Simien Mountains

The Simien Mountains in northern Ethiopia, northeast of Gondar, are part of the Ethiopian Highlands. They are a World Heritage Site and include the Simien Mountains, National Park. The mountains consist of plateaus separated by valleys and rising to pinnacles. The tallest peak is Ras Dashen at 4550 metres/14,790 feet above sea level to be experienced on an Ethiopian vacation. 

Because of their geological origins, the mountains are almost unique, with only South Africa's Drakensberg having been formed in the same manner and thus appearing similar. Simien Mountains National Park is one of the national parks of Ethiopia. Its territory covers the Simien Mountains and includes Ras Dashan. It is home to a number of endangered species, including the Ethiopian wolf and the Walia ibex, a wild goat found nowhere else in the world. The gelada baboon and the caracal, a cat, also occur within the Simien Mountains. More than 50 species of birds inhabit the park, including the impressive bearded vulture

Although the word Simien means "north" in Amharic, the ancestral form of the word actually meant "south". The Simiens are remarkable as being one of the few spots in Africa where snow regularly falls. The mountains, despite their ruggedness and altitude, are dotted with villages linked by tracks which can be enjoyed on an Ethiopian vacation. Historically they were inhabited by Ethiopian Jews who after repeated attacks by the zealous Christian Emperors in the 15th Century withdrew from the province of Dembiya into the more defensible Simien Mountains.