Camping in the Simien Mountains

Sankaber is the first campsite on most Simien treks, and is a wonderful introduction to the park. The drive from Debark (the entrance town to the Simien Mountains) concludes at Buit Ras near the Simien Lodge. From here, you will begin the trek to Sankaber camp. The route from Buit Ras to Sankaber is relatively mild and works well as an acclimatization hike, although there are some steeper ascents as you are climbing to around 3200 metres. 

Sankaber is surrounded by Giant Heath trees (Erica Arboreal) and escarpment edges. The camp is situated on the escarpment edge and has stunning views. Gelada Monkeys often play on the grounds here, and there are a few great viewpoints around the camp that you can explore as you get acclimatised.

The trek from Sankaber to Gich is 5-6 hours. The Jinbar falls sits between the two campsites, where the Jinber river plunges 500 metres down into the Gich Abyss. The waterfall is highly seasonal, and in the dry season the flow is greatly reduced. The stretch from the falls to Gich follows a gradual incline past the Jinbar river and the (now abandoned) village of Gich before arriving at the campsite. Geech sits in an open portion of land and there isn't much shrubbery around. 

The nearby Kedadit viewpoint (3,760m) offers wonderful views of the expansive lowlands to the north, and is a great spot for sundowners. You’ll often have a chance to watch the Gelada monkeys as they return to their sleeping spots in the caves below at sunset. 

Chennek is the last campsite along the main ridge of the Simiens, and is as far as you can get by road. Chennek is your best chance to spot the endemic Walia Ibex and Ethiopian Wolf (although the wolf is rarely seen in the Simiens). 

There are two incredible peaks between Gich and Chennek: Imet Gogo and Intateye. From Gich, it is a 2-hour hike to Imet Gogo which stands at 3,926m. The 360-degree panoramic views from here are extraordinary, and if you look east across the Bwahit Pass, you’ll see Ras Dashen (Africa’s tenth highest peak) in the distance. 

Inateye is a difficult trek involving a relatively steep one hour climb, followed by a more gentle gradient for another hour before reaching the peak at 4,070m. From the peak at Inateye, it is another 2-3 hour trek onwards to Chennek. 

Inateye and Imet Gogo cannot be explored on the same day, so if you want to hit both these peaks, you’ll need to spend two nights at Gich, which will also give you time to visit the Saha viewpoint (3,785m) and the Kedadit viewpoint (3,760m) after Imet Gogo, and continue to Inateye the following day. 

Chennek has the best views of all the three campsites. Giant Lobelia trees surround the camp, and there are amazing views of Mount Bwahit and Inateye.