Bale Mountains National Park

Bale Mountains National Park is 400 km southeast of Addis Ababa and has a remarkably varied scenery. The afro-montane Sanetti Plateau is very high, rising to more than 4,000 meters. It has the highest peak in the southern Ethiopian mountains. This plateau goes up and down and has many glacial lakes and swamps. It is bordered by higher volcanic ridges and peaks. The southern hills are covered by the lush Harenna Forest, which hasn’t been explored much.

There are 300 species of birds and 78 species of mammals in the National Park. These include the endemic Nyala antelope, the Menelik bushbuck, and the Ethiopian wolf, which is the strangest dog in the world. Even if you don’t see it very often on your safari, visitors are almost always sure to see it.

How to spend your time in Bale Mountains National Park.

People who love hiking, animal watching, culture and nature, bird watching, and more should go to the Bale mountains. You can go on this walking tour for seven days and six nights. All the necessary gear is included because most of our nights are spent camping. Along with the mountain guide, there is also a park scout, a camp cook, and a mule tender. Mules or horses carry everything, even bags.

Talk to an Ethiopian wolf face to face.

Researchers used to be the only ones who went to the Bale Mountains to see the Ethiopian wolf. That being said, tourists now do the same thing because it’s the only place you can see this rare animal in the wild. It’s amazing to watch this animal hunt the big-headed African mole-rat, which is its favorite food. You might see them on the Kotera Plain or the Sanetti Plateau.

To see how this animal hunts, interacts with other animals, and acts around people, go out early in the morning and give yourself plenty of time. On the Sanetti Plateau, the best way to get a close look at them is from a car. They are not afraid of cars, but they tend to stay away from people on foot.

Set out on a multi-day hike.

You can spend a few days hiking in the Bale Mountains to really get to know the area. You can set up a tent or stay in one of the tourist huts. It takes six days to do the longest and most famous trail. From Dinsho, it takes about four hours to walk to Sodota.

Each day, it takes about the same amount of time to walk to Rafu, then to Sanetti, Worgona, and back to Dinsho. You should bring your own sleeping bag and food if you stay in the huts, but pots and cooking tools are provided.

Go to a stream to cool off.

The Finch’ Abera is one of many waterfalls in the Bale Mountains. The three-hour walk from Dinsho is pretty easy. The Sodota camping is close by where you can camp.

Walk around with a lot of antelopes.

This walking tour is one of a kind. A lot of animals are used to seeing people in the area around the Bale Mountains National Park offices. This is one of the few places in the world where you can walk among animals that only live in this area. The mountain nyala or balbok, which is very stunning, as well as the bohor reedbuck and imbabala.

A beautiful Colobine monkey might stop by and say hello if you’re lucky. Most animals are safe to be within twenty meters of you. Go early in the morning or late in the afternoon if you want to take pictures. Bale Mountains’ main office is in the northern part of the park, close to Dinsho. You will only be able to go on the trip with a wildlife guide, so make sure you check in at the offices first. The Gaysay Valley, which is just outside of Dinsho, is another place to walk among animals like these.

Go up a mountain

With a height of 4.377 meters, Mount Tullu Dimtu (Tulluu Diimtuu) is the fourth tallest mountain in Ethiopia. You can drive to the top, where there is a small weather station, if you have an all-wheel-drive car. You can also walk up. Here, make sure you say hello to the park ranger and maybe give him a treat. He loves seeing new people and will really appreciate it.

The best times are

From March to September, it rains in the Bale Mountains. If you go right after the rain, you’ll see lots of wild flowers.

It’s most likely to be nice from December to March, but in the mountains, this isn’t always the case. At any time, it could fog up and ruin the view for good. Even when the sun is out on the Sanetti Plateau, it can get foggy in the valleys.