Trekking in Ethiopia's Bale Mountains; 8 Days / 7 Nights

Itinerary BM07

Arrival Bole International Airport
If you are arriving the day before your tour, Awaze Tours will meet you at the airport regardless of arrival time. We can book this hotel night for you upon request. If you arrive in the morning on the first day of the tour, you may begin after checking into your hotel.

Ethiopian Red Wolf

Day 01 Addis Ababa - Bale Mountains National Park
Morning departure driving from Addis to the Bale Mountains National Park. Arrive at the park headquarters in the afternoon. Meet with guides and drive to the Gaysey Grasslands. Take a leisurely afternoon hike, possibly spotting two endemic mammals that frequent the area: Menelik's Bushbuck and the Mountain Nyala. Birds in this area include the Blue-Winged Goose, the Spot-Breasted Lapwing, the Abyssinian Long Claw, the Wattled Ibis, the Black-Headed Siskin, Rouget’s Rail, and numerous other species.

Overnight Camping Dinsho (3,200 meters above sea level)

Worgana Campsite

Day 02 To Adelay Campsite
Departing Dinsho campsite, trek to Adelay via the Geysay Valley and the Web River, viewing the Web waterfall en route. During the hike, there will be great opportunities to see the Mountain Nyala, Menelik’s Bushbuck, Bohor Reedbuck, and possibly Colobus Monkeys. The Bale Mountains is rated as one of the top birding sites in Africa with over 300 species, six of which are endemic to Ethiopia. As you trek look for such species as the Chestnut-naped Francolin, the secretive Abyssinia Ground-thrush, the vocal Abyssinian Catbird, the endemic White-backed Black-Tit, Black-headed Siskin, Black-winged Lovebird, Abyssinian Woodpecker, Tawny Eagle , Little Sparrowhawk, and the African Harrier-Hawk.
Trekking time: 4 - 5 hours.

Overnight Camping Adelay (3,400 masl)

Bale Mountains

Day 03 To Finch Habera Campsite
Trek through the Web Valley to the next campsite at Finch Habera. Take a rest at the scenic Habera waterfall. Near the Web River look for the rock hyrax along the gorge. Although weighing only about 5 kilograms the rock hyrax is most closely related to the elephant in the animal kingdom. Birds you may see today include the Tawny Eagle, Steppe Eagle, Lesser Spotted Eagle, Blue-winged Goose, Little Grebe, and Augur Buzzard.
Trekking time: 6 hours.

Overnight Camping Finch Habera (3,550 masl)

Warthog in the Gaysey Grasslands

Day 04 To Wasama Campsite
Trek to Wasama through a beautiful landscape with stunning views. Pass through Mararo Valley where the Lammergeyer and Verraux Eagles keep nests. At this point in the trek we begin to look for the Ethiopian Wolf, the rarest canid in the world and Africa’s most threatened carnivore. Ethiopian Wolves live in packs of between 2 and 18 animals but are solo hunters surviving primarily on a diet of rodents.
Trekking time: 8 hours.

Overnight Camping Wasama (3,700 masl)

Sanetti Plateau

Day 05 To Gebre Guracha
Start the day by hiking up Mt. Wasama (4200m) and then continue down into the Worgona Valley. Falcons, raptors, and possibly the Ethiopian Wolf will be visible. End the day at Lake Gebre Gurracha, meaning “black lake” in the Oromic language.
Trekking time: 4 hours.

Overnight Camping Gebre Guracha (3,900 masl)

Gebre Guracha

Day 06 To Harenna Forest
Take a short trek from Gebre Gurracha up to the Sennati Plateau to meet vehicles. Drive to the Harenna Forest. This is in the southern end of the park and holds a unique variety of vegetation. En route explore the different eco systems in the park: the Sanetti Plateau, the Erica forests and the Harenna Forests. Stop at Rira Village, the only village allowed to be in the park legally. Continue to the Bale Mountain Lodge to rest and relax in this beautiful forest setting.

Overnight Bale Mountain Lodge

Harenna Forest

Day 07 Gushuralle
Trek through dense bamboo forest towards Gushuralle. Wildlife you may come across includes Bale monkey, Menelik’s bushbuck, warthog, colobus monkey, and giant forest hog. Although sightings are rarer, keep your eyes peeled for leopard and lion. The summit of Gushuralle provides spectacular views across the Harenna forest. It takes about 2-3 hours to reach the apex of Gushuralle. Return to the Bale Mountain Lodge.

Overnight Bale Mountain Lodge

Day 08 Bale Mountains National Park - Addis Ababa
Relax in the morning at the scenic Bale Mountain Lodge. Drive to Addis Ababa via Asella. Optional souvenir shopping. Enjoy dinner at a traditional Ethiopian restaurant featuring dancers and musicians representing some of the country's many ethnic groups. Transfer to airport for international flight.

End of Trek
(Awaze Tours will arrange additional hotel nights in Addis Ababa upon request.)

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