was pretty crowded. There were dozens of other tents already set up when we arrived. We wondered how so many other trekkers had beat us to the camp, since we hadn’t seen anyone else out on the trail. Apparently they had camped in the park the previous night, so they were able to start their hike much earlier than us in the morning.
The camp area was stalked by a couple of Thick-billed Ravens, another species endemic (i.e., not found anywhere else) to Ethiopia. They have huge bills which give them an almost parrot-like appearance even though like all ravens, they are closely related to crows. We were told to watch our stuff closely, because the ravens would open backpacks and strew stuff all over the place, looking for food. Our guide ruefully recounted a story about falling asleep along one of the trails, and awakening to find his backpack had been raided by the ravens. He lost several valuable items, including a pair of earbuds for his phone, which were never recovered. A family of Tawny Eagles was also resting nearby. But they weren’t inclined to enter the camp, the way the ravens did.
When the sun went down, it was very, very cold. The guides for the various groups at the campsite lit a fire, and we gathered around the campfire chatting with the local staff and some other trekkers. We met Caleb, an American infectious disease doctor who has lived in Ethiopia, and is now living in Kampala, Uganda. PedalingGuy chatted with him about tropical diseases, including leishmaniasis and malaria. We got some good advice on options for taking our malaria pills which was especially valued since we were getting lots of conflicting information from other travelers.
I spent the night huddled all the way inside my sleeping bag, wearing leggings, wool socks, long-sleeves and even my down jacket. Fortunately, that was sufficient layering to stay warm.
In the morning, we had a wonderful surprise. A pair of Ethiopian Wolves passed by the camp, up on a hillside. Ethiopian Wolves are extremely rare, with less than 500 individuals remaining in the wild. They only occur in a few places, all in the high mountains of Ethiopia. Habitat loss is the biggest threat to their survival, but they are also vulnerable to encroachment by feral dogs that can transmit deadly diseases. We were incredibly lucky to get such a great view of the wolves. The morning light on the hillside where they were traveling was just perfect. We were off to a fabulous start.
We felt incredibly fortunate to spot this Ethiopian Wolf passing by our camp. Fewer than 500 remain in the wild. Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia. Copyright © 2019-2020 Pedals and Puffins.
Reaching New Heights
After breakfast, we headed out for an 8-hour hike. The first part was an ascent onto the Imet Gogo summit - a promontory that offers a spectacular 360-degree view of the mountains and valleys. To get your heart pumping, the approach to Imet Gogo includes a scramble along a pretty narrow ridge line, with precipitous drop-offs on both sides that plunge hundreds of meters into the valleys below. It’s not for the faint-hearted. But the views are mind-bogglingly stunning, so it’s worth the few moments of trepidation to make it out onto the point.
Watch your step. The trail to Imet Gogo Summit has steep drop offs on both sides. Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia. Copyright © 2019-2020 Pedals and Puffins.
Ta-da! We made it to the summit of Imet Gogo. Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia. Copyright © 2019-2020 Pedals and Puffins.
As we turned to head back to the main trail, Worku asked if we would film him in slow motion if he jumped across a gap in the ridge. Of course, we thought he was kidding. The gap was at least 2 m across. And one misstep would result in a very, very long fall down a really, really high cliff. It was crazy to consider jumping across. He must be kidding. Right? No person in their right mind would… but he was absolutely serious. Apparently since he had grown up wandering around in these mountains, he had jumped the gap before, and wanted to have it captured on film.
When we realized he was serious, we tried to dissuade him. No, really, it wasn’t necessary for him to jump. Yes, we believed he could do it. But no, we didn’t need him to prove it.
But he kept insisting. And when we got near the gap, he instructed us on just where to stand to film his feat. Then he headed up to the edge of the gap, and psyched himself up for the jump. It was pretty nerve-racking. I almost couldn’t watch. It actually took Worku a few minutes of standing near the edge before he finally wound up his arms and… jumped! It was such a huge relief when he landed safely on the far side of the gap. And as he had hoped, we caught it all on film. In slow-motion, no less. Crazy.
From there we hiked steeply downhill, back into the Jinbar River valley, and then up to another viewpoint called, Inatye. Along the way we were tickled to spot a pair of Klipspringers (a diminutive antelope). That was an unexpected treat. While not particularly rare, they are adorably cute. They’re also very shy, so seeing one isn’t that easy. PedalingGuy just managed to snap a photo through the trees before they disappeared into the woods.
Quick, it’s a Klipspringer! This one disappeared into the woods just after PedalingGuy snapped the photo. Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia. Copyright © 2019-2020 Pedals and Puffins.
Inatye was the highest point on our trek, at 4070 m (13,350 ft). We had lunch at the summit - admiring the fantastic views and catching our breath from the strenuous hike to the top.
Savoring the victory of arriving at the summit of Inatye (4070 m). Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia. Copyright © 2019-2020 Pedals and Puffins.
The rest of the hike was mostly downhill to the Chenek Camp. That’s not to say the walking was easy. The trail down to the camp seemed almost vertical at times. It was strewn with rocks and gravel that made walking treacherous. Our feet kept slipping on the stones, and I had to concentrate to keep my balance on the slope. There were several spots along the route where we stopped to rest at overlooks, where the land fell away in dizzying cliffs that opened into long, deep, stunningly scenic valleys.
The Chenek Camp’s claim to fame is that it’s near an area occupied by a large number of Walia Ibex. Large number is relative since in this case there are only 500 or so individuals left in the world. Yes, it’s another species restricted to the Ethiopian Highlands. In fact, nearly all of the 500 or so endangered Walias live within the Simien Mountains National Park. The male Walias are particularly impressive, sporting some of the longest and heaviest horns of any species. The horns curve gracefully back around the body of the animals, in elegant arcs. When we asked our guide about whether the Walias have natural predators, he told us, with a straight face, that a major cause of death for the male animals is that they lose their balance on the cliffs while trying to scratch their backs with their horns. Of course, we thought he must be joking. But he maintained, very seriousiously, that this was true.
We were eager to try our luck at finding a few of these handsome creatures.
When we reached the camp, there was rumor that Walia had been seen recently on nearby cliffs. We all hurriedly made our way over to the cliffs to peer over. No Walia to be seen. We gave up and started to walk back to camp, when one of the guides called everyone back to the ledge. Walias on the cliff! We were not disappointed after all. On the cliff below, we were lucky to see a gorgeous pair of male Walia Ibex slowly making their way along a narrow ledge. They are spectacular animals, and we enjoyed watching them for a long time. The Walia have a truly unbelievable manner of making their way along cliffs that should never support such a large animal. They make Bighorn Mountain Sheep look like amateur mountain climbers.
He’s a beauty. This older male Walia Ibex had particularly impressive horns. Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia. Copyright © 2019-2020 Pedals and Puffins.
Once again we had popcorn and biscuits on arrival in camp. This campsite had another family of Thick-billed Ravens lurking nearby, so we were careful to stow our belongings inside our tent where they would be safe. As the sun dipped towards the horizon, we were fortunate to spot a pair of African Wolves (a.k.a., common jackals) sneaking through the forest not far from where we set up our tent.
Nothing hits the spot after a long trek like salty popcorn and sweet tea. Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia. Copyright © 2019-2020 Pedals and Puffins.
He’s got his eye on us. This African Wolf (formerly called the common jackal) was skulking through the brush near the Chenek Camp. Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia. Copyright © 2019-2020 Pedals and Puffins.
We ended the day with another campfire. Around the campfire, one of the other trekkers approached us. He asked, “had we been in the Ethiopian consulate in Al Qadarif, Sudan recently?” As soon as he asked the question, the light bulb went off and we recognized him from the consulate. He had been there the same time that we were, but unfortunately he did not get his visa that day. He had been arguing with the consulate officer that assisted us, who told him he would have to go back to Khartoum for his visa. This was particularly frustrating since he had just been to the embassy in Khartoum where they had told him to get his visa in Al Qadarif. The cities are not close to one another, so to be in the middle of a disagreement by the two embassies about where he should go was particularly unpleasant. He tried to get the two embassy’s to talk to one another by phone, to work things out, but they refused. We learned that he eventually got his visa back in Khartoum, but that he was still very angry that the two Ethiopian embassy’s did not agree on who should provide his visa, and he had to go back and forth between the two cities several times.
In the evening, each of us around the campfire sang a typical song from our home country. The Ethiopian guys performed a group song with call and response. The French folks sang a song about the Champs de Elysee, another guy from Poland sang a somber song about the North Star, and we sang This Land is Your Land. It was fun because a number of other folks around the fire were familiar with the song, and were able to hum along.
We had the same challenge in pitching our tent that we did at the last camp. The area was crowded with other tents by the time we arrived, limiting our options. We ended up having to pitch it on a fairly slanted slope. Anyone who’s ever had to sleep on an incline will tell you, it’s not conducive to a good night’s sleep. All night we were sliding down towards our feet, and having to shimmy our bodies back uphill. This night was even colder than the last. We had ice on the tent in the morning.
The final day’s walk took us partway up the Bwahit Pass, to a viewpoint were we could look for more Ibex. At the top, we spotted eight more Walia Ibex on the cliffs below, as well as a troupe of Gelada monkeys. Apparently it’s common for the Walias and Geladas (who spend the night in caves on the cliffs) to graze in close proximity, and they will respond to each other’s alarm calls. We had fun trying to spot as many Walias as possible, with a final count of eight. It was a wonderful way to end the trip.
