The Simien Mountains

The Simien Mountains, in the north of Ethiopia, are one of the most spectacular mountain landscapes in Africa, a UNESCO national park of jagged pinnacles, sheer escarpments plunging into deep gorges, and high plateaus, sometimes called the Roof of Africa. This dramatic, otherworldly terrain, reaching over 4,500 metres, is superb trekking country and home to remarkable wildlife found nowhere else, above all large, relaxed troops of gelada baboons grazing the grasslands, along with the rare walia ibex and Ethiopian wolf.

History

The 3rd-century Monumentum Adulitanum first mentions these mountains as inaccessible and covered with snow, where soldiers walked up to their knees in it, and Cosmas Indicopleustes noted that the Aksumite king banished condemned subjects here. The Jesuit Jerónimo Lobo saw snow on them in the 17th century; James Bruce later claimed never to have seen any, but Henry Salt recorded snow on 9 April 1814 and explained that Bruce had gone no further than the foothills. According to the historian Richard Pankhurst, the name, which means north in Amharic, once meant south in Ge'ez, since the mountains lay south of Axum. They have been a World Heritage Site since 1978 (Wikipedia, Simien Mountains).

The landscape

• The escarpments - the dramatic cliffs and deep gorges.
• The gelada baboons - the large, relaxed troops grazing the grasslands.
• The trekking - the multi-day hikes across the high plateaus.
• The rare wildlife - the walia ibex and Ethiopian wolf.

When to go

October to March, the dry season, is best for trekking and clear views, after the summer rains have greened the landscape; the high altitude means it is cold, especially at night, so bring warm layers even in the dry season.

Practical notes

It is high-altitude trekking, reaching over 4,000 metres, so it needs fitness and acclimatisation, and it is genuinely cold, especially at night. Guides and armed scouts are required for treks. The dramatic scenery and the gelada baboons, though, are unforgettable.

Nearby

The city of Gondar and the northern historic route are within reach.

Key facts