Harenna Forest — Southern Escarpment Cloud Forest Below the Sanetti Plateau

Harenna Forest is the other half of the Bale Mountains. After the treeless, frost-bitten Sanetti Plateau, the road drops off the southern escarpment into one of the biggest stretches of moist tropical forest left in Ethiopia. Expect giant hagenia and juniper hung with moss, bamboo thickets, and cloud that rolls in by mid-morning. The air gets heavy and damp fast. This is Bale mountain nyala, Bale monkey and giant forest hog country, and it is also known for black-maned lions and leopards, which you will hear about far more than you will see. Birding is excellent.

Treat the descent as a real piece of 4×4 driving. The road is rough dirt and turns slick and rutted when it rains, and the dry months from roughly November through February are the easiest. Cell signal is unreliable. Carry your own fuel and water, since the nearest real resupply is back in Goba. Park entry fees and rules are set by the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority, and local scouts or guides are commonly used here. Verify current fees, road conditions and guide requirements with park staff in Dinsho or Goba before you go.

Have a dirty day.

Cloud forest below the roof of Bale