When people in the UK think of Ethiopia, they see images of starvation, of BandAid and Bob Geldof. It is true that Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world, but few people realise just what the country has to offer as it tries to promote its tourism and get more tourists (and their money) into the country.
It offers history stretching back 1,000’s of years, from the ancient stelae and Ark of the Covenant in northern Axum, to the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela and the medieval castles of Gondor. It makes a wonderful location for a holiday and even safari holidays are becoming possible once more
It also offers beautiful scenery, with Lake Tana being the source of the Blue Nile which starts at the Blue Nile Falls as the water leaves the Lake. Most famous are the stunning Simien mountains and for those who wondered, here is your guide to these bewitching mountains.
The Simien Mountains in Ethiopia is by name a set of mountains. However, in the later 1960s, it was christened a National Park and even upgraded a step more by UNESCO with the establishment of not only being a World Heritage Site but also made the List of World Heritage Sites in Danger in 1978 and 1996 respectively. Sometimes labelled the Roof of Africa (coined by Clive Nicol for his book From the Roof of Africa), the whole of the Simien Mountains National Park is just northeast of Gondar in the Simien Gondar Zone in the region of the Amhara. The whole of the National Park here luckily covers all the Simien Mountains and includes the fourth highest mountain in the entire Africa continent, Ras Dashan, over 4,000 meters with brothers Biuat and Abba Yared at 4,437 and 4,460 meters each. Simien National Park, moreover, lies just south of the border with Eritrea and due north of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital. The closest town is Debarq (a.k.a. Debark, 800 km from Addis Ababa), one of the best and only places to embark on a tour or hike through the National Park.
The Simien Mountains look like they go on for the rest of time if viewed from atop some of the high massifs in the area. However, there are limits to the boundaries, at least on paper. The park, then, reaches about 220 square kilometers in all. Because of all the jutting peaks and sinking valleys, it actually includes a lot more land than can easily be measured. Because of the peaks and valleys, the vegetation is a three-tier botanical system.
The lower plateaus and slopes are often used for agriculture and grazing of animals, whether owned or feral. There is an alpine region as you work your way up in altitude; this stops at about 3,500 meters. The upper parts are probably the most interesting with fescue grass and other mountain grasslands that sway in the breeze. Up here, too, you’ll spot Lobelias and Red Hot Pokers. There are some noteworthy landscapes and when you visit you’ll see how lava poured from the earth when seismic bursts rocked the land over 35 million years ago. It alone formed the saw-toothed mountains, gorges, chasms, canyons, gullies, ravines and coulees.
The wild- and birdlife within the park is second to none. The lava necks have protected them since the beginning of earth’s formation. The mountains have for years protected some of the more rare species of animals. A few of the endemic fellas are the Gelada Baboon, the Ethiopian wolf and the Walia Ibex, a mountain goat with special hooves that can “stick” to the most outcropping overhangs. There are also Hartebeest, Nyala and Menilik’s Bushbuck. Flying on the warm and cold thermals that rush up the sides of the land is the three-meter winged Lammergeyer, also known as the Bearded Vulture. Other avifauna endemic to Ethiopia are the Wattled Ibis, the Blue-Winged Goose, the Rouge T’s Rail, the Spot Breasted Plover, the Yellow-Fronted Parrot, Black-Winged Lovebirds, the Banded Barbet, and the rare Golden-Backed Woodpecker.
Getting to the Simien Mountains National Park is not as easy as it is popular. One of the best ways is to have a tour operator book your travels due north from Addis Ababa. The trip will take a day at least, as the roads are not paved as we are used to in the west. Most tour operators get you to Debark (100 km NE of Gondar for a trip total of at least 950 km) and then switch to accommodation that is close by. There, you’ll most likely take your local tour guide into the park, on whatever itinerary you’ve set out in advance with your tour operator. There are some shelters for hiking and refuges within the park. If you’re not one to climb 4,000 meters, it is possible to drive into the park. Most use 4×4 vehicles and run a scenic circuit. This way you can view the scenery, overlooks, vistas and have chance encounters with the animals.
