"The gate to Simien Mountains" Debark' by shugoey

This small town is about 3-4 hours drive from Gondor. There is one main street. Here you will find horsetaxi, mules, cows and goat together with a lot of friendly people. There is few small hotell and restaurants in the town.

Sunset at Gich camp

The Simien Mountains National Parks headquarters is located in Debark. Here you must pay the park fees and the receipt will be check in the entrance gate near Buyit Ras, about 15 km from Debark.
It is mandatory to have a scout, but not a guide. Our scout did not speak any english and a guide was very useful. It is also possible to rent a cook, mules and mule-drivers.

Gelada Baboon

Three of Ethiopias endemic large animals are resident in the Simien Mountains. The gelada baboons is the most common and the easiest to spot. Large herds up to 400 individuals can be seen around the park. We saw them every day on our 5 days of hiking. You are also likely to see them if you are driving trough the park.

We also saw the Walia Ibex, but only from a distance.

We did not see the Ethiopian wolf, but we saw the common jackals around both the Gich and Chennek camps.

• Pros:Gate to Simien Mountains
• Cons:Dusty