In a sudden burst of coincidences, I met 6 of my fellow passengers from the Wadi Halfa ferry in a matter of hours. On the bus from Tis Abay to Bahir Dar, I met the nameless Japanese guy - I kept my distance though, as he was suffering from a bad case of bedbugs. When we arrived at Bahir Dar bus station, the three South Africans were there. And they put me on the tail of Dominik and Marianne, who I tracked down when I arrived back in Gondar 3 hours later. These coincidences happen so often that I start to wonder whether 'coincidence' is really the right word!
Anyway, Marianne and Dominik and I decided over dinner to go trekking together in the Simien Mtns. The Simiens are a 4000m+ massif a few hours drive north of Gondar. They are famous for the spectacular views where the land suddenly drops away 1000m to 2000m into the valleys below. Sort of like Rigi on steroids, for anyone who's been to this famous Swiss lookout point. There is also wildlife to be seen: baboons and ibex are the most common.
The climax of the trek was my ascent of Mt Bwahit at 4200m. It was the highest peak I've ever climbed, and good training for my planned attempt on Pt Lenana on Mt Kenya later on in the trip. On the final day, I decided to hitch a ride with the locals on the back of a truck. I was tired of walking and it was a quick way to get back to the start of the trek. Bouncing along at breakneck speed on dodgy roads with a cliff on one side and a steep drop into the valley on the other is always a good way to remind yourself that you're really living!
Anyway, Marianne and Dominik and I decided over dinner to go trekking together in the Simien Mtns. The Simiens are a 4000m+ massif a few hours drive north of Gondar. They are famous for the spectacular views where the land suddenly drops away 1000m to 2000m into the valleys below. Sort of like Rigi on steroids, for anyone who's been to this famous Swiss lookout point. There is also wildlife to be seen: baboons and ibex are the most common.
The climax of the trek was my ascent of Mt Bwahit at 4200m. It was the highest peak I've ever climbed, and good training for my planned attempt on Pt Lenana on Mt Kenya later on in the trip. On the final day, I decided to hitch a ride with the locals on the back of a truck. I was tired of walking and it was a quick way to get back to the start of the trek. Bouncing along at breakneck speed on dodgy roads with a cliff on one side and a steep drop into the valley on the other is always a good way to remind yourself that you're really living!
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