Simien Mountains – The roof of Africa

Typical landscapes near Sankaber at sunset

A field of "large lobelia" at an altitude of 3,800mt. The geographic isolation of these mountainous area and the high altitude have profoundly influenced the evolutionary characteristics of the Ethiopian mountain flora which is one of the most interesting in the world.

The Gelada, or lion monkey, is a vegetarian primate which also lives in other areas of the plateau. It has a hairy brown coat, tinged with beige on the tips. It takes this name from the characteristic thick mane that surrounds the head and shoulders of the males.

The Simien mountains are one of the main African massifs; they are made up of several plateaus, separated from each other by wide river valleys, which are home to a unique endemic flora and fauna.

The bearded vulture is the only bird in the world that feeds on bones and their content, the marrow, an ultra-proteic food that manages to nourish this bird of exceptional dimensions. The game of throwing bones from above only serves to crush them and make swallowable. This bird is also one of the largest flying beings on our planet, with a wingspan that can reach 280 cm.

Typical Afro-alpine landscapes; On average, in the Simien Mountains National Park, the daytime temperature does not exceed 15 degrees while the night temperature can drop to 5. The best season to visit this natural park is the dry one between October and January, while it is almost impossible to venture. during the rainy season.

The Gelada monkey lives only in the high mountain grasslands, between 1400 and 4400 meters high in Ethiopia. This baboon can weigh between 20-30 kg. Both males and females have a reddish breast that looks like an inverted heart. This species has a 14-year life expectancy, a reproductive cycle of just over a month and a six-month gestation. Unlike most primates, Gelada is exclusively terrestrial. It is a diurnal animal that lives in groups composed of a male leader, some females and other males known as followers. These flocks generally consist of 300 specimens.

As is often the case in Ethiopia, children look after the livestock

A young, local, accompanying scout poses with his Kalashnikov near geech at the altitude of 3600mt. To trek in the national park, being accompanied by an armed local is mandatory.

Small Amhara villages can be found during a trek in Simiens. Here a daughter is watching her mother toast coffee beans inside a "biet", the traditional house made of straw, dung and mud. The Amhara are simple farmers, their life is guided by the rhythms of nature.

Young Amhara woman is toasting coffee beans. The traveler on his way to the simien mountains can happen to be invited to a house to participate in the coffee ceremony.

Amhara girl