Simien Mountains one of the main highlands of Africa, the highest point in Ethiopia, Ras Deshen is 4600m high. The park was created primarily to protect the Walia Ibex a wild goat. Simien Park is also families for the Gelada Baboon and the rare Simien Jackal.
Simien Mountains will leave you speechless, is a heaven for trekkers and animal lovers, it's the trepidation of sitting among Gelada Baboons. Standing on top a panoramic precipice, overlooking Abyssinian abyss that will take your breath away.
The Simien range is one of Africa's largest mountain ranges Mount Ras Dashen is the highest point in Ethiopia and the fourth highest peak in Africa. The mountain range consists of several major plateaux, divided by large river valleys. The western plateau is bounded on the north and east by a massive escarpment, many kilometres long and over 1000 m high, cut along its length by steep gorges.
Simien National Park is located in northern Ethiopia about 100 km from the town of Gondar. The region have some of Africa's most striking mountain scenery, a world heritage site. Adventure trekking routes into the Simien National Park take you through the most pristine region of Africa.
Discover some of Africa's most beautiful and impressive scenery, meet Amhar people. Many travellers consider Simian the most beautiful mountain in all of the Africa, experience remote places where few tourists ever visit. Gelada Baboon is the most common of these, with an estimated 20 000 Baboons living in troops.
The range of the walia ibex is restricted entirely to the Simiens. The mountains are home to endemic flora and fauna, many unique animals life here: Walia Ibex, Gelada Baboons, Eagle Bearded Vultures and Abyssinian Wolf. The Simien Jackal is now very rare in the mountains, you may spot a few Jackals here.
Debark 9 km north of Gondar, is the base for hiking into the Simien Mountains, from Gondar take a bus to Debark.
This is the best place to organise a hike, but you can also do so from Gondar. If you do not arrange trip in Gondar, or you are coming from Axum, then you will need to set yourself up in Debark. If an official guide does not approach you, head to the National Park Office.
Debark has a few shops and stalls where you can buy vegetables and a few other basic items. In Gondar there are several shops with reasonable stocks of foodstuffs. If you don't have all the equipment you need you can rent most of it in Debark. Simien National Park rules require that all park visitors must be accompanied by an armed ranger, they charge around $ 3 per day.
Most trekking routes take you through small villages and terraced fields in the lower valleys, before reaching a series of dramatic cliffs and escarpments. Beyond the escarpments you reach the beautiful alpine meadows and the rugged wilderness of the high peak areas.
You have several route options, depending on the time you have and the distance you want to cover, some tourists spend ten days trekking, but most tourists take a shorter trek. Your route is also determined by the places where you can sleep at night. Most of the trekkers stay near the National Park at Sankaber, Geech and Chenek.
Avoid travel to the mountains in rainy season.
