Bale Mountain Trek – see the unique Bale Mountains, the Wolves, the birds, the volcanic rocks and the forest.

Bale Mountains, Afro-alpine plateau and Harenna forest,

The tour will start with an early morning flight to Bale mountain airport at Robe (below the high mountains). Arriving (if on a day with an early flight) at 9am. We will drive you around to the park HQ at Dinsho and here your adventure will being, with a chance too see the unique wildlife. Your first camp will be here amid the Hagenia and Juniper trees, and see Mountain Nyala, Bushbuck, warthogs and other wildlife at a lower altitude (3,200m). The birdlife is also impressive with the Abyssinian Catbirds song being standout. In the evening your guide will take you for a game walk in the woodland around the camp and into the Gassay grasslands.

Next morning the trekking will start with the relatively easy walk to Sodota (3,520m). This is a camp often used by people studying the Endemic Ethiopian Wolf, which is the highlight mammal that draws many people to the Bale Mountains.

On the 3rd day the trek will be longer and higher altitude as you go up to just under 4,000 meters and camp at Wassyma.

On the 4th day trek past the peak of Mnt Batu  (4,350) which you can hike up, or head west towards the staggering pillars at Rafu – created out of the lava flows that covered this land once.

On the 5th day trek to the rendezvous point near Mnt Tullu Dimtu (4,377m) – the highest peak in Ethiopia after those in the Simiens. The road comes here which is where you will say goodby to your trekking team and drive down to the upper parts of the Harenna forests and the Bale Mountain Lodge – where a shower, a cold beer or bottle of Rift valley wine await you.

On day 6 head deeper into the Harenna forest to explore the forest, home to the indigenous Bale Monkey as well as a lot of other mammals including lions and leopards (there is a remote chance of seeing these larger animals), but also spectacular birds. Bale is home to the original strains of coffee Arabacia and there is wild coffee still growing in the Harenna forest.  We can visit the coffee village of Manyete, to learn the traditional ways of harvesting coffee.

After another restful night on Day 7 head back north up the Rift Valley to Lake Langano where another lodge awaits – at much lower altitude. In the lake are a few shy hippos, but you can enjoy a refreshing swim.

Next morning your 8th day – you can venture into the nearby forest as part of an impressive dawn bird walk. Believe me this is not to be missed. After breakfast stay goodby to the lodge and if you would like a quick trip into neighboring Shalla Abijiata park to see the birds in these very different lakes.

In the town of Ziway which borders another lake, enjoy a fish lunch before joining the expressway back to Addis.