It’s safe to say that not many make the six-hour journey to the southeast of Addis to the Bale Mountains, but those that tackle the vertiginous roads are rewarded with scenery of the staggering kind. From deep gorges, fairy-tale glacial lakes and clouded forests to undulating hillsides peppered with juniper trees, the landscape was shaped by volcanic fires and glacial ice – just a hint toward the drama that’s in store. The next drawcard is the wildlife. The mountains are home to one of the highest incidences of endemic species in the world, including the Bale monkey, the giant mole-rat and almost half of the remaining population of Ethiopian wolf.