The Simien Mountains present the most dramatic mountain scenery in Africa: 

Great volcanic plugs, formed some 40 million years and eroded over the aeons into fantastic crags, pinnacles and flat topped mountains, " the chess pieces of the Gods" as one writer described them, tower over precipitous gorges, river valleys and plains stretching all the way to Eritrea. 

There are many peaks over 4000 meters, and Ras Dashen at 4620 meters is the highest in the country and the fourth highest in Africa.

While trekking in the Simien visitors can see the endemic Gelada or bleeding heart baboon, the Walia Ibex, Simien wolf and rock hyrax, endemic birds such as the thick billed raven, black headed siskin, white collared pigeon, wattled ibis, white billed starling, spot breasted pl0over and white backed black tit, cruising Lammergeyers with their 3 metre wingspan and Afro-Alpine meadows carpeted with flowers and punctuated by giant lobelia and the tall spiky Kniphophia or "red hot pokers"

You can go in for a day, or go the whole hog and climb Ras Dashen. It is not a technical climb and no special climbing ability is needed.

 Mules can carry you and your luggage. The itinerary is for a longer expedition, but Travel Ethiopia can easily arrange a shorter historic extension for those whose main interest is trekking.