National Park · Northern Highlands
Simien Mountains
A UNESCO-listed massif of jagged peaks and sheer basalt cliffs, home to more gelada monkeys than anywhere else on the planet and the endemic walia ibex found nowhere else at all.
Why We Go
An Afro-alpine escarpment where the ground simply stops, two thousand metres down.
The range formed some thirty million years ago as volcanic plateau eroded into towers, gorges and near-vertical drops — geology that reads, from the rim trail, less like a mountain range than the broken edge of a continent.
The classic line runs camp to camp along the northern escarpment — Sankaber, Geech, Chenek — so the exposure and the views are constant rather than earned at the end of a long climb. Mules carry the loads, a park scout walks with every group, and a camp cook means dinner is hot long before the cold comes down.
Go further east and the character changes: the trail drops into the Mesheha river valley, climbs out to the base camp at Ambiko, and reaches Ras Dashen before dawn. Or stay on the rim entirely and sleep in a lodge — the difficulty is always a matter of choice rather than necessity.
Highlights
- 01Gelada troops grazing metres from the escarpment path above Sankaber
- 02Jinbar Falls dropping into the gorge below Geech, lammergeiers riding the updraft
- 03Sunrise at Imet Gogo, with three separate ridgelines visible below the cloud
- 04Walia ibex on the cliffs at Chenek, and the Bwahit pass above it at 4,200 metres
- 05The multi-day approach to Ras Dashen, Ethiopia's highest summit at 4,550 metres
Best combined with a stay of 3 – 10 days, travelling October – April.
Journeys Including Simien Mountains
Routes that pass through here
Plan This Destination
Build Simien Mountains into your journey
Nothing here is fixed. Tell us how long you have and what else you want to see, and a designer will draw the route — including the flights, the guides and the hours that matter.
Speak With a Designer
Speak to someone who has been there this season
Our designers travel these routes themselves. Ask about road conditions, festival dates or which lodge has the better view — you will get a straight answer.
Or call us directly on +1909-450-7246