Part 2 of my travels around the northern circuit of Ethiopia in 2020 included hiking in beautiful mountains, rock-climbing up to a church in the sky, checking out the extremes of the Danakil Depression, peering into an active volcano, and exploring the UNESCO rock-hewn churches in the little town of Lalibela. The Danikil Depression and Erte Ale volcano have their own blog post: The Danakil Depression in Ethiopia. The rest is described here. To read about the first half of the norther circuit, click here: Travel Ethiopia Part 1: The Capital of Addis Ababa, Monasteries and the Blue Nile Waterfall in Bahir Dar, and Castles in Gondar.
Hiking in the Simien Mountains:
Leaving Gondor, I headed out for 3 days of hiking in the Simien Mountains with a tour group. Near our starting point we spotted a troupe of 30-40 Gelada monkeys near the road. They seemed oblivious to us walking over and snapping tons of pictures. These Ethiopian highlands old world monkeys have shaggy straw/brown hair over their heads and shoulders helping them blend into the long grass, which is 90% of their diet. Sitting back and gazing out, they present the red hourglass patch of skin on their chests.
We started our hike along the outer edge of the mountains, passing wildflowers as we walked. Expansive plateaus and deep green valleys spread out below us. Thin waterfalls tumbled from nearby cliffs, disappearing into the depths. That night about 12-15 of us slept in cots against the walls of a dingy room. Thick worn blankets, which are most likely not washed between visitors (or maybe ever), kept us warm overnight.
On day two, the group split up as the majority of people only had a two day trip. Four of us, plus our guide, continued over a dry hilly landscape with light blue, yellow, purple and orange on the ground. Then finding some more mountain views, we saw an walia ibex on a plateau far below. OK… so I wouldn’t have been able to tell it was an ibex since it was SO far away. It was not much more than dot, but we still did find one. For sunset we settled near a cliff, took in the amazing landscape, and watched 50+ gelada monkeys grazing. As the sun disappeared, the geladas went flying over the edge to their sleeping quarters in the cliff walls below. Joining a few other hikers, we camped overnight at a very basic structure (some camping in tents, and others on cots inside a drafty old building).
The morning on day three, we woke up to frost covering the ground. The frozen grass crunched under our feet as we set out. We lucked out and spotted the Ethiopian wolf and it was even close enough to get a good view and some photos! More gorgeous mountain views were in store but we also hiked through a lush green forrest.
We concluded our journey by crossing over gently rolling grasslands with palm tree-like plants scattered all around. I loved the varied landscapes we hiked through in just a short 3 day trip.
Climbing up to a Cave-Church in the Tigray Region:
Next up, my first rock-climbing experience. I had no idea I would be rock-climbing until it began! I got to scale up to the towering Abuna Yemata Guh (a cave church in the Tigray region). It is one of many rock-hewn churches the Tigray region is famous for. These churches are carved from cliff faces, often using a pre-existing cave as its base. To reach the Abuna Yemata Guh, you must take off your shoes and climb up the steep pinnacle with hand and footholds in the rock. There are locals at the base offering to help you successfully make the journey for a tip.
Honestly, I can’t believe I made it up. Within the first 10 feet I was trying to back out if it.. I was pretty scared. But the local helpers pushed me to keep going. Really they just seemed to ignore my pleas to turn back 🙂 They instructed me exactly where to put each hand and foot all the way up. About halfway, it becomes more of a scramble, which my nerves preferred. Finally, at the top, a narrow ledge with a deadly drop off (over 200 m) leads you to the opening in the cave and the church. I’ve seen some people post that they did this climb with ropes… ya… that would have been a better idea! It was definitely a bit sketchy. I wasn’t offered that option.
Safely inside, the ceiling and walls are covered in paintings from the 7th century. Part of the ceiling features an image of 9 of the 12 apostles. The man inside also showed me some pages from an old orthodox bible with vibrant pictures painted on pages made from goatskin.
Sadly I have very few pictures of the experience. My driver climbed with me and took pictures of me with his phone. He tried to send them to me, but for some reason they wouldn’t transmit. I had hoped that when we had better service I would get them… but instead I must rely on only my memory for most of the experience.
Check out nocashonthehiggway‘s blog. She has great photos of the climb (and she got to use ropes… lucky her!)
Danakil Depression
The next destination was to see the crazy landscapes of the Danakil and look into the rim of the Erte Al Volcano. I have a separate post dedicated to this incredible destination! The Danakil Depression in Ethiopia.
Exploring Lalibela’s Rock-Hewn Churches:
The final destination in the northern circuit of Ethiopia was the the little town of Lalibela. Lalibela is the home of 11 ancient UNESCO churches (built between the 7th and 14th centuries), each carved out of a single rock and still in religious use today. The roofs are at ground level as the churches were dug/carved out from the top down. Amazing! They are connected by a maze of tunnels. The most famous church, Bet Giyorgis, most dramatically reveals that they are carved below ground.
To visit the churches you must buy a ticket (which cost $50 at the time I visited in 2020). This ticket gives you entrance and photography allowance for all 11 churches for 5 days. You don’t need to have a guide, but you may want one. The guides seem to make up their own prices and you can barter with them. Our guide provided so much great information and was easy to understand. Not every guide is as good however, so it’s a good idea to chat with one for a bit before committing. Another great benefit to using a guide is that without one, you will likely be constantly approached by other official and unofficial guides trying to sell you their services.
Our guide also brought us into the main section of one church for a religious ceremony. It was quite a treat to experience with chanting and concluding with music. Our guide was even the drummer at the end!
The town of Lalibela is less developed than most towns I visited in Ethiopia, which surprised me since it’s such a popular tourist attraction. To be honest, I would have loved to walk around and explore more, but it was just so exhausting constantly being approached by both men and children wanting to talk, walk with you, and often ultimately sell you something or ask for money.
Lalibela was my final stop traveling on the northern circuit. I ended my time in Ethiopia with a tour to see and learn about the tribes in the southern part of the country. Read about that experience here: Tribes of South Omo and Konso.
Thanks for the mention – amazing photos you got!