A 5:30am start, 480 metres of climbing and the best twenty minutes of light you will see all week. Here is exactly how the morning runs.
Getting there
We meet at the upper car park of Entoto Park at 5:30. It is properly cold at that hour — around 6°C — so bring a layer you are happy to carry once the sun is up.
The climb
The first hour is a steady forest track through eucalyptus. It is dark, so a head torch matters more than you would think. After the second switchback the trees open up and the gradient steepens for the last twenty minutes to the ridge.
The view
Addis sits below you, still lit, with Mount Yerer and Mount Zuqualla on the horizon. We stop here for tea and about thirty minutes of not talking much.
Coming down
The descent follows a gentler track past Entoto Maryam. We are usually back at the gate around 9:30 and in the city by 10.
- Wear trail shoes with real grip
- Bring 1.5 litres of water
- The tea at the top is included
