Semein Mountains

Range consists of several major plateau divided by large river valleys. The western plateau is bounded on the north and east by massive escarpment, many kilometers long and over 1,000 meters high in places and cut along its length by steep gorges. The views from the top of the escarpment look north over the vast plains towards Eritrea. At their foot are the remains of ancient hills now eroded into Three of Ethiopia’ endemic mammals are resident of the Simen mountain. the gelada baboon is the most common of these, with an estimated population of at least 7,000 often to be seen congregating .By contrast the Ethiopian wolf is very rare in the mountains, with a population of no more than 50 individuals concentrated mostly on the afro- alpine moorland on the upper slopes of Bwahit, Ras Dashen and Kidus Yared. The Walia Ibex whose range is now restricted entirely to the Simenes, was poached close to extinction in the 1960’s, when just 150 animals survived. The unique geological feature of semen is described by Rosita Forbes, who traveled there in 1920s. The most marvelous of all Abyssinian landscape opened before us; as we looked across the gorge clouded amethyst… A thousand years ago, when the old gods reigned in Ethiopia, they must have played chess with these stupendous crags, for we saw bishops miters cut in laps lazuli, castles with the ruby of approaching sunset on their turrets, an emerald night where the forest crept upon the rock, and far away a king, crowned with sapphire, and guarded by a row of pains. When the gods exchanged their gets, they turned the pieces of their chess board in to mountains. In Semen they stand enchanted till once again the world is pagan and the titans and the earth gods lean down from the monstrous could banks of wager a star or two on their sport.