Highlands Adventure

Last night I returned from an epic five-day trek in the northern highlands of Ethiopia. On Thursday morning at 4am six friends and I boarded a frightening Ethiopian Airlines propeller plane for Lalibela. After two unexpected stops in Bahir Dar and Gondor, we landed on an isolated concrete airstrip in Lalibela, effectively flying in a giant circle to reach our destination. After checking out the overhyped and therefore disappointing rock-hewn churches for which Lalibela is most well-known, we piled in a dilapidated Land Cruiser for a teeth-rattling two-hour drive through rugged backcountry on a primitive dirt road.

From our drop-off point we followed our guide Fantow on a short hike to a spectacular set of dirt huts overlooking a panorama evoking memories of the Grand Canyon. Seated before nature’s symphony, we devoured pancakes smothered in wild honey, steaming lentil soup, and hot pepper medley over rice, all washed down with delicious highlands tea. And the best part was that essentially the same ritual was performed regularly for each meal.

Each night we retreated to our huts amidst a breathtaking sunset and each morning arose to an explosion of brilliant color over the horizon. As darkness enveloped the night sky, thousands of dazzling stars illuminated the windswept and inhospitable landscape, the distinct luster of each individual star accentuated by the starkly contrasted black backdrop. Every morning after a hearty breakfast, we hiked for hours through stunning gorges, over picturesque escarpments, and across desolate plateaus until lunch. After feasting on injera and doro wat, we continued traversing marvelous landscapes until reaching that night’s camp, at which point we would usually day hike or boulder on the many rocks littering the terrain.

But rather than bore my readers with verbiage that fails to do the sweeping natural beauty the slightest justice, I have included several photos to accomplish what I cannot. I hope they convey at least a shred of the imposing terrain and sheer grandeur I encountered over the past week in the northern highlands.