Alex Little

After the IT workshop in Addis, 4 of us, Andy, Marcel, Rene and I flew to Gondar to go trekking in the Simien mountains for a few days. We arrived a day later than expected as our flight from Addis was canceled. We’d arrived at the airport at 5am, but the flight was delayed due to fog/haze in Gondar. After waiting in the departure lounge until nearly 3pm, the flight was finally rescheduled for the next day. Fortunately we only missed out on a little of the walking we were going to do.

Gondar seemed so much more tourist oriented than anywhere else I’d been in Ethiopia (even Axum), but the Simien mountains (about 3 hours drive north of Gondar) were really spectacular and well worth making the effort – maybe not if you’re scared of heights, though Rene seemed to enjoy it providing we weren’t walking too close to the kilometer deep gorges!

Although we’d not paid for a particularly luxurious trip, we did have pretty much everything done for us, except the walking obviously. In addition to the obligatory armed guard, we had a guide, 3 muleteers and cook and cooks assistant. On arrival at each campsite all our tents had been put up, with tea, coffee and snacks all set out on table and chairs. Each morning jugs of hot water and soap were put out for washing. We suspect the guard (scout) was there mainly to provide employment to local villagers, rather than us needing protection from anything!

Our itinerary was:
Day 1: a couple of hours walk to Sankaber, we would’ve had a full days walking if the flight had arrived on the right day.
Day 2: Walk Sankaber to Geech (approx 7 hours), via Geech Abyss (500m waterfall) and Geech Village (stopping to coffee)
Day 3: Walk Geech to Chenek via Imetgogo (3900m), approx 8 hours.
Day 4: Chenek to Bwahit (4430m) and back to Chenek, approx 6 hours.
Day 5: drive back to Gondar

As well as seeing many hundreds of the gelada baboons and a few ibex, we were lucky enough to see one of the very few Simien foxes, or Ethiopian wolf (though apparently it’s neither a fox nor wolf). It’s common in the Bale mountains (south Ethiopia), but thought that there are only 50 or so left in the Simiens (according to our guide books anyway). We saw it about 100m from the Chenek campsite at about 3pm. The cooks, guides and guards were surprised that it had come so close to the campsite as they’re rarely seen at all. I know the picture here looks as if it’s stuffed, but I can guarantee it was alive and well!