The sheer cliffs
Valleys hundreds of metres down.
Fabian Lambeck — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Florian Fell — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Bernard Gagnon — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Rod Waddington from Kergunyah, Australia — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Bernard Gagnon — CC BY-SA 3.0
Simien Mountains National Park is the largest national park in Ethiopia, in the Amhara Region, covering the highest parts of the Simien Mountains, including Ras Dashan, the highest point in the country. UNESCO listed it as a World Heritage Site in 1978. Its sheer cliffs and jagged peaks above green valleys make one of the finest mountain views in all of Africa. It is home to endangered species, including the Ethiopian wolf and the walia ibex, a wild goat found nowhere else, as well as gelada baboons. More than 50 species of birds live here, including the lammergeier with its 3-metre wingspan. The park was on the List of World Heritage in Danger from 1996 to 2017. You walk along high edges above valleys that fall hundreds of metres, with giant lobelias scattered among them. You may find troops of geladas grazing calmly on the grass, so do not go too close. An unpaved road crosses the park from Debark through villages inside. The finest light comes at dawn, when the peaks rise above the clouds. Its centre is about 12 km in a straight line from Debark and about 80 km from Gondar. Sources say a local guide and a scout are required. Bring a warm layer, as nights are cold. The UK Foreign Office currently advises against all travel to the Amhara region, and access may not be possible, so check official guidance before making any plans.
Valleys hundreds of metres down.
Grazing on the grass.
Above the clouds.
North of Gondar, Amhara Region, Ethiopia
Sources say a local guide and scout are required, arranged from Debark.
Check official guidance first, as the UK Foreign Office advises against all travel to the Amhara region.