Introduction
Start and end in Addis Ababa! With the hiking & trekking Guassa tour! The Guassa CommunityTrekking, you have a 3 day tour package taking you through Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Guassa Community Trekking tour includes transporttion, camping gears, local guide, cook, mule, scout and much more.
Addational Information:
Guassa is a high ground habitat found in Gera Midir (Menz) woreda in North Shoa Zone of the Amhara Regional State. It is located 288 km from Addis Ababa off the Addis-Dessie Road. Guassa derives its name from the dominant vegetation, Guassa grass (Festuca spp), that covers its alpine meadows, hills and ravines.
Giant Lobelia Lobelia rhynchopetalum, is another herbaceous plant that dots the meadows of Guassa. The Afro-alpine habitat of Guassa ranges in altitude from 3200-3600 meter above sea level and it is estimated to have an area of 10,600 hectare.
This high ground area usually receives an annual rainfall of 1400 mm and average temperature varies from 7 to 120C. Based on its vegetation, rainfall regime and temperature, Guassa conforms to Dega and Wurch Agro-climatic zones. Amongst the mammals, a viable population of the Ethiopian Wolf and Gelada Baboon are conserved at the site. One peculiarity of Guassa is the fact that its resources have been under local community protection for hundreds of years.
According to customary rules, the area is closed from any type of usefor at least four years before being opened for use again. The closed season can be abrogated in cases when droughts persist and graze is unavailable outside the protected area. The main resources that are protected under this system are those required for grazing and construction. Materials needed for the preparation of household goods including mattresses, baskets, mats and rope are also protected from over use. Traditional laws that govern the use of Guassa s natural resources have been at work for several generations and have evolved to provide stronger protection to the site. At present Guassa is managed by a local committee elected from the community.
Wildlife
The Guassa area harbors nine (23%) of the endemic mammals of Ethiopia, including the Ethiopian wolf, the Gelada and the Ethiopian Highland hare. The Ethiopian wolf is legally protected and with a total world population of less than 450 is the most endangered canid in the world.
What is included in the tour
- Accommodation
- Guide
- Insurance
- Meals
- Transport
What is NOT included in the tour
- Flights
- Additional Services
- Visit to Dese and Guasa Community Lodge
- Visit to Lobelia Valley
- Visit to Atse Wiha.
Day 1: Addis to Guassa via Dese
Drive to Dese and Guasa Community Lodge at Regreg around lunchtime and check in. After a rest, you will take a short trek to the nearby mountaintop. This is an idyllic spot which offers genuinely stunning views over the Guassa plateau and the chance to spot the Ethiopian wolf.
Along the trail, the guide will describe the natural surroundings as well as the history and local conservation efforts.
your trekeing will end the day back at Regreg, where you will be briefed about the upcoming treks.
Day 2: In Guasa Community trekking
You will trek on foot or mule back, for around five to six hours, from Regreg to Atse Wiha Camping Ground, walking through an Afro alpine meadow to “Lobelia Valley”, with thousands of these giant plants. The trail then winds its way into the moorland where visitors will experience the enormous highland flora as well as an impressive array of animal life including the endemic gelada and the Ethiopian wolf.
You can then enjoy a picnic lunch in the majestic surroundings, keeping an eye out for a rare and the graceful bird of prey – the lammergeyer, or bearded vulture. This raptor, considered the lord of the high plateau, can often be seen soaring in searching of food. In the late afternoon, the mules are sent back to their base andyou will set up camp at Atse Wiha.
Day 3: Menz village
The day begins with a short trek to the main road, from where you will be driven to the traditional Menz village at Tebab. The Menz people are famous for their two story stone huts with thatched roofs, and their woven wool rugs and traditional blankets are considered to be some of Ethiopia’s finest woven textiles. From there, you will then be taken back to Addis Ababa and end of the trip.
