Ethiopian Gorges

Blue Nile Gorge

Of all the gorges located in Ethiopia, the Blue Nile Gorge is king.

It is located in the highlands of Ethiopia and en route to Lake Tana from the capital city of Addis Ababa.

The Blue Nile River moves south from Lake Tana (its source) and then west across Ethiopia, then turns northwest on to the Sudan.

The Blue Nile Gorge begins about 30 km away from the Lake Tana as the river enters a 400 km long canyon.

Rivers from all over the Ethiopian Highlands pour into the Blue Nile Gorge and for millions of years, the water has been carving a huge passageway through the highlands of Ethiopia.

This Ethiopian Grand Canyon is about twenty kilometers wide and over six hundred kilometers long.

This canyon is responsible for creating a remarkable challenge for communication and travel between the north and south of Ethiopia.

Other gorges in Ethiopia worth to note are the Wabe Shebele Gorge and the Gasera Gorge, both located in the Bale Mountains National Park.

Wabe Sheble Gorge

This gorge is believed to be one of the most beautiful and dramatic gorges in Ethiopia, with views that are panoramic and striking.

Mostly unspoiled by humans, one can travel the gorge on a seldom used road and not expect to see another living person for hours on end.

The road inevitably leads to an uninhabited vast lowland. Once you reach the brink of the gorge, there is a huge canyon like formation that leads to a thousand meters below.

The road leads one through a second and third gorge until it ends with the Wabe Shebele Bridge.

Each of the three gorges have their own unique fauna and flora. The Rock Hyrax, Leopard and Klipspringer are some wildlife one may expect to see. The 1st and 2nd gorges have places for setting up a camp site.

Gasera Gorge

This gorge is four kilometers away from the town of Gasera and can be reached from the Bale Mountains National Park headquarters Dinsho through to the towns of Robe and Ali.

This remarkable Ethiopian gorge was made through millions of years of carving by the Wabe Shebele River.

Aside from beautiful views, one can expect to see wildlife such as the Lammergeyer or Bearded Vultures.

The Werdube tribes are also in this location. The best way to access this gorge would be to drive from the town of Gasera through to the town of Endeto.