Last time we flew with Ethiopian Airlines, having booked on-line using a credit card, we had all sorts of bureaucratic hassles at Entebbe airport. On this occasion, since we’d given ourselves plenty of time, we jumped through all the check-in and immigration hoops smoothly. The good news was that gave us enough time to pop into the cafe, grab a beer and settle back to watch City stuff Arsenal 6-3. A good start! A couple of hours later and we were in mayhem i.e. Addis Ababa’s airport; it was mobbed. Even though we quickly got our visa sorted out ($20 each) it took yonks to get through immigration but at least we didn’t then have to wait for the bags.
Addis Ababa
Someone from Z Guest House http://www.zguesthouse.com/ was waiting for us as promised and it didn’t take long at that time of night to get across the city. The guesthouse is rather cute and owned by a friendly, helpful host who made us feel very welcome. It is situated down a quiet lane where you feel like you’re in a rural village rather than a capital city. Plus it’s a handy location for visiting Addis’ museums and there’s a street of shops and restaurants a few minutes’ walk away. The next morning following a substantial breakfast we were ready to explore the city. At 2310m the temperature was refreshing in the sun let alone the shade!
First we walked to the National Museum of Ethiopia and initially thought it was closed. The colonial building on the right hand side with an old car parked outside looked like the right place. In fact it was firmly shut and rather derelict and we quickly realised that the museum was housed in the 1960’s communistic style grey concrete block. The door to this building was open but that was the only promising sign of there actually being exhibits to look at! On entering we were amazed to see that the ticket counter was operational and decided, at only Birr10 (about 30p) a head, it didn’t matter if the place only held our attention for 10mins or so.
In actual fact we spent a good hour in there and particularly enjoyed the ground floor. This section houses the excavated remains of ancient humans and chronicles homo sapiens evolution over the millennia. It was very interesting and much time and effort has been put into the modernisation of the displays. Everything was clearly labelled and there was sufficient information to read. The upper floors display art works and artefacts but these sections have yet to be developed. Labelling and information was minimal here but it’s obvious the entire place is up for an overhaul. On completion they’ll be fully justified in increasing the entrance fee to at least 10 bob!
We continued walking down the hill where the smooth tarmac roads were lined with trees. Being Sunday the traffic was light but considering there were 5 lanes in each direction there’s ample space for vehicles. Our next port of call was ‘Red Tower’ The Martyrs Museum which chronicles the terrible times under the Derg regime during the seventies, and yes you read that correctly two museums in one day! This one turned out to be free but we popped a donation in the box as it’s privately run and independent of government funding. It was good to learn more about Ethiopia’s recent history even though the displays were upsetting and harrowing. The memorial room was utterly depressing and I declared that we’d looked at far too many human bones that morning. This museum reminded us very much of S21 in Cambodia; one of those things that you should do as we can’t pretend it didn’t happen. However, enjoyable it was not.
In both places we were offered a guided tour but chose to look around ourselves. The decision was accepted without any hint of trying to persuade us otherwise. In fact the curator of the Martyr’s Museum stopped us on the way out to gain some feedback from us. Plus it was an opportunity to ask any questions we may have had. We found the staff in both museums to be helpful and friendly but felt everyone had an open manner.
We then walked back up through town with the Piazza area our aim. Throughout town the majority of the buildings are grey, concrete, 60’s/ Soviet style blocks. The city has a much poorer feel to it than Kampala and we encountered much, much more in the way of begging. Some people with things to sell were more persistent than we were comfortable with but we’d expected a fair amount of this kind of thing. Addis Ababa certainly isn’t an attractive city but the wide roads and neat pavements give an air of space and it was pleasant to walk around. Well, on a Sunday when many shops and businesses are shut that is!
Up at the Piazza we popped into a coffee shop – when in Rome and all that. It was cheap enough but good lord do they have to make it so strong? I predicted that I wouldn’t be able to handle too many brews in the next 3 weeks and why does it have to come in a doll’s teacup? I would say one cup, well thimble-full, gave me about a week’s worth of caffeine! Steve had read about Itegue Taitu Hotel http://www.taituhotel.com/ – the oldest in Ethiopia and exuding old world charm – we went to check it out. It lived up to its billing and we whiled away a couple of hours in their garden supping St George beer and tucking into some local cuisine. Steve ordered the national dish daro wat (chicken based) and I had tegabino (chickpea based) with both served with injera. The latter being the staple carbohydrate and for those of you who’ve been to the Indian sub-continent it’ll seem slightly familiar. In India the closest approximation would be an uttapam and in Sri Lanka a hopper but injera has a distinctly sour taste. The meal was so huge that we couldn’t finish it. It was good to try some of the local dishes and even though we had chosen one of the most expensive places a main course only cost about 3 quid.
We wandered back to Z Guesthouse feeling quite exhausted as we’d arrived late the previous night. However, we decided not to snooze for fear of upsetting our sleep patterns so forced ourselves to go out again. We walked down the rural lane we were staying on and down to the first main road. This area had a more city like feel to it with a row of shops, cafes and restaurants to choose from. Many were doing brisk Sunday evening trade and Rominas seemed to be one of the more popular places so we went to investigate and their food was pretty good. Following an early tea we retired back to our room for an early night as we needed to get up with the lark to catch a flight the next morning. The owner of the guesthouse had kindly arranged a taxi for us and we trusted it to be there despite the unearthly hour.
Simien Mountains
Trek: Day 1
Indeed a taxi was ready and waiting at 5am as promised and with the city being quiet we made it to the airport in good time. Check-in was smooth and quick and even though we were on an internal flight we still had to go through a couple of scanners. It gets so tedious removing boots, coats, watches, laptops from bags etc, etc but not too bad once you get into a routine.
Dawn had broken by the time we trundled down the runway and with being on a smaller plane we flew at a lower altitude. This meant we could see the Ethiopian plains stretched out below us and were amazed at how empty the land looked. Considering this is quite a populous country we couldn’t see much sign of habitation. Basically all we could see was a patchwork of agricultural fields interspersed by deep gullies. Just an hour later we landed at Gondar where we were met by someone from the trekking company: ethiopiaecotourandtrek.com
As per usual there was a discrepancy in heights from what we were told, what was written in the guide book and the readings on Steve’s watch. In the end we worked out that Steve’s readings were probably 150 – 200m lower than they should have been. However, for consistency in this journal I’m going to use his readings so will tell Gondar is situated at 2110m. In town (a dusty building site on first impressions) we were introduced to the cooks, picked up supplies and were soon heading towards the Simien Mountains.
A couple of hours later having traversed a smooth tarmac road through some lovely scenery we reached Deback. Along the way we encountered very little motorised traffic but hundreds of mules and donkeys. At Deback we registered at the park headquarters, picked up our guide and scout and yet more supplies. From there we turned off the main road onto a pebbly track that 15kms later delivered us at the Simien Mountains National Park gateway. We drove another 7kms passing the very posh Simien Lodge perched on a spectacular ledge at 3000m. The jeep stopped again and it was finally time for us to use shank’s pony! This proved to be a gentle amble along the ridge as a bit of a warm up. More significantly we got to see how shear the rock faces are in these parts. It was a shame the cloud / haze / dust was obscuring the distant views but looking down into the immediate valleys was a great start.
We knew the park was home to some rare and endemic creatures but hadn’t hoped to see them until further into the trek. We were delighted to find out that we were about 95% likely to see gelada baboons and even more thrilled when our guide spotted a couple. Granted they were quite a distance down the steep mountain slopes but they were clearly shaggy coated monkeys. On pausing at another viewpoint (of which there are numerous) we spied an augur buzzard, hooded vulture soaring and lammergeyer perched on a rock. In fact we were never short of raptors to admire. Finally on looking over the edge our guide pointed out a klipspringer – what a great start.
The walk was only a slow 2hour stroll so we reached Sankaber Camp (3080m) in plenty of time to get ourselves sorted out. Even though we were camping we were pleased to see table and chairs were part of the kit. Trekking in the area is quite popular but the campsite facilities were minimal; permanent cooking huts and grotty drop toilets. No one has thought to put in any showering facilities or even a tap with running water. Luckily our team were very good and they provided a bowl of water and soap every time we camped or were about to eat.
The views were wonderful and the weather dry but it became decidedly chilly once the sun started to sink. As per usual with these organised treks we felt like we had far too many people fussing over us and trying to give us way too much food. They’re all lovely people but they have to realise that when we say we’re fine or we’ve had plenty to eat we’re being honest. At least we know there’s sufficient food to ensure the porters/mule team etc will get a good feed this week too.
Trek: Day 2
Even with a comfy mattress you never sleep all that well on these treks and the first night was no exception. At least it was nowhere near as cold as other treks we’ve been on in recent years so managed a reasonable amount of kip. We set off at 8am and expected to be walking for the bulk of the day. However, before I get onto today’s section of the trek I need to get some negative aspects out of my system.
I’ve long been under the impression that the main reason to designate an area a national park is to protect the flora and fauna within its boundaries. From the brief experience we have of Ethiopia we glean the impression they are proud of their indigenous species. We were therefore rather surprised to discover there’s a road running through the majority of the park. A by-pass is being constructed leaving the existing track for tourists and locals but since trekking it the main activity there’s not much need for a road. Granted it would be handy for emergency evacuations but there are other ways to reach medical help as many parks around the world will testify. So that leaves the road for locals but why are so many people living within a ‘protected’ area? As we know nature and humans both need space but there are better ways to share it than what we’ve seen here.
I love those national parks that set up a buffer zone around the strictly protected area for people, their crops and livestock. Not only do they get to eke out their living in peace but in turn they tend to help protect the national park. When sharing the natural resources, space and ecotourism dollars results in an amicable, sustainable and mutually beneficial partnership. Here in Simien at the park headquarters there was a poster imploring people to help them to re-gain their world heritage status. Today we saw firsthand some of the reasons that must have contributed to them loosing that coveted title. Much of the flatter landscape has been transformed and native plants have been replaced by a blanket of agricultural fields. We also walked through a section that had obviously been over-cultivated rendering the soil lifeless. Without the plants to bind the soil together there is much evidence of erosion. This is compounded by the hooves of their livestock who in turn munch on the plants causing a loss of natural vegetation. The removal of wood for cooking and heating has of course led to problems with deforestation.
None of the above makes for news in particular as we all know it’s happening at an alarming rate across the planet. The most upsetting thing for us was watching people throwing stones at and letting dogs loose on a troop of gelada baboons. Not only do the baboons have the ultimate right to be there but this reaction to their crop raiding will make them develop aggressive behaviour traits. Wild barley grasses form a natural source of food for them so they were simply taking advantage of a good supply. However, aggression beyond that needed for territory or mating purposes is not part of their natural behaviour. Yes, people need to eat and make a living but .......................... buffer zones?
Having said all that we did enjoy our day’s walk. We continued along the ridge and it took longer than in ought to as we kept stopping. Granted each view point awarded fabulous views but to be honest the entire stretch was one massive viewing platform. The pace set was slow again today but with so much wonderful scenery, flora and fauna to feast our eyes upon it seemed daft to rush. We saw all the same animals as the first day and were also lucky enough to spot a couple of bush buck.
The first proper resting point was at Ganber Falls which plummeted down a sheer rock face that formed part of a horseshoe shaped chasm. In the wet season it draws numerous tourists to witness 5 waterfalls gushing over the edge to fall down a 400m vertical rock face. There was only one trickle at the trekking friendly dry time of year but the panorama was still fantastic. From there we clambered back up to the road and followed it a little way before heading towards a more undulating landscape. There were a couple of lesser valleys to descend into and cross but nothing as dramatic as the edge of the escarpment.
Following 3 hours of walking we stopped for lunch in the valley of a less impressive but more picturesque waterfall. The guide initially indicated we would rest there for a couple of hours but we soon put him straight on that one. Over an hour of rest in the middle of the day and you start to feel mighty chilly and run the risk of old muscles seizing up. While we rested a huge troop of baboons kept us entertained; posing for photos, leaping down vertical cliffs, having fisty-cuffs and raiding the barley fields.
An hour later we found ourselves in Geech village where we were asked if we’d like to participate in a traditional coffee ceremony. We’d read about this and anyone who’d been to Ethiopia said we should do it at least once during our trip. Here was our chance to tick that box and where better than a traditional rural village? In fact it turned out to be in the home of our accompanying scout so at least he and his family benefitted from some of our tourist dollars. The entire thing lasted about 50mins and wasn’t as embarrassing as these things have a tendency to be. Luckily the guide told the lady of the hut that we didn’t like our coffee as strong as Ethiopian’s favour it. First she washed the beans, roasted them, pounded them and eventually put the kettle on to boil. All of this took place in the pitch black of the family’s home which houses themselves and their animals. With 3 snotty nosed children running around and dirt thickly layering everything, Costa Coffee has nothing to fear. It was interesting enough but way to much faff just to get a warm drink!
From the village it was only a 10min stroll over the ridge to Geech camp at 3430m upon a plateau. By this point the cloud was rolling up the valley and we quickly surmised the side trip to watch the sunset wasn’t going to happen. It wasn’t raining but the thermometer was dropping so dinner was served in the cooking hut that night. It was good to feel warm before crawling into our tents as conditions were decidedly chillier than the previous camp.
Trek: Day 3
We went through the same early morning routine and we on our way at 8am with the sun nicely warming us through. The path advanced across the plateau until it literally disappeared over the edge. We found ourselves walking along the edge of a sheer drop that descended some 1000m into the valley below. We’ve seen some amazing sights over the years but this has got to be the most sheer and deepest single drop canyon we’ve witnessed to date. Even Colca Canyon in Peru wasn’t this dramatic. We took in a slight detour to take in the full aspect of the geography from a very panoramic rocky outcrop at 3700m. From there we could see the remainder of the day’s walk and we’d been told we’d be walking about 9hrs in total.
Considering we had to get down from our perch, cross a valley and ascend another equally steep, high cliff it looked like a reasonable quote. In reality we spent 6hrs walking and the pace wasn’t particularly brisk. It was good to know that the old legs still had a bit of oomph in them and can do a decent day’s trekking. In the end it was an extremely enjoyable day with the bulk of the walking being along the edge of a precipice offering constantly stunning views. Our guide set a reasonable pace considering we spent pretty much most of the day above 3600m. Today felt like our first full day of proper trekking and not a stroll in the park for novices as it had been previously. We knew from overhearing conversations that for many people this was their first trek and this area does seem to attract non-serious walkers.
Crossing from one promontory to another involved entering a wooded area consisting of weather beaten gnarled old trees. The plant life had been lovely along the way and our guide had been quite informative. However, he fails to grasp the true meaning of endemic. In the end I worked out that he was trying to say species that are specific to the Simien Mountain range within Ethiopia. I know for a fact that giant heathers and giant lobelia aren’t endemic to Ethiopia as we’ve seen them in other areas of the Rift Valley.
We reached the highest point of the day 3850m at Inatye and it was perfect timing for our picnic lunch. It was rather chilly up there due to the breeze but we found a sheltered spot to munch away whilst taking in those fabulously vertiginous views. On the way down to Chenek camp (3440m) we passed more gregarious geladas so took a few more photos. Within 2hrs we reached camp feeling a little weary but satisfied with our day’s walking. As we looked back towards Inatye we saw it was blanketed in grey cloud – Brrr! Thank goodness we were lower and supping a warm brew.
Even though this camp was in a nice setting it was right next to the road and the nearby village. The odd bit of traffic and power lines somewhat spoilt the natural ambiance. However, there were stunning views a mere potter from the tent with plenty of wildlife to view too. The resident troop of baboons has learnt to be very cheeky and was trying to raid food from the community lodges (a rather grand name for tin huts). Plus there were loads of raptors and other birds gliding and fluttering around respectively. We also spied some rodents that looked like they’d make very good Ethiopian wolf snacks. The endemic (truly) wolf and Walia ibex are both to be found in the area but sightings are rare particularly the former.
Trek: Day 4
We awoke to find the usual layer of ice on the outside of the tent and a covering of frost. You can imagine how much we appreciated being given a warm brew each morning. Steve popped over to take in the view over the edge as the previous evening’s cloud had dissipated. He just wanted to take a couple of photos while I sorted out our belongings. The next thing I knew a fellow trekker was calling me over telling me that they’d spotted a couple of Walia ibex. It was a great start to the day watching a mother and her young going about their morning routine. They are wonderfully agile creatures and negotiated the virtually vertical terrain below us with admirable ease.
This led us to be around half an hour late in setting off but since numbers hadn’t tallied to date we weren’t particularly concerned. The day panned out from the sublime to the ridiculous with a hefty dollop of confusion thrown in for good measure. Timings, distances and altitudes had been open to interpretation from the off-set but today’s random number selection took the biscuit.
Let’s start with the sublime part of the day which we later realised had included the non-optional option of taking in an extra peak. To say we were confused with the day’s programme succinctly sums up the entire day. It turned out that instead of taking the shorter pass route to the next camp we ascended Ethiopia’s 4th highest peak (Bwahit) to take in a view en-route. Granted it was a spectacular spot and a lovely walk but on reaching the top at midday we wondered why we’d not been given a picnic that morning. Sticking with the sublime for now; the highlight was spotting 15 ibex along the way and most of them didn’t bolt as we’d expected them to. They didn’t like us getting too close but we got to observe them for far longer than who’d have dreamed possible.
By now it was past midday and were feeling peckish having ascended over 700m. Our guide proceeded to show us where we would take lunch; miles away deep down in the valley at a rather large town. We quickly realised we were about to exit the national park and descend into crop and village land. Not at all what we’d expected when booking the trek and we were rather dismayed at the prospect of leaving this beautiful scenery behind. Even worse was seeing how far we’d have to walk down into the valley for a bite to eat. Then we’d have to climb up to Ambiko Camp that we were told was situated at 2700ml. Now we were totally confused and rather worried; how could the lowest camp be situated next to the highest point on the trek? Our legs were already aching from all the downhill and we seriously doubted being able to summit Ras Dashen in one go from such a low base camp.
If the figures were to be believed it would involve 1800m straight up and of course straight back down again. Plus we knew we had to do today’s walk in reverse i.e. back down into the valley and then up and over a 4000m pass to meet up with our transport the following day. It was all starting to look too daunting for us and for the first time we wished we’d quit at the top of Ethiopia’s 4th highest point and returned to Chenek camp. We could have spent the final night there and spent the next morning looking for more wildlife while waiting for our lift back to town to arrive a day earlier.
Walking down through inhabited land being pestered by children either begging or throwing stones didn’t improve our mood. We ended up eating our ‘fresh’ lunch (cold, congealed spaghetti) by the road side – things weren’t improving. It was now 2pm and we were told it would take another 4hrs to reach camp so off we set. Our guide then asked if we wanted to stop for coffee in town. Er, no, we’d like to reach camp in daylight! The descent was interminable and not what our legs needed before summit day. In the end we went down 1560m, before going back up another 330m to discover camp was actually at 2960m. It still wasn’t high enough to really be called a base camp for a 4500m mountain but at closer to 3000m it all seemed more feasible.
Typically the camp we’d spend two nights in was the worst of the lot being on the edge of a village you can’t find a convenient bush. The provided facilities were just as grim as all the other campsites! We were astounded to find a cluster of tents as out of the 12 people who’d set off from Sankaber there was only Steve and I left. It transpired that everyone else had been up the mountain that day so it would indeed be only the two of us going up. We got talking to one of the group who’d been up that day and we once again were up for having a go at Ras Dashen.
Trek: Day 5
Following a restless night we were up at 4am and putting one foot in front of the other an hour later. The moon was still pretty full so we had lots of natural light to walk by. We initially cut up through agricultural land and then started following the road. Steve jokingly asked if the road went all the way to the top and the answer is yes bar the last couple of hundred meters of solid rock. It certainly lessened our sense of adventure and intrepid exploration but we were quietly glad we’d be able to walk back down the road.
There were absolutely no vehicles on the road just the odd donkey so at least traffic noise didn’t pollute the peace and quiet. In the end it took us 4hrs to ascend the 1330m from Ambiko camp to the top of Ethiopia. After a couple of hours we’d left the farmland behind and the sun had risen making the walk enjoyable. Wherever possible we used shortcuts to get off the road and we couldn’t see another soul for miles around. To reach the very summit involves climbing the last section on all fours. Most of the rocks were bobbly enough to give good hand and foot holds and it wasn’t high enough to totally feel like rock climbing. There was only one tiny section where I needed help as my legs simply weren’t long enough!
Despite all the confusion and consternation we made it to the top and were very glad that we had. The 360o views from the top were superb. There was a chilly breeze blowing across the area so we only hung around long enough for ample photos. We then descended out of the wind and found a scenic sheltered spot in which to eat our picnic. Our guide had learnt – always bring a bite to eat!
Walking back down over 1000m via the track/road wasn’t too bad but it became as tedious as ever. Our poor old knees were complaining bitterly by the time we got back to our tent. We weren’t able to celebrate as such as we still had that 6hr walk back over a 4000m pass to tackle. Relaxing and sitting in the sun that afternoon would have been much more enjoyable it we hadn’t been getting bothered by flies. This was the only campsite on route where we had this problem and can only assume they’re attracted to the villagers’ livestock.
Our last night in a tent and much as we’d enjoyed the trek we weren’t sure adding Ras Dashen had been worthwhile. We felt a 4-day trek staying within the confines of the national park would have been better – a great thing hindsight!
Trek: Day 6
Usually following the conquering of a mountain the final half day is a gentle stroll to meet your pick-up. Not this time – oh no! We had to climb back up 1300m to crest the ridge separating the national park area with the Ras Dashen region. Considering the same route had taken us 9hrs in the opposite direction we couldn’t work out why it was only going to take 6hrs going back. The bulk of the ascent was through farmland and our tired legs were finding it very tedious. To cut a long moan short we did indeed shave 3hrs off the time and this time we didn’t stop for an hour to look at ibex. Plus it vividly proves our point that we are slower going down.
We were mighty glad to get to the top of the pass (3960m) even though it turned out to be less than a couple of hundred meters lower than Bwahit peak. Plus we were back in national park territory and could enjoy the native flora once more. The 500m down to Chenek camp wasn’t too demanding and we could see our destination for most of the way. While the mules were being unpacked and the jeep loaded up we wandered off to have our butties. We knew there were some benches conveniently positioned at the top of the escarpment offering wonderful views. We’d just unwrapped our food when a couple of baboon appeared, then a couple more and some more..............
They tried to pretend they were only interested in eating plant roots but then the big boss came bounding over. These didn’t seem to be aggressive like olive baboons but he made an impressive sight with his long mane swaying. When he plonked himself directly in front of us and was clearly eyeing up our sarnies, we decided it was time to move. We managed to find a quiet spot a little further along the ridge and tucked in without further ado. We’d just finished scoffing the last mouthful when the troop reappeared. This time the family group with baby posed for photos. A lovely end to what had been an enjoyable trek even though at times it had been confusing and frustrating.
As we were walking back down to the car a lammagier landed only 5m away from us, snaffled up a bone and took off. Throughout this trek we were amazed at how close to the wildlife we’d been able to get. Plus we don’t usually get to see much in the way of creatures when trekking. By now it was time to pile into the car and bump our way along the track to Deback; it was a treat to retrace our steps whilst sitting down! Along the way a couple of klipspringers bounded across the road – a final farewell.
Back in Deback it was time to say goodbye to our crew and go through the stress of giving tips. Fortunately Ethiopians tend to be very nice people and nobody scrutinised their tip. It was simply accepted with gratitude and pocketed – just as it should be. The 1 ½ hour drive back down the smooth tarmac road to Gondar was interesting. It was market day so the road was lined with people walking along with goats, sheep, donkeys, mules and cows. It’s just as well there’s so little traffic as many a time people and animal fill the 2 lanes. Being in Ethiopia really does feel like travelling back in time.
Steve had booked us into Lodge de Chateau http://www.lodgeduchateau.com/index.html which is a lovely friendly little B&B though probably slightly over-priced at $50 a night. The host was very welcoming and the place boasts a wonderful terrace/restaurant area. Each room has its own outdoor seating area and the garden is lush and green. To be honest at that point we were only interesting in a long hot shower and clean clothes! However, that had to wait as Addis (the owner of the trekking company) wanted some feedback. His company is less than a year old and he’s constantly trying to improve it so we were happy to chat. Besides which he bought us a couple of beer to compensate for our time. A nice touch from another very friendly person and we’d definitely recommend using his services. www.ethiopiaecotourandtrek.com
By the time we transferred the dirt and dust from our bodies to the shower basin it was dark so we didn’t venture far. We found a bar and restaurant, Lodge Fasil, serving substantial and tasty local food. Fully replete and utterly exhausted we crashed out – in a bed, luxury! We dropped off instantly but we rudely awoken at 3am when the churches began their Sunday prayers. It continued at top volume until 9am – harrumph!!
