Introduction
The Ethiopian Highlands, a vast area of thick wooded valleys, striking peaks and grassy plains, is known to many as the Roof of Africa. Nowhere else on this vast continent does the land stay so high for such a wide area, rarely dropping below 1,500 metres. Its great summits reach heights of over three times this figure.
The mountains catch the monsoon rains off the Indian Ocean, which affect both the climate of Ethiopia as a whole and the flow of the River Nile, as the heavy summer rains flood the world's longest river. The region's climate also supports a healthy spread of wildlife, including the mountain nyala and the rare Ethiopian wolf. If your Ethiopia travel plans allow, then be sure to visit the Ethiopian Highlands - a delight for trekkers, bird watchers and wildlife enthusiasts.
