simien Mountains trekking -6 Days
Duration
6 Days 5 Nights
Tour Type
Specific Tour
Group Size
Unlimited
Languages
Amharic, English
Description
This will take you totally off the beaten trail to experience the Real Ethiopia in its untouched and raw form. Walk through farmland just outside the Simien Park, se how farmers have lived for centuries. You will be hosted in simple guesthouses that they have built, and they will provide you with meals, tea and coffee. The walks are not for the faint hearted; the altitude is around 3,000m and above, but the views and the hospitality will blow you away.
Depending on the season you will see ox-drawn ploughing, livestock threshing or people winnowing their crop in the wind with age old farm tools carved from the hard Olive wood trees. In November farmers start harvesting, cutting their crops with sickles. Its a through back to mediaeval life in Europe, with the rhythm of the year being dictated by the agricultural season and the church calendar. The year is punctuated by major and minor feast and saints days, some celebrations in which the whole community participate with dancing and drinking and magnificent processions. The rhythm also follows the market days in the local towns and you could well find tyourself on the trail with hundreds of farmers and their families on their way to the market.
This trek needs a minimum of 4-5 days and has quite long vehicle transfers into the area. It is recommended to add on 1 or 2 days in the national park after the trek.
This is a flexible itinerary and we can suit to your needs
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TOUR ITINERARY
Day 1
Pick up early from your hotel in Gondar and transfer in 4WD to Mekhane Berhan – the main town in Janamora Woreda. If time allows see the special local church – Deresge Mariam. Lunch at a local eatery. Trek for 2-3 hours to the first guest house at Taga Mariam. Set above a gorge, with a cluster of ancient Olive trees around.
Day 2
A good 6 hour walk. Eat a good breakfast before heading off early, crossing the river up stream where the gorge is not so deep. You will see farmers going about their activities, others on the trail walking from or to markets or towns. On arrival at Khalid Abo, enjoy a local lunch and spend the rest of the afternoon enjoying the incredible view or visiting the village by the Abo church. Dinner around the fire in the main tukul (cottage)
Day 3
If this is a Thursday or Saturday spend the morning going to the local market in Wossen, where you will eat lunch at a local eatery. In the afternoon explore the village area. Overnight at Khalid Guesthouse again
Day 4
Trek on north along the ridge with views of Ras Dashen before you. Its a 3 hour walk to Timbala where you will have lunch. In the afternoon explore down toward the gorge edge and see the woodland around two old churches there. It is said a lot of leopards live there. You should also see many Gelada baboons, and birds of prey. Overnight at Timbala Guesthouse
Day 5
After a good breakfast set off along the ridge to the north where the park is. Pass through farmland before entering the park. The village here is Sakba. Nearby is the road and a car can meet you here to take you into the core area of the National Park, or we can arrange a camping team to come and meet you at Sakba. You would then trek on to Chenek the next day crossing Buahit mountain
Day 6
It is recommended to have a day in the park to see the unique landscape at the Northern edge of the Simiens, and possibly Waliya Ibex and even if very lucky an Ethiopian Wolf.
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