4-Day Guassa Plateau Trek with Menz Village Culture

Arrive at Guassa Community Lodge at Regreg around lunchtime, meet your guide, and check in.

After a short rest, take a short trek to the nearby mountaintop. This idyllic spot offers genuinely stunning views over the Guassa Plateau and the chance to spot the Ethiopian wolf. Along the trail, your guide will describe the natural surroundings, as well as the local history and conservation efforts.

Return to Regreg and receive a briefing about the upcoming treks.

After an early breakfast, trek on foot or ride by mule for around five to six hours from Regreg to Atse Wiha Camping Ground, passing through an Afro-alpine meadow to "Lobelia Valley," which is filled with thousands of these giant plants. The trail then winds into the moorland, where visitors experience the enormous highland flora as well as an impressive array of animal life, including the endemic Gelada and Ethiopian wolf.

Enjoy a picnic lunch in these majestic surroundings, and keep an eye out for a rare and graceful bird of prey - the lammergeyer, or bearded vulture. This raptor, considered the lord of the high plateau, can often be seen soaring in search of food.

In the late afternoon, the mules are sent back to their base, and you will set up camp at Atse Wiha.

This scenic trail to Cheguarit Meda, taking four to five hours, offers splendid views of the untouched juniper forest of Yegana, now rare in Ethiopia. These trails feature a variety of interesting attractions, including endemic bird species, wildlife, and scenic overlooks down to the lowlands.

Before the final ascent towards the camp, discover a cluster of stone houses in the traditional Menz village at Tebab. The Menz people are famous for their two-storey stone huts with thatched roofs, and their woven wool rugs and traditional blankets are considered some of Ethiopia's finest weaving work.

Before returning to camp, you will sip coffee with villagers.

The evening will be especially memorable as everyone gathers around a campfire to attend a traditional Menz dance ceremony.

Enjoy a short trek to the main road, where a vehicle will be waiting to drive you back to Addis Ababa.