Around Lalileba

The rock-hewn churches of Lalibela are justly famous, but not our focus, other than to say spend at least 2 days there, and take time to walk in the area.

The landscape around Lalibela is rough: high, broken hills separating cultivated valleys dotted with remote villages where an ancient way of life continues. Further off are the Lasha highlands, which read 4,300m to the north-west, and the Mohet Plateau to the south-east.

Day walks abound. The finest must be the thrilling climb to the Ashetan Maryam monastery-with-church on a high butte above Lalibela. A fine introduction to Ethiopia's tradition of building rock-hewn churches and monasteries in extraordinary mountain-top or cliff-face positions. The best of

You can make day walks in the countryside around Lalibela – local guides/operators can introduce you to a selection of routes.

Longer walks. There are plenty of options for longer treks, deeper into the surrounding landscape for encounters with the lives of the inhabitants of remote highland villages, for marvellous scenery to drool over, and for thrilling wildlife, be it gelada monkeys or the multitude of birds, from soaring lammergeyers to passing migrants. The best of this is the Wollo Highlands, a fascinating area in wonderful landscape, with huge views from high escarpments.

Accommodation is home stays and lodges, so both atmospheric and relatively undemanding compared to camping.

Further off the Lasha highlands and Mohet Plateau offer more demanding, thrilling high-level trekking.

http://lalibela-eco-trekking.com/ have a superb-looking selection of walks, from overnighters (e.g. out the Ber Metebekiya viewpoint), to a 6-day trek to climb Abune Yosef in the Lasha highlands, at 4,300m claimed to be Ethiopian’s third-highest peak, although that should perhaps read mountain area.

To the Simien Mountains: you can make a long trek to the Simiens, through rough, mountains and hills, visiting remote villages and a remarkably unchanged way of life. 12 days or so if you trek the whole way, although this can be shortened. This would be a stunning route.