We camped for several days in the Simien Mountains National Park in Northern Ethiopia, about 100 km north of the city of Gondar. (2012)
It is a series of high plateaus with towering peaks above 4000 meters including Mount Dashen, possibly the 4th highest peak in Africa.
Simien is known for several large mammal species that are endangered and for the dramatic views, enhanced by rapid changes in weather and dramatic lighting.
I was with Chris Jordan and Aleco Chigounis, and it was a once in a lifetime chance to see an amazing part of EthiopiaEthiopia, formerly known as Abyssinia, or a coffee cultivar: Ethiopia, or more specifically the Empire under Haile Selassie, was known as Abyssinia. The name is Latin, derived from... ...more that is off the normal path for my coffee travels. -Tom
Ethiopia Simien Mountains Journey
The Gelada are real characters and it’s evident in their complex aural communications, a unique way they “flash” colors in their eyebrows, and (as you can see) posture. Actually it is sunset, since we entered the park late. But we quickly became acquainted with the Gelada Baboon, one of the large mammals gracing the park. The view north from the Simiens is dramatic. The plateau is around 3500 meters and this incredible escarpment drops off in sheer cliffs, with unique buttes created by erosion. 
Geladas roam in all kinds of family groups, as well as packs of young eligible males such as this poser. We camped the first night at 3400 meters, and it was an experience to get used to being this cold while in Ethiopia. To enter the Park you need to pay a fee, hire a guide, as well as a guard. I dont know why you need a guard, but it employs another local, and they are happy to help set up camp and such. I was impressed with the array of alipine flowers in the Simien mountains, and their were bees everywhere. Since we keep bees at home and always buy honey in Ethiopia, I am always on the lookout for these guys – just don’t trip on their hives because they are famously aggressive. There was an abundance of flowers and I enjoyed photographing them with s straight 100mm macro lens and narrow depth of field. That’s the name of the flower … Red Hot Poker … not that they can do the same damage as such. There were other unique succulent flowers on huge stalks that were similar to Century plants. 
Our guide was not as much of a character as he looked. He was from the Tigrai area and knew the flora and fauna very well. We met a group of Israeli women hiking who thought it was so funny his name was Israel. But biblical names as such are common in Ethiopia, especially in the north. The Jinbar river plunges 1000 meters from the Simien escarpment. It’s a dramatic waterfall, and impossible to capture in one photo frame Vivid colors emerge at these high altitudes, where there are grain crops like Barley (here) Tef, Corn and Sorghum. The road faces directly one of the more breathtaking drops, which is actually more than vertical, although it is not that far down (maybe 500 feet). Aleco looks over the edge. The Klipspringer is not endemic or unique to the Simien mountains, but it is rare to see them. We saw them on occasions, a mated couple in both cases. Our guard, with local herders set up on a nest above him. People seems to be scarce in the Simien mountains until you look a little closer. Local crafts are sold by the kids, including these unique helmet-like hats. Our second camp was called Chennak, at a towering 3650 meters, 11680 feet. There were roving Geladas around as in other places, but this fellow I called Brutus was a piece of work, both coy but also not above walking right up to our food bag and sticking his hand in My favorite portrait of this individual. Their hair is amazing, long and wispy, colored like an Angora sweater, but oddly like a wig too. It was cold, very cold, and even by sleeping bag rated out 0 degrees farenheit (I am going to contest that with North Face), was insufficient. Morning coffee helped 
A panorama of the Chennek camp site with our tents. We brought much of our own supplies, stove, sleeping and shelter. We bought fresh food in Gondar for some of our meals. The weather changed rapidly as wind and clouds passed from the warm lowlands and rose up the the Simien plateau. We had a lot of rain, but also beautiful skies Aleco and Chris ahead of me on a morning walk. Once the sun hit, things got a lot better, but most water froze over night. 
An image from my GPS marking the view looking down on Chennak camp. On this hike we hit 3850 meters in altitude! The buttes and cliffs were so amazing to photograph. But the altitude, which normally does not affect me, started to take its toll on the third day. Vigorous hiking up to 12,300 feet is a lot for a guy who lives at sea level. We looked in vain for this Ibex, a kind of mountain goat whose entire range is within the Simiens, and finally spotted a pair of mature males. Their horns were fantastically large, and in fact I watched them scratching their backs right above their tails with a horn – quite a handy backscratcher but what a burden to haul around all the time Back at the town of Debark, outside the park, it was so good to eat a “regular meal” – that means Ethiopia fasting food, and to be down at lower altitude … even though Debark was still above 2500 meters. I guess it is all relative. Simiens is an amazing place to hike, and I only wish I had more time, and could deal with the altitude a little better.
