The next morning, the four of us split out. Roland stayed back at the guest house to do some last minute checks on the vehicle and get it cleaned up for the two additional passengers at the back. Tomas was ill equipped for the cold at the high altitude of the Simien Mountains so he set out to buy himself some winter wear. Rebecca and I headed to the market for food provisions that would have to last for the next four days.
Walking along the escarpment looking at the distant horizon
Heating myself before going to bed
A scout with his gun
Around 10am we all got back together and ensued towards the mountains. Gonder, like most of central Ethiopia lies on the Ethiopian highland plateau and sits at an altitude of around 2100 meters. A further 4 odd hours of winding dirt and rocky roads and we made it to the town of Debark which sat at an altitude of 2800 meters. It was at Debark that we had to check in at the park headquarters, pay our entrance fees, hire the mandatory scout and pick up supplies like tents and mattresses. We also decided to hire a cook and perhaps a testament to how good a decision it was we commended our own decision at least 15 times over the next 4 days. The cook and the scout hitched a ride with us too so now the team was six.
Simien flowers...had some time after breakfast so i bummed around taking random pictures
More mountains
We drove for a further two and a half hour to reach the first camp at Sankaber (around 3200 meters) which was located overlooking a beautiful valley. Since it was close to night fall by the time we reached we decided to pitch the tent for the night at this camp. It was pretty remarkable how cold it got as soon as the sun set and we were soon freezing. Dizzy, our cook got us some soup and it was like a lifesaver in the bitter cold. As I had packed in some winter wear, the cold was still manageable through the night.
At Jinbar Wenz falls
Perhaps, it was the cold that made Tomas, Roland and Rebecca to retire early for the night or perhaps it was the couple cups of hot tea I had that made me stay away a little longer that night but rather than being in the tent I decided to sit by a camp fire and get tips from an Italian trekker who was on him way back to Debark after several days in the Simiens. Soon, the camp fire was surrounded by the cooks and scouts from various groups and that’s when I learnt that campfire was pretty much the sleeping spot for all of them. The locals didn’t have tents or sleeping bags, just the warmth of their clothes and the fire as long as it lasted. The next morning I work up cold and that’s when I really appreciated the ability of the locals to withstand the cold through the night.
A male Gelada baboon on the mountain slopes
In the morning, we parked our vehicle as we would be walking for the next coupe days. We also hired a couple mules for carrying our tents and bags and other stuff we did not want to carry on our backpacks. The scout led us through the scenic route to the next camp while the cook and the mules took the less scenic and direct route to the next camp. The hike was fairly comfortable and easy paced though we did manage to climb and descend a couple mountains. As we walked along the escarpment, we saw superb views of the rolling mountains, precipitous drops, and heather forests covered with moss. We also encountered several Gelada baboons and a beautiful waterfall called Jinbar Wenz.
Hamlet close to our camp in Geech
Lunch was by a small stream that feeds the Jinbar Wenz falls. I tried to dip my feet in the water while I had lunch but the water was very cold though I did manage to dip my head into the refreshingly chilly water. After lunch we had a steep and a fairly uninspiring climb for an hour and half to reach a small hamlet which was at the foot of the Geech camp where we would spend that night.
As we wanted to have a warm breakfast the next morning, Tomas and I went back to the hamlet to buy some eggs and while there also bought some firewood for the campfire that night. By now I knew the virtues of a camp fire plus it would be the only source of warmth for the scouts and cooks so it seemed a good thing to do.
A kid shepherd
Girl from hamlet selling eggs
Dizzy had arrived at the camp earlier than us and this made it possible for us to have our dinner right as the sun was setting. The food was hot and that’s what mattered most, taste was pretty much secondary though it must have been good. The tea made with naturally growing thyme was refreshing and it was a good way to end the night sitting by the fire, sipping the hot tea and sharing our travel stories and plans for the rest of journey through Ethiopia.
Mules foraging on the plateau's grass
The Geech camp situated at around 3500 meter was extremely cold at night due to it being on a mountain top plateau with blustery winds making it worse but, it also allowed the sun to breakout early and heat us. After the hot breakfast we proceeded on towards the most scenic point called as Imet Gogo located further up around 4000 meters. The views from Imet Gogo where simply spectacular with a whole 360 degree view of the Simien mountains and were just by themselves worth the trek. Below is a video of the view from Imet Gogo. Neither the photos not the video do true justice to the actual view but it at least gives an idea.
Thirty minutes and I was reluctant to leave Imet Gogo but we still had a long way to go to reach the next camp so we descended the escarpment all the way to the bottom of the valley and then back up again. The hike was a slog but the spectacular views more than compensated for it. The giant Lobelia trees scattered along the way gave a very other worldly feel to the landscape. Eventually, as we approached the summit Thadessa, our scout challenged me for a dash to the top and I somewhat unwisely took him on. I was all ok for about 100 yards but then once I stopped, I felt desperately out of breath thanks to the thin air. Good thing we stopped for lunch at the top and it was time to rest and all four of us dozed off for a few minutes.
Old....
...and Young
The rest of the way to Chenek camp was along the escarpment and all of it was downhill so it was way less exerting that the morning session. When we got there Dizzy, looked really upset and we soon leant the reason for it. Apparently our mule man unilaterally made the decision that we did not need the mules for the next day and send the mules away. So essentially, we were looking at the possibility of walking for 20 odd kilometers back to the Sankaber with all our bags, tents, mattresses, and cooking gear. Fortunately, as we were looking for solutions, a truck or a very basic version of public transport arrived and Roland was generous enough to volunteer to ride it to Sankaber camp and bring the Land Rover to the Chenek camp. It would take him a couple hours to be back and we were hoping he would make it by night fall as negotiating the roads at night would be really treacherous.
Hmm...
The peak on the top left of the picture is Imet Gogo...just a prespective
With Roland being gone and dinner still a couple hours away I sat back soaking the late afternoon sun and making my travel plans with my Lonely Planet guidebook when I heard Dizzy shout “Red something”. Soon I realized she was shouting Red Fox and I ran to my tent, grabbed my binoculars and started to run into the bush after the assistant cook in search of fox. A few minutes of tracking and we saw the animal hunting for dinner. Despite noticing the fact that we were following it, the fox provided us ample time to observe it before climbing into the thicket and disappear just as the sun did behind the mountains.
Ethiopian wolf (picture courtesy of Rebecca)
When I got back, I learnt how lucky I really was. The Red Fox was in fact not a Fox at all …it was the extremely rare Ethiopian Wolf; one of only 400 or so specimens that today can only be found on the Ethiopian highlands. I was feeling really special after Imet Gogo and the wolf sighting but the next day turned out to be pretty special as well.
The jagged peaks and slopes around Chenek were supposedly were the best places to see the Walia Ibex, a member of the wild mountain goat family and endemic to these highlands too. As we had our breakfast the next morning Thadessa, our scout went out to spot the Ibexes. Soon he came back asking us to hurry up and we ran after him to see the Ibex that were foraging at a considerable distance. After about two minutes, Thadessa though that was enough and asked us to return back. Tomas and I were totally not satisfied so we asked him to go ahead and we would follow later. I really wanted to get a better view of them so I told Tomas that I would try to approach them from the other side of the hill.
Lobelia trees
I am in no way an expert tracker but after doing a lot of it in Gabon recently I put my skills to test as I tracked them and finally intercepted four of them including a magnificent male right at the edge of a steep slope overlooking the undulating low lying Simien Mountains in the distance. Below is a video of me trying to track it.
Soon, as if on cue the sun popped out and I steadily made my way to about 10 meters from the Ibexes and spend a few minutes admiring the sight. Suddenly then, I heard someone shouting hello from a distance and it was Thadessa calling me back. The Ibexes hearing the commotion decided to disappear down the precipitous slopes where I could no longer follow them. I shook my head at Thadessa’s inopportune intervention. Nice chap but not very bright.
Soon if was time to leave the Simien mountains and head back to Gonder and we began our long winding journey back to Debark where we would drop off the scout, the cook and the assistant cook.
Walia Ibex
Right before it disappeared down the cliff
A couple hours and while we were still on the road Roland mentioned that he sees a huge troop of Gelada baboon in the distance and asked if we wanted to stop. Well, he should have guess, we were more than eager to get down.
The troop was enormous…could easily have been 200-300 strong and they were totally unconcerned by our presence around them. We closely climbed up until we were completely surrounded by them and it was a truly special moment as you will listen to me saying the same thing several times in the video below.
If my memory serves me right, the Simien Mountains along with the Gelada baboons, the Walia Ibexes and the Ethiopian wolf were depicted in the “Mountains” installment of the Planet Earth documentary and I am going to go back and see it again but it’s quite a special feeling to having seen it all live.
Curious about me
Surrounded (Picture courtesy of Tomas)
Upon reaching Gonder, we got a cold drink, split the costs and said goodbye to Tomas. Roland and Rebecca were headed south towards the city of Bahir Dar and offered me a ride. I had seen enough of Gonder and decided to join them.
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