1. Introduction At 14,930 ft., Ras Dashen is the highest mountain in Ethiopia and the 10th highest in Africa. It is located in the Amara region of the Simien Mountains, a world heritage site. Hiking in the Simien Mountains and summiting Ras Dashen is a magnificent experience. The landscape is stunningly beautiful and the local people you will see and meet along the trail are incredible. It is both a wondrous hiking and cultural experience. 2. Trailhead There are numerous different routes to the summit of Ras Dashen and your itinerary could take as little as 3 days or as long as 2 weeks. I started at Inameda, which is about half way between Gich Camp and Chenneck Camp. But there are literally dozens of different places that you could start and end your hike. It is about a 1 ½ hour drive from Gondar to Debark and about an additional 2 hours to drive from the park office in Debark to either Inameda or Chenneck Camp. 3. Information Sources 1) Map – Simien Mountains, Ethiopia. Produced by the University of Berne. An excellent topo map showing most of the major trails in the Simien Mountains. 2) Agere Tesfu – my guide for Mt. Bwahit and Ras Dashen. He is a top notch experienced Simien Mtn guide who can answer all of your specific questions and help you plan the trip that is best for you. His contact information is: Email: ageretesfu@gmail.com Phone: (whatsapp): 0920193081 4. Level of difficulty The level of difficulty will largely depend on the route and itinerary that you choose. The route that I chose (after consulting with Agere) allowed me to summit both Mt. Bwahit and Ras Dashen in 4 days, with half days on days 1 and 4 and two full days of climbing (8-10 hours) on days 2 and 3. 5. Best time of year The rainy season is July through mid-September. Most people prefer to hike in late September through December because the weather is good, everything is green and the flowers abundant. January through June also has good weather, but there is less greenery/color, etc. 6. Options Almost unlimited. If you buy the topo map, you will see that Ras Dashen can be climbed by multiple routes and that each route has multiple potential starting points. Your trip can last for 3 days to 2 weeks + and can be as rigorous, or relaxed (relatively speaking) as you wish. My advice is to find a knowledgeable guide, like Agere, and talk with him/her about what you would like to do, your level of experience, fitness, etc. and work with him to come up with the best itinerary for you. 7. Guides/Permits, etc. All hikes must be arranged in the park office in Debark. A guide is optional, but a park scout is mandatory. One will be assigned to you. He will accompany you through your entire trip. I would also highly recommend using a guide. They can help you plan your trip, handle the logistics, hire other staff (cook, muleteer, etc.) and provide a wealth of practical and interesting information about the Simien Mountains, the people who live there, flora and fauna, etc. Agere was a pleasure to hike with and spend time with. I cannot stress enough the importance of finding the right guide for you. We only saw a few other guides on the mountain. Most of the guides seemed fairly good, but one was definitely not. I spoke with his three clients and they were very disappointed with their trip. A bad guide can change what could have been a wonderful experience into a painful regret. 8. Trail distances (for my hike) Day 1 Inameda to Chenneck Camp 4 miles Day 2 Chenneck Camp to Bwahit Summit 13 miles and on to Ambico Camp Day 3 Ambico Camp to Ras Dashen Summit 12 miles and return to Ambico Camp Day 4 Ambico Camp to the Meshina Wenz river 4 miles and climb to the village for pickup Total 33 miles 9. Elevations Inameda 12,300 ft. Chenneck Camp 11,875 ft. Mt. Bwahit Summit 14,555 ft. Village before river 10,720 ft. Meshina Wenz River 9,580 ft. Ambico Camp 10,665 ft. Ras Dashen Summit 14,925 ft. 10. Vertical Elevations There are numerous up and downs on this itinerary. The vertical elevations that you will climb each day are: Day 1 1,160 vt. ft. Day 2 3,690 vt. ft. Day 3 4,430 vt. ft. Day 4 1,140 vt. ft. Total 10, 420 vt. ft. 11. Trail description Magnificent. You will be above tree line almost all of the time and the views are incredible. The trail is generally single track, double track or dirt road. There is not much shade and there is high sun exposure. The trails are rocky and dusty (in February). And although there are some steep climbs, the trails are doable for anyone with reasonable hiking experience and fitness. There is one short section right before the summit of Ras Dashen that requires some rock scrambling and there is some exposure. You do not need to be a rock climber nor do you need mountaineering equipment here, but it might be a bit uncomfortable for some people. 12. Water along trail There is not much water along the trail. It is best to just carry what you need. On the two long days, I carried 2 – 2 ½ liters and that was sufficient for me. 13. What to bring Consult with your guide about your pack list. At night and in the morning, it can be fairly cold. Hiking during the day can be quite warm/hot – especially with the sun. So bring layers that you can easily adjust, as necessary. There is also a lot of sun exposure. Make sure you bring lotion, hat with a brim, sunglasses, etc. I also brought light weight long pants and long sleeve shirt, which worked very well for me hiking during the day. 14. Altitude Do not underestimate the effects of altitude. If you live at sea level like I do, try to spend a few days in Addis or Gondar (7,000 – 8,000 ft.) to start to acclimate. I spent two nights in Addis and one in Gondar. I also spent 2 days hiking from Inameda to Ambico Camp before the final climb of Ras Dashen. I believe that acclimating made the climb much easier and enjoyable for me. 15. Time estimates This is always a difficult thing to say due to differences in fitness, trail and weather conditions, pack weight, how often you stop to take pictures and breaks, and of course, how well you acclimate to the elevation. That being said, the time estimates below are reasonable for most reasonably fit and experienced hikers carrying a 10-20 lb. pack in reasonable trail/weather conditions. Day 1 3-4 hours Day 2 8-11 hours Day 3 8-12 hours Day 4 2-3 hours 16. Conclusion Hiking Mt. Bwahit and Ras Dashen in the Simien Mountains was the highlight of my trip to Ethiopia. I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Staying overnight in Debark, it is only a short drive to the National Park. A local Guide and security detail brought us into the heart of the park. Trekking options were vast but a day's trekking was enough for our fitness and endurance ( 2 old pensioners !!!). The Bleeding Hearts Baboon colonies were so confident close to us humans that we could see them so clearly . I really enjoyed the array of birds, flora and fauna.