Simien Mountains National Park,Ethiopia

 Home To A Number of Endangered Species

 

There are few places on earth where ordinary mortal travelers can come face to face with the shy, majestically horned walia ibex, an animal as spellbinding as a unicorn and almost as rare.

And this is only one of the breathtaking encounters that may take visitors by surprise in Simien Mountains National Park, a true wonder of the planet located in a pristine but accessible corner of the Ethiopian wilderness.

Hiking Simien Mountains National Park

Perched above the Abyssinian Abyss, the jaw dropping vistas of the simian mountain range beckon those who are willing to undergo strenuous single or multi-day treks up scree slopes and along winding, precipitous trails.  The payoff for all this exertion is difficult for visitors to describe, but imagine hiking for days through a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, reaching ever higher altitudes, camping under uncountable stars and waking up each morning to the sound of birds heard nowhere else on earth.

Animals

At the summit, sit quietly among a browsing herd of Gelada baboons. Listen to the sound of their muted conversations and your own exhausted breath. And look out over heart-racing panoramic views that can’t be adequately captured by any photograph.

These jagged cliffs and steep, staggered valleys provide cover for some of the world’s most elusive animals, including the ibex,  klipspringer, golden jackal, and Ethiopian wolf, believed to be the rarest candid species in the world.

Formation

Formed by a concentrated period of seismic events about 40 million years ago, the dramatic peaks and gorges of the Simien mountain range have been slowly eroded by wind and time, with some strange and beautiful results. The throats of volcanoes, for example, stand pointing to the sky as they have for a millennium. These sharp pinnacle formations, called volcanic necks, are actually columns of ancient lava left behind as the mountains around them have disappeared.

Simien Mountains National Park is located on the northern limit of the Ethiopian plateau and includes the highest point in Ethiopia, the peak of Ras Dejen. This area is a geological wonder and also a recognized biodiversity hotspot, since it offers a home to a high concentration of extremely threatened global species of animals and plants.

A group trek is an excellent way to get the most out of your visit. It’s also be a great way to meet like-minded strangers from all over the world, since this area forms a powerful draw for both foreign and local Ethiopian travelers.

When To Go

While the Simien Mountains National Park area can be visited year round, the best time to visit is during the spring (May) or fall (September).

Heavy tourism is rarely a problem, and both heat and cold are mild all year round.

Climate

Central and northern Ethiopia are generally mild all year round, with day time temperatures falling at around 69°F (20.6°C) degrees.

The wet season occurs in the summer between May and September, and the rainiest months in this part of the country happen in July and August.

Wear layers, and bring sturdy rain gear if you plan to be on the trail for an extended period of time.

Getting There & Around

Simien Mountains National Park is located in the Gondar Region of Ethiopia.

Plan to arrive in Gondar and find a hotel for at least one night before traveling to the park.

Make arrangements ahead of time for a two-day hike to Sankaber, a five-day trip to Chenek or ten-day trek to Ras Dejen.

Call park headquarters to arrange scouts, guides, cooks, vehicles, and bus transportation from Gondar.

Average Costs

The cost of park admission is about 50 Birr, and the cost of a campsite and five-person vehicle are about 20 Birr and 10 Birr respectively. On average, each day of your trek should cost about 170 Birr per person. 10 Birr equals approximately 57 cents in US currency.

Do’s

• Plan ahead carefully. Don’t waste too much time trying to make trekking arrangements at the last minute.
• Respect the rules laid out by your guide. Stay on the trail, listen carefully, and organize and break down your campsite properly. Some park wildlife can be dangerous.
• Bring plenty of water on your treks and dress in practical, breathable layers.
• Be prepared to negotiate fluctuating terms for rides and other services. Don’t fall prey to scams, but don’t become flustered by an occasional request for hidden fees or bribes.

Don’ts

• Disrespect wildlife, plant life, or local culture, and don’t disregard the advice of your guide. Open ears, judgment, and an open mind will make your trip safer and more pleasant for everyone.
• Underestimate the altitude and roughness of the terrain. Try to stay active and keep in shape beforehand so you aren’t caught off guard by the demands of the trail.  Be willing to test your limits.

Fun Facts

• Over 50 rare species of birds have been reported in the Simien Mountains.
• Ras Dejen, the highest peak in Ethiopia, is the fourth highest peak on the African continent. Even though the park lies close to the equator, snow and ice cover some of the tallest peaks all year round, and nighttime temperatures at these altitudes often drop below freezing.
• The park was originally created to protect the Walia Ibex, of which about 1000 are believed to live there.

Surrounded by Eritrea and Djibouti to the North, Sudan to the West and Northwest, Somalia to the East and Southeast and Kenya to the South, Ethiopia is one of the most attractive countries in Africa.

The Simien National Park is one of the many popular and important sites boasted by Ethiopia. The park covers an overall area of approximately 14,000 hectares and is located on the vast Amhara plateau in the Western Simien highlands of Northern Ethiopia. The Simien National Park is a World Heritage Site and was made so in 1978. However, in 1996, the park was added to the list of delicate World Heritage Sites in danger as a result of continued encroachment of the land by humans.

Activities like cultivation, mining, woodcutting, hunting and construction of permanent as well as semi-permanent structures are threatening to completely deplete the resources within the park. Currently, there are a little over 30,000 people residing in villages within the park and they all rely on the park's resources in one way or another. Therefore, 60 per cent of the total area of the park is under pressure from human settlement.

The Simien National Park receives over 2,000 foreign and even more domestic visitors per year. This rather impressive number goes to show that the park has a lot to offer despite its battle to survive depletion. The most attractive feature at the park is the landscape itself. According to various travel journals and documented testimonies of global travelers who have been on a Ethiopia tour, the landscape of the Simien National Park is one of the most thrilling in the world.

The remarkable setting of the park is made mainly of a level upland which is then dotted with sharp rises of the earth and high peaks, most rising over 2,000 meters. The sheer contrast experienced at the park is what makes it exciting and gives it its uniqueness. The towering pinnacles that form the Simien Mountains, coupled with the sudden drops that go on to form yawning gorges and glorious cliffs are a real eye treat.

The highest peak at the Simien National Park is the Ras Deshen Mountain which is 4,624 meters high. It is the highest peak in Ethiopia as well as the fourth highest in Africa. The Ras Deshen is very popular with mountain climbers and there are various camping sites set up as you go up the mountain. Though Ethiopia is generally hot, the mountains at the Semien National Park can get very cold especially at night as the highest cap of the Ras Deshen is covered with snow and ice.

The scenery of the park came to be after a series of seismic activity caused an upset in the leveled land a couple million years ago. Volcanic activity then resulted with the flow of lava forming several layers of rock and compact ash. Years of erosion then followed leaving behind a dramatic countryside of jagged surfaces and unleveled land.

Since the land at the Simien National Park is mainly made up of volcanic ash, it is very fertile and the vegetation here is a true testament to that. Though farmers have cleared a lot of the land for cultivation and grazing, particularly the lower slope, the rest of the land is filled with lush vegetation and seasonally, an attractive blanket of flowers covers the land.

The vegetation at the Simien National Park grows in four separate belts depending on altitude. The first of these is a lush forest, followed by dry woodland, which is then followed by grassland and last comes the moorland. The vegetation encourages the presence of quite a number of different bird species. The park is popular for bird watching because the landscape is vast and pictorial. There are the more common species of birds such as hawks, eagles and herons.

Other bird species are only found in Ethiopia and a number of scientists as well as bird watching enthusiasts visit the park every year to watch them. These include; the wattled ibis, the Abyssinian catbird, the thick billed raven, the black headed forest oriole, the black winged lovebird and the spot-billed plover.

There are a number of animals also residing at the park. The most popular are the hairy gelada baboons that are quite amusing to watch as their social behavior is much like that of humans. There is also the Simien fox which is named after the park. Also known as the Ethiopian wolf, the Simien fox is a carnivore which mostly preys on rodents and other small creatures. The most important species however is the Walia ibex mountain goat which cannot be found any where else in the world.

The goats are well adapted to the terrain and can negotiate even the most treacherous cliffs and mountains without so much as losing their footing. The goats are grazers and feed on leaves and grass. It is not uncommon to see the goats grazing among the farmer's animals. There have been fears that the goats could face extinction from being hunted by the settlers in the area.

There were also cases of campers who had visited the park hunting the goats for food. This was brought to a complete halt when the park started proving scouts for every party that goes hiking or camping in the park. The guides are trained in first aid which is very important as accidents have been known to happen especially when mountain climbing. The guides are also armed with a firearm for protection against the wild animals which are potentially aggressive for example leopards, wild cats, hyenas, the Simien fox and even the Walia ibex mountain goats which have long sharp horns that are potentially lethal especially when protecting their young.

The main recreational activities at the park are hiking, camping and mountain climbing. Campers carry their own ready made food such as packed foods bought from stores outside the park. The more old fashioned campers however prefer to carry pots and pans and prepare meals themselves. They buy chicken, eggs and even small goats from the villagers and if a lot of meat is left over, they then smoke it to preserve it.

This provides a real feel of the camping experience as it is supposed to be however, the choice is yours. It would be wise to carry a lot of bottled water as this is guaranteed safe for drinking; you can also carry a few beers. It is however prohibited to get drunk within the park as some parts of the landscape are very unforgiving and the recklessness that comes with drunkenness could lead to serious injuries and even death.