Gelada monkeys on the edge of dramatic escarpments
The Simien Mountains in northern Ethiopia are a highland plateau cut by deep gorges and cliffs that fall away more than a kilometre. Large troops of gelada monkeys graze on the grassy edges, and the rare Walia ibex, found nowhere else, clings to the crags. Treks of several days link camps such as Sankaber, Geech and Chenek, and the ascent of Ras Dashen, Ethiopia's highest peak, is a longer challenge. Debark is the starting point, a few hours' drive from Gondar.