Category: fauna

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Simien Trek Ethiopia – day 2

trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

day 1 | day 2 | day 3 | day 4 | info

Day 2: Sankaber-Gich (3600 m), 5-6 hrs walking

I couldn’t sleep.

Tossing. Turning.

My stomach, not perfect on arrival for this adventure, was getting worse.

At midnight I rushed to the filthy toilet with diarrhea.

At about 2am I awoke suddenly, urgent to vomit outside the door of my tent.

Disgusting. But I was too sick and tired to worry about it until daylight.

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Early morning the thick-billed ravens squawked around my tent … eating the vomit. It was entirely cleaned up by the time I finally got up.

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These birds are the biggest and noisiest ravens I’ve ever seen, unique to this region. They mostly travel in male/female pairs.

Breakfast is normally a highlight of these guided camping trips. But I couldn’t eat today. As a test I forced down coffee and a couple of bites of scrambled egg.

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Our gear would ride horseback today. A mob of mule drivers crowded around, hoping they would get work.

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There’s a maximum weight / horse. 45kg or thereabouts.

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Back to the impressive escarpment walk. Amazing views.

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Joshua is smiling here, but his stomach was getting worse by the minute. He and I had eaten fish the evening before. We speculated that it was the fish that made us both sick. Why were we eating fish at 3000m in a land that has little refrigeration?

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The vegetation seemed to get more interesting the higher we climbed.

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We tried resting at the waterfall lookout, but Josh was getting sicker. He spoke, for the first time, of possible quitting the hike. Not only was his stomach bad, but he was feeling symptoms of altitude sickness.

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waterfall Simien - Josh and Nadine

Climbing back up to the road, we discussed our options. With an interested local audience.

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Camp tonight was much higher (3600m) and much more remote. If we continued and Josh was to get sicker, there was no road escape route.

We could try descending and see if he improved, but if we waited too long, there may be no vehicles heading back down this afternoon.

There are a few tourists jeeps each day. And these local people movers.

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Finally one of those heading down arrived. Josh made the decision. Hopped up into the truck, paying an absurd $30 for the ride back down to Dabark. Happily one of the hiking guides was in the truck. He promised to get Josh to the mini-bus station and all the way back to Gondar.

It was the correct decision. But it wasn’t easy for Nadine to continue without her husband.

I felt Josh was decided, determined and rational when he scrambled up into the truck.

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Later we learned he couldn’t even remember departing. His mind was confused all the way back to Debarq where he was detained for riding illegally in the truck! 😦

Luckily he was finally allowed to take a cab the 2 hours back to Gondar, all the minibuses having departed.

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At lunch we were visited by hungry goats.

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Baboons live here in conflict with local farmers.

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Farmers grow barley. And it was being harvested. Geladas like to eat barley. Each field has a child who’s job it is to chase away baboons.

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This lovely Muslim village has 1200 people.

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Our scout, Adim, lives here. So he greeted most everyone we met.

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My stomach at this point was 90% OK. I’d eaten almost nothing all day. But I was very tired. It was a huge relief when we finally made camp.

I only wanted to lie down for a nap.

But as I dropped my pack, Paul ran over and said: “What are you doing? The Ethiopian wolf is here.”

We rushed to look.

Ethiopian Wolf

The Ethiopian wolf is native to the Ethiopian Highlands. It is similar to the coyote in size and build …

Unlike most large canids, which are widespread, generalist feeders, the Ethiopian wolf is a highly specialised feeder of Afroalpine rodents with very specific habitat requirements. It is one of the world’s rarest canids, and Africa’s most endangered carnivore. …

Only about 400 survive in 7 different mountain ranges, perhaps 90 in Simien.

Instead of climbing up to the famed sunset viewpoint with Nadine, I crashed in my tent for an hour.

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Africa sunsets are the best anywhere, however. I forced myself to get up with my camera.

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Nadine got the BIG views up high.

Simien - Josh and Nadine

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I ate almost nothing for dinner. Went to bed immediately. The indoor campfire was too smokey.

more photos

day 1 | day 2 | day 3 | day 4 | info

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Simien Trek Ethiopia – day 1

trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

day 1 | day 2 | day 3 | day 4 | info

Day 1: Gondar-Sankaber (3250 m), 3-4 hours walking

6:30am Ethiopian coffee

7am pick-up at the (recommended) L-Shape Hotel in the tourist town Gondar. Room about $13 in 2014.

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It was an easy 2hr drive to Debarq, the jumping off point for Simien Mountains National Park. Quick stop at the National Park office.

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We had breakfast at the Great Work Hotel. Excellent Mango juice.

Our car returned with gear, guide, cook and … personal armed Park Ranger. They call themselves Scouts. A guard is still required for each trekking group in 2014, though these days it’s more of a make work project for the Rangers.

We drove through the Park gates and continued about another hour.

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This road is rough. Though it was being improved while we were there.

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We’re HERE. Trekking the Simien mountains. What a thrill.

Simien Ethiopia Map

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I’d joined Josh and Nadine, a couple from Edmonton, Canada who have been volunteering in Burundi for the past 2 years.

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Here’s our excellent Guide, Adoo.

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And our Scout, Adim.

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Immediately we headed for the great escarpment.

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It’s a long, long way down. About 800m here.

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Simien - Josh and Nadine horse

Local people are everywhere. This is a shared use National Park.

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We heard that road and power lines being moved further away from the trekking route. I hope that’s true.

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Adoo detoured from the cliff when he spotted a group of 200-400 Gelada baboons. (more photos)

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Geladas are found only in the high grassland of the deep gorges of the central Ethiopian plateau. They live in elevations 1,800–4,400 m above sea level, using the cliffs for sleeping and montane grasslands for foraging. …

Geladas are the only primates that are primarily graminivores and grazers – grass blades make up to 90% of their diet. They eat both the blades and the seeds of grasses. …

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They mate in May, have babies in November. Females were very protective of their youngest. Some looked like newborns.

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We sat down and let the group graze past us. Some of the toddlers were curious enough to TRY to touch us.

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What a fantastic 2 hours. This might be the best wildlife encounter anywhere in the world. It was my best wildlife encounter ever. 🙂

Simien was one of the first sites to be made a World Heritage Site by UNESCO (1978). Due to serious population declines of some of its characteristic native species, in 1996 it was also added to the List of World Heritage in Danger.

The word Semien means north in Amharic. But the name Simien and the word simian do make a good mnemonic for this hike. Geladas are the highilght. 🙂

Elated, we shuffled another hour or so to Camp 1. Talking about the baboons.

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poison tomatoes
poison tomatoes

It’s a very easy half day, yet everyone was huffing and puffing due to altitude.

Popcorn and hot drinks on arrival were much appreciated.

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I rested an hour. (I opted to use my own tent. Not the one supplied.)

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We headed over to the ridge for the sunset, surprised how cold it was in Africa at night.

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Josh got some great pics.

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Dinner was impressive: soup, bread, fish, salad, spinach, deep fried banana. I skipped the salad (worried about my health) but tried some of everything else.

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We checked the full moon, then retreated to our tents. There was no campfire. I climbed into 2 sleeping bags. The one provided. And my own. Everyone was surprised how cold it was at night in Simien.

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more photos

day 1 | day 2 | day 3 | day 4 | info

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Gelada baboons, Ethiopia

by site editor Rick McCharles

I hiked the Simien mountains in northern Ethiopia with Joshua and Nadine from Edmonton. They are nurses living in Africa for the past 2 years, putting together a rural Health Clinic in Burundi.

The biggest highlight was hanging out with Geladas, the friendliest simians anywhere.

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Geladas are found only in the high grassland of the deep gorges of the central Ethiopian plateau. They live in elevations 1,800–4,400 m above sea level, using the cliffs for sleeping and montane grasslands for foraging. …

Geladas are the only primates that are primarily graminivores and grazers – grass blades make up to 90% of their diet. They eat both the blades and the seeds of grasses. …

Geladas are primarily diurnal. At night, they sleep on the ledges of cliffs. At sunrise, they leave the cliffs and travel to the tops of the plateaus to feed and socialize …

The gelada is large and robust. It is covered with buff to dark brown, coarse hair and has a dark face with pale eyelids. Its arms and feet are nearly black. Its short tail ends in a tuft of hair …

… males average 18.5 kg (40.8 lb) while females are smaller, averaging 11 kg (24.3 lb). …

The gelada has a unique gait, known as the shuffle gait, that it uses when feeding. It squats bipedally and moves by sliding its feet without changing its posture. …

Protected and not endangered, these grass eaters are comfortable with people coming close. A few of the curious babies reached out and almost touched us.

Simien - Rick baboons

In 2008, the IUCN assessed the gelada as Least Concern, although their population had reduced from an estimated 440,000 in the 1970s to around 200,000 in 2008.

Here are more of Josh and Nadine’s photos.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

I posted high resolution versons of those on my flickr.

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Bale Mountains National Park treks

Ethiopia. Guided.

Nominated in 2009 to the World Heritage Tentative List, Bale Mountains National Park (BMNP) is a national park in Ethiopia with one of the highest incidences of animal endemicity of any terrestrial habitat in the world. …

Bale Mountains National Park is open year-round although the most popular time to visit is November through April when the rains have stopped. The Park can be reached by private car or public transportation from Addis Ababa. Visitors may choose to trek throughout the Park either by horseback or on foot, or alternatively to visit the Park entirely by car. Treks range from one to 12 nights and travel through all the different ecosystems of the Park. …

map

Download the FREE Park guide (PDF):

Treks range from 3,000m to above 4,000m altitude. Explore all habitats of the Bale Mountains National Park as you trek across the home of the Ethiopian wolf, mountain nyala, giant molerat and Bale monkey. Experience stunning Afroalpine mountains and natural scenery while heading deep into the heart of the Sanetti plateau – a floating land.

Explore vast moorland and discover Afroalpine plants as you camp in the wilderness. Hike amongst rock pinnacles etched out of the lava flows by millions of years of ice and winds, and pass waterfalls and alpine lakes. Camping in the Harenna forest may reward you with a sighting of the elusive animals that live there. Wildlife that can be seen along the way includes the olive baboon, warthog, rock hyrax, Starck’s hare, klipspringer, grey duiker, African wild dog, giant forest hog, leopard, lion and birds of prey. …

Bale

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Gosainkund & Helambu – day 3

Trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

Gosankund 4380m – Gopte 3439m

My toughest day in the Himalaya 2014. Up and over the Lauribina Pass 4,610m.

I’d not slept well, getting out of bed 4 times during the night to check the auspicious full moon over sacred Gossankund lake.

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In fact, myself and an Israeli guy had hoped to (early morning) follow a guided group up the popular trekking peak called Surya (Sun) 5145m.

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He was worried that no guided groups were scheduled. And he was right. Later we learned that there is too much snow and ice at the top. Guides were not going up right now.

First light a chopper landed.

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They were evacuating a lady, altitude sick. She looked in rough shape. Could barely walk.

Cost would be something under $10,000. Hopefully paid by insurance.

The chopper crew all rushed to Gosainkund to collect holy water and take selfies. It was this water that Shiva once drank to quench his thirst after having been poisoned.

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So … instead of an extra day scrambling Surya, I headed towards the Pass with everyone else.

There are 108 lakes in this area, actually. You pass a series of them on the trail. They should be frozen by now, but are not.

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Laurabina Pass 4610m
Laurabina Pass 4610m

For some reason I found this day very, very tough. The Pass was fine. But the long descent to Gopte was taxing.

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On the bright side, I saw a rarely spotted Red Panda en route. Surprising him on the trail itself, he jumped uphill instantly. Then, happily for me, dashed back across the trail downhill. It’s a tiny beast with a huge, unmistakable tail. Two distinct colours.

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But I was a bit of a wreck arriving Gopte 3439m, early in the afternoon.

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I went straight to bed in order to prevent chills.

Happily, I awoke just in time for one of the best and strangest sunsets. People compared this sunset with the best they’d ever seen.

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My preference is to eat as late as possible. This evening, however, chatting with an adventurous couple from Rocky Mountain House, I waited too long. The kitchen shut down about 8pm.

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I begged a chance to join in the Dal Baht feed with the porters and guides, only the second time I’ve ever got the chance to eat with them. It’s not done in the Himalaya. 🙂

see all my high resolution photos from this day

day 1 | day 2 | day 3 | day 4 | day 5 | day 6 | info | … Langtang

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I saw a Red Panda

About an hour down from Gopte 3439m, on the Helambu Trail in Nepal. 🙂

The red panda (Ailurus fulgens), also called lesser panda and red cat-bear, is a small arboreal mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and south-western China that has been classified as vulnerable by IUCN as its wild population is estimated at less than 10,000 mature individuals. The population continues to decline and is threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching, and inbreeding depression …

The red panda is slightly larger than a domestic cat. It has reddish-brown fur, a long, shaggy tail, and a waddling gait due to its shorter front legs. It feeds mainly on bamboo, but is omnivorous and also eats eggs, birds, insects, and small mammals. It is a solitary animal, mainly active from dusk to dawn, and is largely sedentary during the day. …

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I saw mine in the middle of the day. I surprised it, walking up the trail quietly.

It dashed uphill, instantly out of sight. Then sprinted back across the trail downhill. It looked tiny. Mostly tail. Two distinct colours.

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Langtang Trek – day 5

Trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

Nov 2, 2014

Kyanjin Gompa 3830m – Langshisha Kharka 4110m

Another classic, perfect November day in the high Nepali Himalaya. Blue sky. Bright sun.

I departed Kyanjin Gompa late. As usual.

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Today I would walk as far up the river as possible. Then camp. Only idiots carry their own tents on a Nepali Teahouse trek. I’m one of those idiots.

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Past Kyanjin Gompa there are no houses. No people. Nothing but Yaks. If I wasn’t so hair impaired, I’d swear the Yak is my spirit animal.

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It’s rugged, varied, interesting trekking.

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There are plenty of birds up high. The Golden Eagle looks to take smaller birds on the wing.

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Cake for lunch. Kyanjin Gompa has two bakeries.

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My friends headed back to town. They were saving their legs for an attempt on an even more difficult trekking peak, Tsergo Ri 4984m, next day.

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Most Langtang day hikers stop here at Numthang viewpoint 3940m. To go further is a minimum 1hr, one way commitment including a climb over the big moraine wall on the left.

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I continued up valley.

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Over the moraine, the river valley winds around left presenting a completely new (bleaker) vista. Looking to Tibet.

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This was my favourite part of the hike, so far.

The Yaks get even hairier up high.

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This was as far as I got. In the distance is the source of the Langtang, close to Morimoto Base Camp.

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Perhaps I should have spent an extra day up here. Check a 2009 photo of Morimoto.

Morimoto Base Camp

Earlier today, my friends caught a glimpse of some kind of wild dog. This scat is from some sort of carnivore beastie. There are no domestic dogs in the high Langtang.

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Finally I set up my little tent in this seasonal Yak herders hut overlooking tomorrow’s adventure, a day hike up towards Tilman Pass the other side of the river.

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A friendly Japanese expedition had already claimed the best tent site, nearby. They would head to Motomoto on the morrow.

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I was ready for a cold, but moonlit, night.

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Just at dusk I saw some grazing animals high above the Yaks. I hope these are Thar.

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Last light on Mt. Urkinmang. (Have I got the correct mountain?)

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Tilman Pass is just to the right of that perfect snowy triangle. I believe.

As always at dusk, Yaks come to check if you’ve left anything edible outside.

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TheSnowLeopardDuring the long, cold night in a cocoon of down and nylon, I listened to one of my favourite authors, Peter Matthiessen, read one of my favourite books, The Snow Leopard.

It’s his classic philosophical account of a November 1973 Nepal trek to Shey Gompa, Crystal Mountain.

If you wonder why I keep returning to Nepal, read Snow Leopard. Matthiessen is most eloquent on the joys and challenges.

Matthiessen had boots that were too small. A leaky tent. And no audio books to enliven the 12hr nights.

My 57th birthday. Under the Himalayan sky.

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see all my high res photos from this day

day 0 | day 1 | day 2 | day 3 | day 4 | day 5 | day 6 | day 7 | day 8 | info | … Gosainkund

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Langtang Trek – day 4

Trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

Langtang Village 3430m to Kyanjin Gompa 3830m

We stayed at the Tibet Hotel in Langtang. But all teahouses in any given location are near identical. It really doesn’t matter which one you choose. Cost and quality are the same.

As usual, I waited until the mob of trekkers, porters, pack animals and guides cleared out of the village. The last thing I want trekking in the Himalaya is rush hour.

I sipped milk coffee and enjoyed the morning sun waiting for trails to clear.

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These Himalayan villages are interesting. Especially after the tourists have disappeared in the morning.

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The stupendous wide Langtang valley runs east-west, parallel to the Tibet border, enjoying a lot of sun.

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A highlight for me are the many different grazing animals, especially the Yaks.

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Long, long mani walls and many stupas remind you that this is Buddhist Tibet not Hindu Nepal.

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In 2014 another one of these superb bridges was completed.

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Kyanjin Gompa. End of the line for many Langtang trekkers.

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I caught up with my group for lunch. Egg noodle soup with extra egg and egg noodle chowmein.

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No meat is sold in Langtang valley. The chickens are here strictly for eggs. Yaks strictly for milk and cheese.

Up, up, up right after lunch.

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We would “sleep low, climb high”. Acclimatization paramount.

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There are stupendous views looking towards Tibet. Monstrous glaciers.

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Kevin and Delphine with their guide BJ. He led my Manaslu Circuit trek last year. And I hope to trek with him again in future.

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We could have stopped here at the first viewpoint. But the ridge walk up was too tempting.

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Vistas got better and better.

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Photos give you just a hint of the magic of the Himalayan light. You feel you can touch the highest mountains in the world, the relief and contrast so striking.

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About 45min up from the first prayer flags we reached the summit of Kyanjin Ri at 4850m. I left a Summit Stone.

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Prayer flags are believed to have originated with Bon, which predated Buddhism in Tibet.

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BJ knew a different and easier way down. We descended via this sandy watercourse.

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That night we learned a guy at our lodge on his own had tried a different descent on Kyanjin Ri, getting lost. Sometimes it’s nice to have a guide. 🙂

On the return we visited Kyanjin Gompa itself, sadly now disused. The monks long gone. Only about 3 times a year do some return for festivals.

An elderly woman unlocked it for a donation.

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I was more interested in the food and fuel being stored away for the coming winter.

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By dinner we were tired and had slight headaches. It had been a big day for altitude. Perhaps we pushed it too high. Some on our exact same itinerary were down, altitude sick.

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The night sky was fantastic.

see all my high res photos from this day

day 0 | day 1 | day 2 | day 3 | day 4 | day 5 | day 6 | day 7 | day 8 | info | … Gosainkund

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Simien Traverse, Ethiopia

I’m hoping to do the famed Simien Traverse in early December 2014. I’ll be in country Dec 1-14th. It’s the best hike in Ethiopia, one of the best in the world.

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Click PLAY or watch a some highlights from a 2014 trek on YouTube. It looks spectacular. Scenery and wildlife. Especially the Gelada Baboons.

I’m using the most recent Lonely Planet Ethiopia to start my research.

I plan to fly Addis Ababa to Gondor, buying my ticket when I get to Ethiopia. Spend at least one night in Gondor, acclimatizing, before traveling about 2hrs north to Debark.

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The Simien Park Hotel in Debark is reputed to have hot water showers. One night there while I organize my adventure at the National Park Office.

I’m hoping to either join a group headed up or to hire the minimum for a solo trek. That’s one ‘Scout’ (armed park ranger) and one English speaking guide.

No mules. No cook.

The most popular route is 4-5 days to Geech or Chenek and back. I’ll not summit Ras Dashen, the highest peak in Ethiopia.

Leave a comment if you’ve done this trek.