Five of us arranged to go to the Bale Mountains in southern Ethiopia on a 5 day trip which included walking and horse riding between three camps and a final night in a hotel. I had been before but I love this part of Ethiopia - the scenery here is so beautiful (whatever the weather) and the people are wonderful.
We set off on a Tuesday with a guide, drivers and a cook. It was a long car journey from Addis Ababa, through Shashemene (the Rastafarian centre) then along dirt roads to the town of Dodola where we picked up our local guide, Hussein. Another journey along rough tracks led us to the place where we met our mules and all our luggage, including food and stoves etc, was loaded onto them. As the sun disappeared we set off up a steep hill and finally arrived at our first campsite in the dark.
For the next three days we trekked across mountains and valleys, through rich fertile pastures and woods, staying in huts with basic resources and the most comfortable beds, eating fantastic food and sharing experiences with our guides and friends. We practiced using the whip (unsuccessfully) and saw amazing wildlife - particularly birds including many endemic species. We eventually returned to the place we had started and our vehicle was waiting for us. The following day we set off back to Addis stopping on the way to watch more wildlife on the lakes along the Rift Valley.
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