Simien National Park

Mountain Simien is a national park under the auspices of UNESCO. Few such areas are preserved on our planet. Here is one of the most picturesque landscapes in the world, formed as a result of centuries of erosion of the Ethiopian plateau. The mountain itself is the result of volcanic activity in the past and is a chain of mountains and plateaus, including the highest peak of Ras Dashen, with a height of 4620 m.

Among the rocky massif cut by gullies and gorges, sloping sharply down to the beautiful meadows and valleys, you can meet unique plant and animal species - Nubian Ibex, Ethiopian jackal, simien fox, gelada baboons, etc. Gelada baboons are characterized by blood red bared breasts, they have earned them the name "bleeding hearts".

Simien National Park itself covers an area of 22, 500 square kilometers and was established in 1969. The main objective was to protect the last 1, 000 wild species of ibex goats that are found nowhere else in the world.

Hikes to the Simien National Park are conducted regularly, the route of getting there is pretty easy if you start from Debarek (101 km from Gondar). When you arrive on site, the people there can offer equipment, supplies, and you can be sure that your safety is entrusted to qualified mountain guides. When you go through the barrier at the entrance to the park almost immediately you will see buildings of mud and haystacks, showing signs of local culture.

Although the Simien mountain itself is not a great distance from the equator, the highest parts of it almost regularly have snow and ice formed on them. You need good mountain gear, because at night the temperature falls below freezing.