SIMIEN MOUNTAINS TREKKING

DAY 1. FLIGHT DEPARTURE
Flight departure. Overnight on board.

DAY 2. ARRIVE TO ADDIS ABEBA – FLIGHT TO BAHIR DAR
Lunch, dinner.

Arrival and connection with local flight to Bahir Dar. Bahardar (the house of the sea in Arabic) is on the shores of Lake Tana that has a total of 60 tributaries, the most important being the small Abai Wenz or sources of the Blue Nile. We will start the visits with a boat trip on Lake Tana, which has about 30 islands and numerous monasteries, some of which date from the 14th century. On the Zeghe Peninsula is the well-preserved and perhaps the most impressive Ura Kidane Mehret monastery. With a circular plan and fabulous frescoes on its walls, the monastery houses a good collection of manuscripts and sacred objects. Then we will visit the Kibran Gebriel monastery, inside which a collection of almost 200 old books is preserved.

We will end the tour with a visit to Debre Maryam. Then we will have lunch at a local restaurant on the lake shore, before leaving for the Blue Nile Falls. They are about 30 km from Bahir Dar and have an altitude of 45 meters with a flow of 400 meters wide in the rainy season. The Blue Nile River is born in Lake Tana, meets in Sudan with the White Nile, which is born in Uganda, both forming the Nile River that flows into Egypt. Return to Bahir Dar

Hotel accommodation, Bahir Dar.

DAY 3. BAHIR DAR – GONDAR
Breakfast, lunch, dinner.

In the morning, drive to Gondar. 180 km of road that will take us around 4 hours. Gondar, the former capital of the Abyssinian kingdom, was founded in 1635 by Emperor Fasilides. It is a very different city from the rest of Ethiopia, with a Royal compound that houses several castles and small well-preserved buildings. Upon arrival we will leave things at the hotel and then go out to visit the Fasílides baths, the Debre Birhn Selassie church and the town castle. Outside of these places of interest, the city is curious to wander around and get lost among its alleys, being able to find touches of Art Deco and other European styles from the time of the Italian occupation (1936-1941).

Hotel accommodation, Gondar.

DAY 4. GONDAR – SANKABER
Breakfast, lunch, dinner.

We will leave Gondar early by road to Debark. Here we will register in the Simien Mountains National Park. Continuation by car to our starting point of the trek, near the town of Buyit Ras, located at 3100 meters high. Very pleasant hiking running along a path that follows the tailpiece of the mountain on the edge of the cliffs that form the northern skirt of this sector of Simien. In this area we can already observe one of the most emblematic inhabitants of Simien, the gelada monkeys, an endemic species of the park. The Sankabber camp is 3255 m high, and consists of a grouping of several typical round houses.

Distance: 7.1 km
Duration: 3-4h
Altitude difference: +400 m / -300 m
Tent accommodation.

DAY 5. SANKABER – GEECH
Breakfast, lunch, dinner.

From Sankaber we will leave following the cordal that dominates the valley of the Wazla river. After an hour and a half of walking we will be able to see the Jinnbar river and its spectacular waterfalls, one of the largest in this sector of Africa, which fall into the Geech abyss. Here the path descends until it crosses the river (3,080 m) to start the ascent of about 2 hours until reaching the Geech spot, surrounded by giant lobelias and herds of Bedouins.

Distance: 11.8 km
Duration: 5-6h
Altitude difference: +700 m / -400 m
Tent accommodation.

DAY 6. GEECH – CHENEK
Breakfast, lunch, dinner.

After breakfast we will probably enjoy one of the most spectacular days of the entire trek. From Geech we will leave the usual itinerary to go to the Imet Gogo Peak at a height of 3926m and located about 5 km walk from the camp. From this point we will have an extensive view of the entire Simien mountainous massif and also of the valleys and lowlands that descend abruptly to the north, towards the towns of Mekarebia and Mulit. Then, after a rapid descent of about 300 meters of unevenness to the bottom of the valley, we will begin the second climb of the day, to the rocky plateau of Inatye, 4070 meters. From here we will have another spectacular panoramic view of the sector while we have lunch. The path continues following, in progressive descent, the mountain range along the spectacular rocky cliffs until reaching the Belegez Valley (3, 560 m) and the Chenek camp site (3,620 m) after a short ascent. This point is the best place to observe the Abyssinian ibex, the rockhopper or the Simien wolf.

Distance: 15.6 km
Duration: 7-8 h
Difference in altitude: +/- 700 m
Tent accommodation.

DAY 7. CHENEK – AMBIKO
Breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Today a long trekking stage awaits us. We will depart from Chenek in a progressive west direction that will take us to Bwahit Pass (4,195 m). From here the first view of the Mesheha river valley and the summit of Ras Dashen opens before us. If time and forces allow us, we can make the ascent to Bwahit Peak (4,430 m), the second highest summit in the country. From the Bwahit Pass, the path descends markedly towards the Mesheha Valley. On the way we will pass past old cultivation terraces, small villages and the town of Chiro Leba (3,130 m), one of the largest in the sector. Further down, over 2,780 m we will cross the Mesheha river bed, and then start the final ascent of 3 km to the Ambiko camp, located at 3,150 next to a small tree orchard.

Distance: 16 km
Duration 9-10 hours
Difference in altitude: +900 / – 1480 m
Tent accommodation.

DAY 8. AMBIKO – RAS DASHEN SUMMITS – AMBIKO
Breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Early morning departure to the highest summit in Ethiopia. In the first part of the journey we will cross different towns such as Mizma, before starting the ascent to a false pass (elevation 3,820 m) from where we can see all the way we have left to the summit. We will follow the path that follows an old forest track that flanks below the buttresses of the main ridge until we gain a wide pass located southwest of the summit (elevation 4,270 m). It only remains to make a short detour along the southern slope to face the final climb to the very top of Ras Dashen (4,553 m). Beautiful 360º panoramic views. On a clear day you can see the plains of the territory of Eritrea, located 150 km to the north. Descent down the same path to Ambiko.

Distance: 22 km
Duration: 11 hours
Difference in altitude: +/- 1,450 m
Hotel accommodation, Ambiko.

DAY 9. AMBIKO – CHENEK. RETURN TO GONDAR
Breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Day of walking along the trail to the Chenek camp. Duration: 6-7 hours. In the afternoon we leave the National Park and drive for 4 hours via Debark to arrive in Gondar.

Hotel accommodation, Gondar.

DAYS 10-11. GONDAR – LALIBELA
Breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Flight in the early morning to Lalibela. Arrival and transfer from the airport to the center (25 km). Here we will leave the suitcases and we will have the whole day to visit Lalibela. Also known as African Petra or Black Jerusalem, and its wonderful rock-hewn churches from the 12th-13th centuries, this small town is a must-see on a tour of historic Ethiopia. At 2,630 m. high and practically isolated from the world until relatively recently Lalibela maintains a medieval air that makes it unique in the Christian world. The churches carved in the rock (declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1978). Legend has it that in an attempt to create a Jerusalem in African territory, King Lalibela ordered the construction of these churches during his reign, in the s. XII and XIII. But the difference in styles and state of preservation suggests that the period of time between the construction of the first and the last was actually longer. The churches are divided into two groups separated by the small Jordan River. Our tour will start by visiting the Northwest Group. It is the first group that is entered through the ticket sales point and represents the earthly sense. The churches are very close to each other and access is usually through corridors carved out of the rock. The route of our visit begins with the Biete Medhane Alem church, continues with Biete Maryam, Biete Danaghel, Biete Meskal, Biete Mikael, Biete Golgota, and ends with a cruciform cell called the Tomb of Adan. The churches of Bet Mikael and Bet Golgota are entered through the same door and seem to be one, with Biete Golgota having the most interior. Then you will visit the Southeast Group, which represents the world of heaven. Here the arrangement of the churches is much more labyrinthine. The southeast group is made up of Biete Gebriel-Rafael, Biete Abba Libanos, Biete Lehem, Biete Emanuel and Biete Mercurios. Some of them are covered with metal canopies to preserve their state of conservation. To end the day we will visit Biete Ghiorgis, built in honor of the patron saint of Ethiopia, representing Noah’s Ark. For many the most beautiful and impressive of all. It is 15 meters high, excavated below ground level. In the outer walls of the rock there are holes where the anchorites come to life who come seeking spiritual recollection and prayer. 

Hotel accommodation, Lalibela.

DAY 12. LALIBELA – MEKELE
Breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Depart after breakfast by road to Mekele. 290 km of driving (6 h). Arrival in the early afternoon. Transfer to the hotel and rest of the afternoon to stroll through its markets and stroll through the city. Mekele is the capital of the Tigray region and is the fifth most populous in the country, as well as one of Ethiopia’s main economic and university centers.

Hotel accommodation, Mekele.

DAY 13. MEKELE – ERTA ALE
Breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Early breakfast and departure from Mekele around 6:30 AM. The distance to be covered by road today will be about 180 km and it will take us about 6-7 hours. Our journey will take us

Through the Danakil depression it is one of the hottest spots on the planet, reaching temperatures of around 55ºC. A landscape of lava fields, sandbanks and saline deserts, where camel caravans circulate transporting their loads of salt. Arrival in the early afternoon at Askoma, from where we will start our walk of about 4 hours until we reach the crater. About 20 km of walking (round trip) accompanied by our guides and the camels carrying our equipment. Around 17:00 we will have a snack-dinner before starting the trek to the crater. In front of us all the time the steaming hill of Erta Ale. After dinner, start the walk and arrive at the caldera around 20:00. From here it is necessary to descend slightly until we reach the edge of the crater, where the incandescent lava lake of the Erta Ale appears less than 80 meters away. Without a doubt, one of the most spectacular views we can have on our trip to Ethiopia. The Erta Ale has been erupting since 1967. It forms one of the six permanent lava lakes in the world. The lake remains incandescent from that moment thanks to the convection currents of the internal magma. After the visit we will descend a few meters until we reach our camp located very close to the margin of the volcanic caldera.

Tent accommodation.

DAY 14. ERTA ALE – AFRERA LAKE – MEKELE
Breakfast.

We will get up soon to see the sunrise at the edge of the crater. Then we will make a short tour on foot, locating different extinct volcanic structures and secondary volcanic cones of the Erta Ale. Then we will have breakfast before starting the descent from the mountain around 9 AM. Arrival around 10:30 or 11 AM to Dodom. From here we will move further south to visit the mythical Giulietti Lake, better known as Afrera Lake, a large salt lake located -100 meters below sea level, one of the deepest depressions in the world, along with the Death Valley in United States. Here the Afar inhabitants exploit salt by hand, a white salt highly prized for its quality and purity. In the afternoon drive back to Mekele via Erbiti.

Hotel accommodation, Mekelen.

DAY 15. FLIGHT MEKELE – ADDIS ABBEBA. FLIGHT BACK HOME
Breakfast.

In the morning transfer to the local airport to take a flight to the city. Then we will have free time in the city until the transfer back to the airport to take the flight back home.

DAY 16. ARRIVING HOME