Elated & Exhausted in Ethiopia

A Simien Sunrise

It's 3am and 6 adventurous souls take to the mountain with the opportunity to summit yet another magnificent African peak looming large in front of us. The air was cool - no cold -  and recent memories of the comfy warm sleeping bags still lingered in our thoughts. In Ethiopia this time round, it's the shared hopes and dreams of the assembled that we may enjoy the view from the highest peak of the Simien mountain range in Northern Ethiopia.

 

The Canadian Government had offered advice about travel in the region  which of course we ignored.

On the plus side, the warring factions had agreed not to shoot at one another months before our hike and the Tigrayans had very little reason to shoot tourists - we reasoned. So a simple hike from 3100 meters up to 4700 meters ought to be pretty straight forward. 1600 meters of elevation gain over around 40 kms could be managed by even a heavy smoking snack food junkie with a sprained ankle. Or so I thought.

The sun-drenched highlands of Ethiopia had other things in mind for our intrepid band of hikers. Pictured on the left panel, (pointed out with my trusty hiking pole still bent from my constant tumbles at Mount Stanley) I indicate where we are headed. Yes - that is the peak way over there and guess what? There is a valley in between.

 Noted below is the start of the hike at the 3100m. It was a pretty easy scramble up to 4100m and the first of many absolutely fucking spectacular views. Now here's where is gets decidedly tricky. We then descend back down to 2500m before heading for the summit. Dastardly bastards never mentioned THAT in the brochure!

 

Now onto the spectaculars of the hike. Firstly the two gentlemen pictured below are Mzee (seasoned people) responsible for our safety. I did look carefully at their guns from time to time and wondered if they would actually shoot. Definitely vintage though later I noted they checked the bullets to ensure they were still in there. That was oddly frightening and soothing in equal measure.

All that said, these 2 older men were more nimble than Taylor Swift jumping to her feet to celebrate a touchdown at a KC Chiefs game. With due amounts of humility I admit to falling behind them and the gang on a number of occasions.

In all the hiking I have done I have never witnessed such awe - inspiring vistas. The cliff edges fall away sharply and as you peer down to the bottom it's hard to sense just how far down it is. A kilometer? 2 maybe?

Ryota a hiking accomplice from this and previous event stands perilously close to the edge for dramatic effect. Well done! Below, Gelata Baboons race across the highlands in troupes thought to number over 500 members.

 

 

 

 

 

Simien view Click for Video

Base camp pictured alongside, was a small village of about 27 homes (yes I counted) and I noted 37 children in evidence when I bathed in the river. I suspect every child was in attendance to watch the old pasty white guy stumble around in the creek trying to look graceful while frantically looking for the soap he dropped. Not my best moment I's say but the point is - that's a lot of children for 27 homes. 

Also of note is that water thirsty Eucalyptus trees are pretty much the only trees standing. An imported species that are as helpful to the people as they are dangerous to the environment. 

 

Note the home made from Eucalyptus. The poles will soon be covered in mud and straw to make it a bit more private and homey. Below are a couple pictures of children below still visibly traumatized from the view of a naked 60+ year old pasty white man doing some sort of weird dance in the creek.

I particularly like the 2 pictures of Andy below. Together we have climbed at least 5 of Africa's highest peaks (depending on who is measuring). I can't thank him enough for the comradery and constant good humor even in the face of challenging days. His keen wit and unbridled enthusiasm for life is inspirational to all he meets. I think the pictures below illustrate his enduring spirit and will to take on challenges no matter their difficulty.

The summit came soon enough with the donkeys and us both very thankful.This is the first hike where we used pack animals for our gear and I thought this a good idea. They are surprisingly good at working though the rocks and up steep inclines.

Within a few meters of the summit we surprised the Ethiopian military with our unannounced and unexpected arrival. To say they were less that welcoming would be an understatement. Apparently we had no business being there and the fact that we kind of snuck up on them did little to help the situation. It was a tense exchange as successive commanding officers were consulted about us going to the peak only a 100m in front of us. In the end, and after I yelled at them for being assholes, our guide explained that we needed to exit immediately so as not to be shot. Discretion being the better part of valor, we retreated to a safe distance and took a few pictures.

A single malt Scotch (not bought from donations) is the perfect accompaniment to an almost successful summit. Damned military guys- very little sense of humor!

I'd like to take a moment (if anyone is still awake and reading my blog) to explain the photo below. It was one of the most insightful moments of the hike. We headed back down the mountain on a day that happened to coincide with market day. Hundreds of people joined the trail as they descended with their grain, goats, cattle, sheep or what-have-you to sell in the market. As we walked along I felt part of this age old movement that is as basic as life itself. The trail has likely been in existence for thousands of years. Ethiopia boasts being one of humankind's earliest regions and that very moment felt golden to me to be present in that exact place and time. Life is beautiful.

 

 

Mission accomplished it was back to Gondar (the old capital of Ethiopia) with it's wonderful historical monuments. The castles below took us back in history while the coffee ceremonies brought us abruptly back to the present. The delicious brew sipped while bathed in the fragrant smokey wisps of frankincense are a delight for the senses. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Later, having arrived in the present capital Addis Abbas, we were thoroughly entertained by a show and food for which this part of the world is famous. You either love or hate Injira but I an solidly in the first camp and while the food is decidedly spicy, it's unbelievably rich in flavor and variety.

Pablo and Andy in a WTF moment ... yup pretty spicy!

Thank you x 1 hundred million

 

More important than my boasting of mountains conquered is seeing Grace delighted to receive our latest load of food for the kids in the Malezi school. I'm not sure if it's fortunate or unfortunate that the volunteer school has more mouths to feed but together we did a great job in getting this food to those hungry kiddies.

I'd like to thank everyone for their donations. In particular,  my Mom, Cliff, Andy the hiker extridinaire, and also Felix for helping to coordinate generous donations from his Sister Sandra and Aunt Sonya. Together we brought $600 CAD of food that will allow the kids to concentrate on learning rather than their empty tummies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Thanks for reading ....Layno in Northern Ethiopia!!!