Climbing In Ethiopia

It is always refreshing to get out of the city and see the Ethiopian landscape. This is the view from the base of the cliff where I go rock climbing.

This is the climbing cliff itself. There are about 30 routes with bolts drilled into the wall. Most of the routes only go halfway up the cliff since it is too tall for a single rope.

Another view of the country side from the base of the cliff.

Me at the top of a route. I got a little sunburned.

 One day as we were leaving the cliff a bunch of villagers asked for a ride down the gravel rode to Addis Ababa. Taxis don't make the 30 minutes drive up the road that often so I was happy to give them a ride. I got to briefly experience what it was life to be an Ethiopian taxi driver.

This plant is common near the base of the cliff, and I think it was made by Satan himself. It may look harmless, but its soft spines contain some kind of poison or toxin that burns when you touch it. I learned my lesson after brushing against it once and made a point not to touch it again.