The Simien Mountains are often referred to as ‘the roof of Africa’, with both admiration and passion. There are many animals here, from grass-eating monkeys to endemic wolves and antelopes.
The sky is the territory of bearded vultures and other birds of prey. And you won’t just see one of them, there are many. The Simien Mountains have been shaped over millions of years into one of the world’s most spectacular and dramatic landscapes. Sharp pinnacles, towering waterfalls and frightening sheer cliffs.The park is located directly within one of Africa’s biodiversity hotspots and as a result there is an incredible diversity of both vegetation and wildlife. As you climbed into thin air (most of the park lies at an altitude of 3000-4500m) you will pass through afro-alpine forests and montane savannahs hoping to catch a glimpse of the mysterious Walia Ibex and the elusive Ethiopian wolf.This park protects some of the most stunning mountain countryside in Africa. The park has many different landscapes.
When you get above 3,500 metres in altitude, you’ll see giant lobelias. This interesting plant gives the
landscape an almost alien atmosphere. Due to its location (close to the equator but at high altitude) flora and fauna have develop differently here. There are monkeys here, just like in many parts of Africa, but the gelada eats grass, the only monkey in the world that does so. The Gelada Baboons aren’t at all scared of people, so you can literally sit in the middle of a group of a hundred or more monkeys. They’ll make eye contact every now and then and walk straight past you. They’ll eat grass, groom each other and have a play together. Just sit down and spend a morning hanging out with them. It’s a unique experience, and you’ll come home with amazing photos.
The Walia Ibex, an antelope, can only be found in certain areas of the park, but they’re quite easy to spot. The best spot to see them is at Chennek Camp. The Simien Mountains are absolutely full of birds of prey, you see them everywhere. For example, the bearded vulture, the golden eagle, and many other vultures, eagles, buzzards and falcons. Researchers have spotted more than fifty kinds of birds of prey here. If you visit the park you’re guaranteed to see them, usually soaring along the steep cliffs. They are known to use rising hot air, also known as a ‘thermal lift’, created by the morning sun. You should also keep an eye out for the interesting and remarkably large thick-billed raven, which only lives in this area.
The Simien Mountains are known because of their many walking tracks, especially those across ridges that take several days to complete, or those that lead through valleys. Towards the end of the wet season (early September), you’ll see many flowers in bloom here. These bring an extra splash of color to these very green mountains. And just as with the fauna, you’ll find flora here that only grows in this specific region. It is here that you’ll find the roof of Ethiopia – the Simien Mountains and the eponymously named national park. Lush green peaks towering 5,000m into the sky dotted with Walia ibex, Ethiopian wolves and the most famous inhabitants, the long haired gelada baboon, a bizarre and beautiful monkey found only in these wind-battered Ethiopian highlands, which are a World Heritage Site. You need to experience it to understand it.