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Elevation: 8,000 ft
GPS: 9.08768, 38.79739
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Shared By: Nico Parco on Apr 12, 2013
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Description Suggest change

Ethiopia's first sport climbing crag, Amora Gedel (Hawk's Cliff) is nearly 500 meters wide and 50 meters high and has very easy access from Addis Ababa. The rock is basalt and offers sport, mixed and traditional climbs. All routes published here have bolted anchors, some have chains, some have rope anchors. See each route description for more info.

The entire cliff is in the shade after midday, and the quality of the rock is high with few broken pieces and weak flakes. There are some plants growing on the rock as well as lichen, but as the rock sees more traffic, the plants will disappear.

There is a small village called Kile above the cliff (20 minute vertical hike from the climbs) where climbers can camp with a local family for 40 birr per tent or if you carry your own water, you can camp below the cliff at the big fig tree for free. The village has access to clean water from a nearby well and pump. In Kile, climbers can also purchase local bread (injera), bottled beer, and other delights.

Please respect the local community, and stay on the trails as the farmers are growing wheat/sorghum in the field at the foot of the wall. As more and more people visit this crag, the locals will become more in tune with rock climbing. Donating old equipment is a fine way to support their interest to safely climb their own walls; however, please donate equipment that is secure, especially when it comes to harnesses & ropes.

IMPORTANT*** 

In May 2017, climbers reached a new agreement with Alemayu and signed a contract at the Kaakoo kebele administrative office (Kile is one of four villages in the kebele).

The new agreement states that Alemayu will be payed 2200 ETB yearly. This covers:

-unlimited access to the cliff,

-he is responsible for our safety when it comes to rock throwing,

-he will clear the base of the cliff from vegetation after each rainy season.

The payment will be in to parts: the first after the base have been cleared, the second six months after.

NO MORE FEES ARE TO BE PAYED AT THE CLIFF.

The agreement was signed in the presence or the deputy administrative head of the kebele, and if there are any violations of the agreement, we can bring this directly to the kebele.

The money for the fee will be covered by a 200 ETB membership fee to the Addis Ababa Rock Climbing Club (AARCC)*. Any surplus funds can be used to aid the Kaakoo community, or otherwise in ways the club sees fit to promote climbing in Addis Ababa and Ethiopia. It should also be noted that we are allowed to park in the kebele compound located on the left a few hundred meters after the telecast and the sharp, left turn.

Currently a paved road is under construction, connecting Addis Ababa and the Observatory.

* AARCC is so far an informal gathering of climbers that share the joy of climbing; at Amora Gedel, Juventus Sports Club, and elsewhere in Ethiopia.

Efforts are on the way to make the club a licensed, legal body under Ethiopian law. At the time of this writing, the Climbing Club was head by Alexander Sellerholm. If you are really going to visit, you should join the FB group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/119822356270/.

Be aware that Ethiopia's rainy season usually extends from mid-May to mid-September. Climbing days are to be had if you wake up early, in June and in September. In July and August, it rarely stops raining long enough for things to dry.

Route creation began back in April 2013 and continues today. A PDF guidebook was created in 2016 and can been seen and downloaded here: https://issuu.com/ignaciacarrenog./docs/armora_gedel_guidebook.

For more info about this wall and other climbing spots around Ethiopia, contact me at nico.parco@gmail.com.

Also read more about the history of this place here: https://nicoparco.com/rock-climbing-in-ethiopia-changed-village-forever/.

Getting There Suggest change

Go to the Farensay neighborhood in the northeast quadrant of Addis Ababa. Take the Farensay road all the way to a roundabout called Goraro. Here minibuses, mid-sized buses, and taxis are waiting (this is your last chance to buy fruit, bread, etc.).

Minibus (taxi)

As of 2019, there is a minubus that leaves the roundabout every 20 minutes or so and goes up to the village of Akako (which we had called Kile for several years).

Walking

Turn left and begin driving up the mountain. After a few hundred meters, you will go beyond the houses of the city on a windy dirt road and be surrounded by eucalyptus trees. Stay left when the road forks at a small rock quarry/gravel production. Continue up the road, at the top of the first hill, you can leave the main road which bends left, and go straight through another opening in the middle of an old quarry. Here you can park or continue straight through the work site another 300 meters on a road with pretty bad cobbles. If you continue, park at the bend in front of a small creek. From this point, expect to walk for at least 30 minutes to get to the base of the cliff.

(If you take a taxi, you may have to walk from the bus and taxi dirt plaza below. If so, expect about 2+ km more walking to get to the above described parking.)

On foot, continue walking up the road. As you gain elevation, you might see what appears to be a very big cliff straight in front of you. I say MIGHT because these are eucalyptus forests and whether or not they are felled you will see what you see.... Anyway, Amora Gedel is literally straight ahead up the valley 1.5km. The rock faces east. There are two trails, the main one that goes to the top of the cliff up to the village Akaku (Kile) and the other to the bottom. Please walk around farmers' plots, and respect the locals' animals.

In 2013, taxi prices from the Bole Airport area are some 200 birr to the bus/taxi plaza, and you can usually negotiate about 150 birr back to Bole. If you're taking the taxi, you can try to hitch hike up the mountain.

The dirt road that bends left also leads up to village in a roundabout way. The road was regraded in 2015 and is in pretty good shape. Continue past the road that leads down to Gabriel Church and park next to someone's house. From there, walk east to the obvious cliff top, and you're still looking at 20 minutes to get to the base, but you can easily find Alemayu the farmer and buy beer!

35 Total Climbs

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Location: Amora Gedel (Addis Ababa) Change
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Classic Climbing Routes at Amora Gedel (Addis Ababa)

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
 8
Habesha
Sport
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a
 9
Easy Eshi
Sport 2 pitches
5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a
 4
Oysters Nuts
Trad 2 pitches
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
 7
Atkilt Tera
Sport
5.10a/b 6a+ 19 VI+ 19 E2 5b
 7
Almaz
Sport
5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b
 6
Tenish Tenish
Sport
5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b
 7
Powered by Injera
Sport
5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b
 4
Cracked Wheat
Sport 2 pitches
Route Name Location Star Rating Difficulty Date
Habesha
 8
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a Sport
Easy Eshi
 9
5.9 5c 17 VI 17 HVS 5a Sport 2 pitches
Oysters Nuts
 4
5.9+ 5c 17 VI 17 E1 5a Trad 2 pitches
Atkilt Tera
 7
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a Sport
Almaz
 7
5.10a/b 6a+ 19 VI+ 19 E2 5b Sport
Tenish Tenish
 6
5.10b 6a+ 19 VII- 19 E2 5b Sport
Powered by Injera
 7
5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b Sport
Cracked Wheat
 4
5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b Sport 2 pitches
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