Ajora Falls

The Ajora falls drop where two rivers, the Ajora and the Sile, come off the Wolaita plateau into a forested gorge, falling in two separate curtains of well over a hundred metres into a basin below. The setting is green and steep, with forest on the gorge walls and mist rising from the pools, and it is one of the more impressive waterfall sites in southern Ethiopia and one of the least developed. Getting to the base means a steep descent of thirty to forty minutes on a rough path from the plateau, and the climb back is hard. Local guides from the village accompany visitors. Volume varies sharply with season, so the falls are far better after the rains than in the dry months.

The landscape

• Twin curtains - two rivers falling separately into the same basin.
• The forested gorge - green walls enclosing the pools below.
• The descent path - a steep rough route down from the plateau.
• Spray and mist - the basin at the foot when the flow is strong.

When to go

September to December, just after the main rains, when the falls are strongest and the gorge greenest. By February and March the flow drops considerably. The path is dangerous when wet during the rains themselves.

Things to know

The descent is steep, slippery and unmaintained, and the climb back out is hard work. There are no facilities. Guides and village fees are informal and negotiated. Flow in the dry season is much reduced. Access roads from Sodo are rough.

Nearby

Wolaita Sodo lies south; Chebera Churchura is west.

Key facts