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THE SIMIEN MOUNTAINS & HISTORICAL
CIRCUIT
This trip joins the two most remarkable journeys you can make in
Ethiopia. The trek through the Simiens is probably the best trek
in Africa, visiting the highest peaks, and the Historical Circuit
visits cities unmatched anywhere in Africa, perhaps the world.
The Simien Range is a fascinating area for trekking, seldom reached
by visitors, where the scenery is dramatic and exhilarating. The
most striking features are the vast escarpments that bound the range
on its northern side: many miles long and several thousand feet
high in places, these tremendous cliffs are cut by steep valleys
and gorges. The views from the top look north over the vast plains
towards Eritrea. At the foot of the cliffs are the remains of ancient
hills, now eroded into hundreds of pinnacles, towers and castles
that were described so eloquently by Rosita Forbes, the formidable
traveller who first reached this region in the 1920s:
"The most marvellous of all Abyssinian landscapes opened before
us, as we looked across a gorge of clouded amethyst... A thousand
thousand years ago, when the old gods reigned in Ethiopia, they
must have played chess with these stupendous crags, for we saw bishops'
mitres cut in lapis lazuli, castles with the ruby of approaching
sunset on their turrets, an emerald knight where the forest crept
up on the rock, and far away a king, crowned with sapphire, and
guarded by a row of pawns. When the gods exchanged their games for
shield and buckler to fight the new men clamouring at their gates,
they turned the pieces of their chess-board into mountains. In Simyen
they stand enchanted, till once again the world is pagan and the
titans and the earth gods lean down from the monstrous cloud banks
to wager a star or two on their sport."
(Rosita Forbes, From Red Sea to Blue Nile - A Thousand Miles of
Ethiopia)
The views today are still as impressive as they were in the time
of Rosita Forbes. The trekking route we take on our trips follows
the edge of the escarpment for much of the way, giving plenty of
time to absorb the views of the cliffs and the "giant chess
pieces" below. To reach the high ground, we pass through valleys
where the local people have built small villages and terraced fields.
Beyond the escarpments we reach the alpine meadows and rocky wilderness
of the high peaks. We reach the summits of two of the highest (and
most impressive) mountains in the range, although these sections
of the trek are optional and can be avoided if required.
We use a circular route through the Simiens, and our return path
drops into the massive valleys and gorges on the northern side of
the range, winding its way between the "giant chess pieces",
with impressive views back up to the sheer walls of the main escarpment
and the major peaks beyond.
Throughout the trek, we are accompanied by local guides and muleteers.
Many of these people were fighting in the war in this area only
a few years ago, so they have a special perspective and knowledge
of the area - sometimes explaining the battles on the actual sites.
One of the aims of the Ethiopian company we work with is to provide
work for the ex-fighters.
In Ethiopia we are assisted by Solomon Berhe, an Ethiopian colleague
with detailed knowledge of the Simien Range and the historical sites
visited on this trip. Solomon is also a keen bird-watcher and his
enthusiasm is infectious!
ITINERARY
Day 1 (Fri)
Your flight departs from Heathrow in the evening. Footloose can
arrange your flight but flight cost is not included in this itinerary.
Day 2 (Sat)
Arrive in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, in the morning and
transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is free. A tour of the
city is available in the afternoon. In the evening you can eat at
the hotel or go out to a local restaurant to sample various regional
specialities. (Bed and breakfast at hotel.)
Day 3 (Sun)
The journey continues, with a short flight northwards to Gondar.
This was the capital of Ethiopia between the early 1600s and the
late 1800s. At the centre of the town is an area called the 'imperial
precinct' which contains several castles built by the emperors of
Ethiopia in this two-century period. All different, as each emperor
strove to out-do his predecessor, and unlike other buildings found
anywhere in the world, these castles contain elements of early Egyptian,
Axumite, Arabic and even Portuguese design. Your guide shows you
round and unravels the castles' fascinating histories. (Dinner,
bed & breakfast at hotel.)
Day 4 (Mon)
The trek begins. You drive from Gondar to the small town of Debarek,
the 'gateway' to the Simien Mountains, where you meet your local
guides and mules. (Mules are used as pack-animals throughout this
trek. You carry only day-sacks.) The equipment is loaded up and
you roll out of town. A circular route is taken through the Simien
Range, which begins by heading eastwards out of Debarek, soon leaving
behind the houses and passing through valleys of farmland and occasional
villages.
On this first day, you walk for about five hours, to stretch your
muscles and limber up for the longer days to come. You cross the
Lama River and the path climbs steeply onto the western plateau.
The plateau's northern escarpment is reached near the village of
Chinkwanit and it is followed to reach your first camp near the
village of Michibi.
The people of the Simiens are friendly and hospitable; any visits
to their village is seen as an excuse for a fair bit of local millet
beer drinking. You may be invited into a house and offered some
beer, although this is an acquired taste and strictly optional!
(4 -6 hours)
Day 5 (Tue)
You follow the edge of the escarpment eastward. To the north, the
views are unique and simply stunning, and unlike anything else in
Africa, and possibly the world. This is where you see the "giant
chess pieces", the ancient eroded hills, towers and rock formations
described by travel-writer Rosita Forbes.
You descend into the Koba River Valley to the south, then climb
steeply up through the Michotis area. To the left is the Geech Abyss
and a large waterfall where the Jin Bahir river plunges into the
abyss. You drop into this valley then follow the path up again,
to reach our campsite near Geech village during the afternoon. (8
- 9 hours)
Day 6 (Weds)
You stay at Geech for two nights. On the day in between you walk
up to the summit of Imetgogo, a high rocky peak on the edge of the
escarpment to the east of the camp, with spectacular views north
and east across the foothills and plains. You are likely to see
klipspringer (a small mountain antelope), possibly Walia ibex (a
rare wild goat, found only in the Simiens), and hundreds of spectacular
birds. Today is relaxed, and there's plenty of time to watch the
wildlife and absorb the scenery. (5 - 6 hours)
Day 7 (Thurs)
From Geech aim southwards, then east to follow the crest of a broad
ridge. After mid-day the path contours above the huge Belegez Valley
to its head where it meets the northern escarpment once more and
reach your next camp at Chenek.This is one of the most spectacular
spots on the trek. The views in all directions are dramatic and
ever-changing as the sun moves overhead; out from the escarpment
edge, across the foothills, up to the surrounding peaks, and westwards
down the Baiagas Valley. Meanwhile, lammergeiers and buzzards soar
overhead and groups of gelada baboons (another animal unique to
the Simiens), with golden fur that makes them look like lions, can
be seen along the cliffs. (7 - 8 hours)
Day 8 (Fri)
Overlooking Chenek is Bwahit, at 4430 metres one of the highest
peaks in Ethiopia. The route from Chenek takes us through a high
col on Bwahit's northern shoulder at 4200 metres, so you can divert
for a few hours to walk up the impressive ridge and bag the summit
- but only if you have spare energy. From here you can see in the
distance Ras Dejen, at 4543 metres the highest peak in Ethiopia,
on the far side of the massive Masheha Valley which splits the range
into two great plateaux. This is also your route for the next two
days so don't be too disheartened! The descent to Misma is 1400
metres but there is no rush. Camp at Misma at 3500 metres. (9 -
10 hours)
Day 9 (Sat)
This is the summit day. The climb up is long and you'll probably
find it arduous, but well worth it. Take it very slowly. The route
follows an open gully and moves onto a wide ridge. The summit cliffs
can soon be seen and the highest point is on the left, reached by
an easy scramble past the cliffs. The summit should be reached about
four or five hours after leaving camp. The route now follows the
ridge north west over several lower summits to reach the Metalel
Pass. There is no water here but the mules will have been taken
round the lower path and collected water on the way. This route
can also be taken by anyone who is not feeling up to the summit.
(10 - 11 hours)
Day 10 (Sun)
The route today gives the best walk of the trek as it follows the
high ridge across several peaks. Some of them can be skirted round
at a lower level and there are a couple of escape routes for earlier
descents. For the faint-hearted (and faintlegged) it is easy to
go with the mules along the lower path and reach the next camp in
about six hours. The prominent peaks are: Kidis Yared (4453mts.),
Abba Yared(4409mts.), Silki(4420mts.), and Beroch Wuha(4272mts.).
On the open ridge below is the small village of Akwaziye, and the
chief is a good friend of our guide. The camp is nearby and you
may be invited that evening to the chief's house. The village inhabitants
are friendly; and it's a good opportunity for us to meet the locals,
and see them as real people rather than just colourful "extras"
in the landscape. (8 -12 hours)
Day 11 (Mon)
It's a long morning's walk, so an early start and a late lunch.
Two hours gently downhill and then two hours very steeply down -
on a good path - to the Ansiya river. This is an idyllic spot for
lunch and a wash. Wade across the river and another hour contouring
along the pastured terraces brings you to a camp beneath a huge
fig tree near Lamu. As the sun sets behind the mountains at the
head of the valley, the fissures and gorges on the escarpment overlooking
the camp fall into shadow, and the high peaks and buttresses glow
in the evening light. (6 -7 hours)
Day 12 (Tues)
Continue down the valley terraces and then drop down and wade across
the river. Lunch is at an even more idyllic spot just further on
- waterfalls, palms, rock baths and swimming. A steep climb of 500
metres takes you back on the plateau and a short walk ends at a
spectacular camp site on the ridge near Musit. (7 - 8 hours)
Day 13 (Wed)
A short walk in the morning along a forested ridge and then through
fields takes you to the road-head, where you meet your vehicle to
take you to Axum. From here you drive north, slowly gaining height
as you reach the plateau area around Axum. There is time in the
afternoon and evening to visit the museum and see the famous Stellae,
Axum's most striking relics that are believed to be thousands of
years old. They are carved from single blocks of granite and the
tallest (now broken) was more than 100 feet high. The tallest of
them was taken by Italians in 1937 but is on its way back. Axum
is also the centre for Ethiopia's Orthodox Christians. Ethiopia
is one of the oldest Christian countries in the world, and you visit
the remains of a church dating from the fourth century. Nearby is
a 16th century church where the crowns of the Ethiopian emperors
are stored. The Covenant of the Ark is reputed to be here, and some
of the ruins are associated with the Queen of Sheba. (Dinner, bed
& breakfast at hotel.)
Day 14 (Thur) & 15(Fri)
There will be a couple of hours to look around Axum a little more
and then you fly to Lalibela, where you spend two days. This is
the site of eleven 'monolithic' rock-hewn churches, built around
the 13th century. These churches are one of the great unknown wonders
of the world - "much better than Petra". Each church is
different in design but they are remarkable in that they have been
carved inside and outside from solid rock. There are surprisingly
large and interconnected by a system of tunnels and trenches. Several
are decorated with carvings, paintings and murals. The churches
are still in use, but outside mass times one of the priests will
show you round. There's also some free time to look round the town
itself. One day will be walking to some of the more distant churches.
In the evening at the hotel, there may be a local Tigrean dance
group and there is the possibility of a visit to a local house for
a traditional meal. (Dinner, bed & breakfast at hotel.)
Day 16 (Sat)
From Lalibela you fly back to Addis Ababa. The afternoon is free,
and in the evening there's a chance to visit a local restaurant
for a farewell supper. (Bed & breakfast at hotel.)
Day 17 (Sun)
Your flight departs Addis Ababa in the morning and arrives back
at Heathrow later the same day.
Price
The guide price for 2 people is from £1850 per person. International
flights are not included. The trek alone (not Axum and Lalibela)
would be £1600
Itinerary
In Ethiopia, perhaps more than in many other parts of the world,
situations change and so the itinerary may change as well. We will
always do as much as possible to avoid this and, should it be unavoidable,
do everything to make the trip as enjoyable and satisfying as possible.
Any changes can often be made after discussions with the group,
so never be afraid to voice an opinion!
Flights
The price does not include flights. We would be pleased to arrange
these for you. The present cost is about £500 from London.
Walking conditions during the trek
The trek is not easy and compares with a high medium grade Himalayan
trek. During the trek you'll be walking for between six and ten
hours per day. Some days, for example when we go to the summits
of Bwahit and Ras Dejen are even longer. Therefore, you need to
be reasonably fit and have hill walking experience. As the route
follows paths and tracks for most of the distance, conditions underfoot
are not too hard. The high days are made more difficult by altitude,
although it is unlikely that anyone will suffer seriously.
You will have local guides, so there is no need for everyone to
stick together and you should be able to walk at a pace which you
find comfortable. All equipment is carried by mules: you have only
day-sacks. There's also a couple of spare mules in case anybody
gets tired or footsore, or just wants to try riding a mule! The
highest part of the trek is avoidable (and escapable) by taking
lower paths with the porters, but this would mean missing some of
the most spectacular scenery.
Altitude
Although you go above 4000 metres, altitude sickness is unlikely
to be a problem as you gain height gradually throughout the trek.
The lack of air will, however, slow you down.
Food and accommodation
On the trek all food is provided, although you may want to bring
snacks such as dried fruit and 'energy bars' to keep you going between
meals. In the towns and cities, meals provided are listed in the
itinerary. Some lunches and evening meals are at your own expense,
to give you the chance to sample local cooking. All meals are inexpensive
by local standards. On trek you camp, using 2-person tents. In the
towns and cities you stay at comfortable hotels, although often
water is not available. Most rooms have en suite facilities, and
our prices are based on two people sharing.
Everything else
General information on visas, jabs, money, gear and clothing will
be sent to you when we receive your booking.
Return
to main Ethiopia page
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Although near the Equator, the climate
of Ethiopia is is quite cool because of the altitude. The
rains are June to August.
Visas are required for Ethiopia. All normal
tropical health precautions apply and there is a risk of malaria
in the south.
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