Wild Ethiopia
New paragraphWhen people talk about visiting Ethiopia it is often the churches of Lalibela and the northern cultural circuit many tourists like to visit. However, with wildlife being my main passion and a background in geology, I looked into a very different sort of visit. The trip comprised of three regions:
1) The Danakil Depression to see the amazing sulphur deposits, salt pans and an active lava lake at the top of Erta Ale.
2) Simien Mountain National Park primarily to see the endemic Gelada Monkeys, Lammergeier and Walia Ibex and of course the amazing scenery.
3) Bale Mountain National Park to primarily see the Ethiopian Wolves.
The Danakil Depression
The Danakil region felt like nothing on Earth. Temperatures reached 40 degrees and the conditions were harsh. For the treks to Dallol and the hike up Erta Ale, one had to be accompanied by soldiers (following killings & kidnappings in 2012). The trek to Erta Ale was around 10km, climbing up to a height of ~640M above sea level at the peak of the volcano.
Starting late afternoon due to the heat the steep climb was completed in the dark using head torches to navigate.
Reaching the peak, the lava lake gave out a red glow. Climbing down into the caldera the hot spot or lava lake was clearly visible. Heading towards the glow in the pitch black was so exciting, I did not know what to expect – but nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to experience. Approaching the edge of the caldera the molten lava was visible as golden red cracks across the surface.
An eruption into the black sky released molten rock into the air. I was torn between taking photos, videos and just watching. Returning to the stone hut for a few hours’ sleep then up at ~5am the next morning and straight back down to the caldera. At one edge the volcano was very active. Lava exploded into the air, maybe 30-40 feet. Explosion after explosion, this activity went on for at least an hour and half. Sunrise was approaching and one could start to see the whole area of the caldera. The gruelling nature of this phase of the trip and the 20km round trek up and down the volcano was worth every moment of being in such challenging conditions.
Sulphur Deposits - To the north of the Danakil Depression is Dallol and this area comprises of an unreal landscape with huge salt crystals shaped like mushrooms. Passing these structures and through what one would imagine to be moonscape lands is the main attraction: The Sulphur Deposits. There were greens, yellows, oranges and whites everywhere in the shape of crystals as hot water bubbled up to the surface.
The Salt Pans - Stopping at one area of the salt pans where we witnessed an activity, which has been going on for centuries. Each man had a speciality (salt diggers, cutters and loaders). They use wooden poles to lift slabs of salt which they then broke off into manageable chunks using a type of axe. Once of a practical size they were handed to the cutter, a more skilled job, to shape into equal sized square blocks. Each slab is piled into two towers of about 10, then two are tied together and another man loads them onto the camels. At the end of the day they would begin the long trek to the markets.
Photographic Kit
As I am sure most photographers understand, deciding what kit to take was key. One concern was safety, however, this was not really an issue in Ethiopia. Although I rarely let my kit out of site, the country felt very safe. Now for lens choice. - Eventually I went for my perfect combination regardless of weight. I was very glad I did as I had a lens for just about every occasion. There were times when a 2nd body would have been useful to avoid so many lens changes in harsh conditions, but the weight v benefit equation eventually led me to say one body will be fine.
Canon 1DX / Lenses 200mm-400mm x1.4 - 70mm- 200mm - 16mm-35mm.
Tripod – Essential for both the long lens work and the landscapes.