The Simien Mountains & Danakil depression, Ethiopia

Planet

Walking trips generally have a low impact on the environment and on this trip we use local camps, which also have little impact. In the Simien mountains you will see local endemic wildlife, such as Gelada Baboons and test local produce, such as coffee.

Desertification and recurring droughts are Africa's problem in general and Ethiopia's challenge in particular. We address them by taking part in the national tree planting campaign. Even though we've been into it since 2007, a new initiative that we have introduced two years ago is "A traveler - A tree - A day". We donate a tree per each traveler for the number of days he/she stayed in Ethiopia. We donate the trees at the start of the rainy season in July. The massive tree planting campaign is held during the months of July and August.

Plastic bottles usage is a challenge we face which we also campaign against. During the treks, we advise and provide travelers to use refillable bottles as we provide boiled water, treated with water tablets. It's safe to drink. Optionally, we provide purified water in larger containers instead of plastic bottles that will end up trashes. In any way, plastic bottle trashes, we collect them and give it to recyclers.

We don't use flights unless necessary and don't drive inside parks to sight see except for drop off and pick up. Instead, we trek.

People

The farmers in the Simien mountains serve as scouts in their free time. We hire their mules to transport the camping and cooking equipment where there is little or no road access to use cars.

At the Danakil depression, the locals benefit from tourism as it's a good source of income they directly benefit from. They get hired as cook's assistant, hire their camels to transport camping equipment, rent their shades for temporary and over-night stays. We also hire them as scouts where needed.

A gift idea, solar powered mobile phone chargers or torch lights are most needed as locals are nomadic and semi nomadic communities in the Danakil depression and farmers in the Simien mountains. They both live in areas where there is little or no access to electricity.

And something for fun, I like football. I am a fan grew up playing footballs made out of wornout socks we collect from around.

I donate footballs and vallyballs now. I've done it a few times. I gave them to rural schools and have seen it another reason for children not to skip school days.