Bale Mountains National Park

Bale Mountains National Park is an area of high altitude plateau that is broken by numerous spectacular volcanic plugs and peaks, beautiful alpine lakes and rushing mountain streams that descend into deep rocky gorges on their way to the lowlands below. As you ascend into the mountains you will experience changes in the vegetation with altitude, from juniper forests to heather moorlands and alpine meadows, which at various times of year exhibit an abundance of colourful wildflowers.
Bale Mountains National Park is the largest area of Afro-Alpine habitat in the whole of the continent. It gives the visitor opportunities for unsurpassed mountain walking, horse trekking, scenic driving and the chances to view many of Ethiopia's endemic mammals, in particular the Mountain Nyala and Semien Fox, and birds, such as the Thick-billed Raven, Wattled Ibis, Blue-winged Goose, and Rouget's Rail.

Topography
The Bale Mountains rise from the extensive surrounding farmlands at 2,500 m above sea level to the west, north and east. The National Park area is divided into two major parts by the spectacular Harenna escarpment that runs from east to west.
North of this escarpment is a high altitude plateau area at 4,000 m altitude. The plateau is formed of ancient volcanic rocks (trachytes, basalts, agglomerates and tuffs) dissected by many Rivers and streams that have cut deep gorges into the edges over the centuries. In some places this has resulted in scenic waterfalls. From the plateau rise several mountain massifs of rounded and craggy peaks, including Tullu Deemtu the second-highest mountain in Ethiopia at 4,377 m above sea level. (Ras Dashen, near the Simien Mountains National Park in the north is the highest - 4,543 m). A major part of the central peaks area is covered by a capping of more recent lava flows, still mainly unvegetated, and forming spectacular rock ripples and pillars. Many shallow depressions on the plateau are filled with water in the wet season, forming small lakes that mirror the surrounding scenery. Larger lakes such as Garba Guracha ("black water"), Hora Bachay and Hala Weoz, contain water all year round. These many lakes provide habitat for water birds, especially migrating ducks from Europe during the northern winter.

Best time to visit
The climate of the Bale Mountains, as is to be expected in a high altitude mountainous region, is characterized by a high rainfall and periods of damp cloudy weather, interspersed with periods of sparkling sunny weather with brilliant blue skies.
The climatic year can be roughly divided into three seasons -the dry, early wet and wet seasons. The dry season is usually from November to February. Very little rain is experienced and temperatures on the clear sunny days may rise to as high as nearly 30° centigrade. Nights are star-filled, clear and cold, usually with heavy ground frosts. Temperatures may fall between minus 6° and minus 15° centigrade in the main peak area of the Park. This is the best period to visit the National Park, especially for walking and horse trekking in the high mountain area. The vegetation can get very dry in the dry season, and fires must then be very carefully tended.
The early wet season lasts from March to June, and about two-thirds as much rain falls in this period, as in the wet season from July to October. Throughout these eight months, days are generally cooler and nights warmer than in the dry season. Despite the wetter weather, the area can still be enjoyed with adequate warm and weatherproof clothing. Bright sunny periods may be experienced at any time. Snow has been recorded, but does not lie around for very long.
South of the Harenna escarpment, the land falls precipitously to a large area of dense Podocarpus forest, that slopes gradually down to an altitude of 1 500 m at the southern Park boundary. A few kilometres further on the land changes.abruptly to open wooded grasslands, with higher temperatures and the surprising sight of camels in the area of Dolo-Mena.

Vegetation
The high rainfall in the Bale Mountains, together with the great variation in altitude and topography, result in rich diversity in the vegetation. Changes in the vegetation with altitude are clearly seen, this zonation being a result of increasing then decreasing rainfall as you ascend, generally decreasing temperatures, and increased exposure of rock and resulting poorer soils.
The mountains are surrounded to the northwest and northeast by fertile plains at 2,500 m that are heavily utilized for agriculture mainly wheat growing. This is succeeded by remnants of beautiful juniper and Kosso (Hagenia abyssinica) forest -a belt that reaches up to about 3,300 m altitude, which is the upper limit of the tree zone, apart from a few isolated trees in protected valleys. Above the tree line the heather moorlands begin, reaching to about 3,600 m altitudes on gently sloping ground, and as high as 3,800 m on steep rocky slopes. Above this are various forms of Afro-Alpine moorland, dominated by different plants depending on slope, drainage and rodent activity. The tops of most of the high peaks are either bare rocks, or exposed soil with very small hardy tussock herbs or grasses. To the south, the land falls away far more, through rich and varied forest below the heather, containing bamboo and giant Podocarpus trees, and finally giving way to dry short-tree wooded grasslands at 1,600 m on the southern boundary of the Park.

The northern forests are open with little under-growth, and while dominated by Juniper and Hagenia trees, also contain St John's Wort and bushes (Hypericum spp.) with large golden-yellow flowers, Schefflera abyssinica and Rappanea simensis trees amongst others. The grassy forest floor makes for easy walking and viewing of animals; the wonderful fruity smell of fallen Hagenia leaves rising from your path. This large tree of the rose family, has separate male and female trees; the female flowers contain anthelmintic, and are widely used in a decoction against the tapeworm. Another member of the rose family - Rosa abyssinica is found here, with its beautiful white flowers and delicate scent, the only indigenous African rose.

The southern forests, in contrast, are much denser with a greater variety of tree, shrub and herb species. Juniper is not found on the south side, but the other species are. The trees are covered in epiphytes and creepers, and in many cases rise to over thirty metres in height. Higher reaches of the forests, near Katcha at 2,600 m, are interspersed with bamboo groves, and many wildflowers beside the small rushing torrents. Early in the wet season, dense thickets of edible Rubus steudneri in the blackberry family are in flower and fruit. Streamside beds of the white-flowered Crinum ornatum with their heavy sweet scent also bloom at this time. Occasional grassy glades occur mainly where drainage is poor and small swamps form along River and stream courses.