AMORA GEDEL, ADDIS ABABA - ETHIOPIA
CLIMBING GUIDE
nico treads lightly on a dicey section of cracked wheat
OVERVIEW Armora Gedel (Hawk’s Cliff) is a 40 to 50m basalt, southeast-facing cliff located in the Entoto Mountains next to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The wall is mostly high-quality basalt and offers steep faces, cracks, crimpers, pockets, aretes and roofs! Climbing season (dry season) in the Ethiopian central highlands runs from mid-September to early June. The entire cliff is in the shade, usually after 1pm, and the sun goes down at 630pm year round. A small group of expat climbers started setting routes in March 2013. As the climbing community in Addis Ababa grows, new route development has continued well into 2016. From the beginning, climbers have tried to integrate the local community as much as possible and negotiated a small climbers fee of 5 birr ($0.25) per climber per day with Ato Alemayu, who leases and farms the land below the cliff. In return, Alemayu is responsible for keeping the children from throwing rocks over the cliff (helmets are highly recommended) and for maintaining general order for rock climbers. At the beginning of each dry season, climbers should negotiate with Alemayu and his family to maintain the trails at the base of the walls. All routes are equipped with two-bolt anchors with chains, slings or at least quick links to lower or abseil. A 60m rope is mandatory. Some climbs on Adwa Wall require 70m to reach the ground. Sport climbers should carry a minimum of 12 quickdraws and trad climbers, a full-rack.
The village of Kile is located above the crag. Here dozens of families, whose native tongue is Oromifa, live and farm the adjacent lands. Please respect the farmers and their fields. In Kile, climbers can find water, beer, soft drinks, coffee and sometimes snacks. With the right amount of communication skills, climbers could probably negotiate a meal of injera and wot. The giant fig tree below the walls offers an excellent place to camp. Negotiate firewood and beer in the village before going down. Expect to pay 100 birr per bundle of firewood, which includes delivery. For a more intense and interactive experience, climbers can set up their tents in the village for 40 birr per tent. We recommend Werke’s compound. Several Kile children began climbing with us in 2013 and then received shoes and harnesses through donations. If you visit, please allow them to climb on toprope and give them positive encouragement! Refrain from giving gifts to children, because it creates fierce competition. If you want to help a village, go to Kile and work it out with adults or choose another village.
UPPER PARKING LOT
to the crag 20 minutes
AMORA GEDEL TREASURE
KILE VILLAGE
GIANT FIG TREE, CAMP SITE
HOW TO GET THERE Estimated Times Bole Airport to Upper Parking Lot:30-40 min French Embassy to Lower Parking Lot: 10 min Lower Parking Lot: car or taxi Take a taxi or drive to the traffic circle at the end of the Farensay road (French Embassy) in the northeast quadrant of Addis Ababa. Here, head up a dirt road north (left) towards the Entoto Mountains. Follow the road for 2km and stay left when you reach a fork at a small gravel production. Another 200m and you reach another fork. Stay right onto a rough road for another 100m. Park under the eucalyptus. On foot, follow the dirt path north past a broken pipe water-station, then over a dry river bed and up the main path which goes all the way to Kile. When you get through the eucalyptus forest veer right towards the cliff, which is still hidden out of view. Follow a series of footpath leading to the base of the cliff. Once you reach the giant Fig tree, stay left and hike straight towards the cliff faces above.
to the crag 40 minutes
LOWER PARKING LOT
road to Kile
Car Walking
D CH FRENASSY ROA EMB
North
Upper Parking Lot: car or taxi Take the same route from the French Embassy road and traffic circle in the Entoto Mountains. At the second fork, stay left on the graded dirt road and follow it west and then north all the way up the mountain and around to the village Kile. Drive past the church out on the right and when you reach a sharp left turn, park in the lot in front of a house. From the car, walk directly east through a series of fields that will take you down into a small river bed that you follow until you reach an overlook and can see the cliff faces on the hiker’s right. Village kids are more than happy to accompany you and carry your backpacks for a small price.
POROTO GRINGO WALL (MAIN WALL) CRACKED WHEAT WALL
AMORA GEDEL
ANBESSA WALL AND THE BUSHY SLABS
GIORGIS WALL
POROTO GRINGO WALL (MAIN WALL)
#
Route Name
Type
Grade US
Grade Fr
Length (m) Gear
1
Almaz
Sport
5.10c
6a+
28
12 bolts
2
Tenish Tenish
Sport
5.10b
6a
28
10 bolts
3
Solomon’s Revenge
Mix
5.11 R
6c
25
8 bolts, small cam (0.5 - 0.75)
4
Poroto Gringo
Sport
5.10c
6a+
22
6 bolts
5
Sheba’s Glory
Sport
5.12c
7b+
26
8 bolts
6
Wendeme
Sport
5.10b
6a
22
5 bolts
7
Austerity Measures
Sport
5.12a
7a+
30
10 bolts
8
No Smoking
Sport
5.12a
7a+
26
10 bolts
9
Weyne Gude
Mix
5.11b
6c
26
9 bolts, small cam (0.75 - 1)
10
Blue Donkey Express
Sport
5.11d
7a
30
11 bolts
Rank
Big and Tall This steep wall has a wide varety of basalt, from sharp to smooth, jugs and slopers.There are two pitches, but none of the climbs were set together. Due to the difficult grades of the upper climbs, they are here presented as separate climbs. Climbers can connect the lower and upper climbs with a 60m rope and reach the top.
1. Almaz: Diamond in the rough basalt. Light problems and technical moves. Go straight over the crux for the 10c or stray right to make it less strenuous. 2. Tenish Tenish: Beginner/intermediate climbing on quality and varied basalt. This and Almaz were put up by James Garrett, a crowd favorite and recurring visitor to Ethiopia. 3. Solomon’s Revenge: Spicy and sharp. This rarely climbed adventure above Tenish Tenish is defined by its creator, Niels T, as ‘a 5.11 climb for 5.12 climbers’. Carry a clean pair of underwear. 4. Poroto Gringo: PG was the first line bolted on this wall in honor of my first baby, a Chile-Gringo mix. Bouldery start on this one. The best option to access Sheba and Austerity Measures. 5. Sheba’s Glory: Hardest line on the wall goes into and around the large roof on the upper part. Get acrobatic for the Queen of Sheba. Niels made this one too.
6. Wendeme: ‘My Brother’ in Amharic, turned out to be Poroto Gringo’s lil sister. Shares same anchor. Lots of lichen. 7. Austerity Measures: The best climb of its grade at AG. This line starts at the mid-way point and goes to the crag’s highest point along the edge of a long arete. Bolts were donated by a group of Spanish dancers! 8. No Smoking: Bavarian Bernde’s masterpiece. Bouldery start, powerful first crux and a techy, small crimper top. The man had to quit smoking just to redpoint this one. 9. Weyne Gude: Fun climbing goes up the middle and then right side of the middle pillar. Tiptoe out an exposed arete at the top and go for the crux. Name means something like ‘jumping jesus on a pogostick’ in local parlance. Throw a piece of pro in a big horizontal crack for the nerves. 10. Blue Donkey Express: Sustained 5.11 climbing until the crux two-thirds of the way up. Get a long rest before attacking the dark basalt and fingery crux of the blue donkey. You’ll likely scream ‘waraj’ to get off this one.
3
5 7
1 2
4 6 8
9 10
elad links tenish tenish with solomon’s revenge
CRACKED WHEAT WALL #
Route Name
Type
Grade US
Grade Fr
Length (m)
11
Jegna Aymotem
Sport
5.11a
6c
30
11 bolts
12
Powered by Injera
Sport
5.10c
6a+
25
8 bolts
13
Oysters Nuts - p1
Trad
5.9
5c
30
Full rack
Oysters Nuts - p2
Trad
5.9
5c
25
Full rack
14
Habesha
Sport
5.9
5c
20
8 bolts
15
Cracked Wheat - p1
Sport
5.10d
6b+
25
9 bolts
Cracked Wheat - p2
Mix
5.9
5c
25
6 bolts, small cams (0.3 - 1)
Easy Eshi
Sport
5.7
5a
15
4 bolts
16
Gear
Rank
The First Contact A few degrees slabbier than the Poroto Gringo wall. Cracked Wheat is where it all started back in 2013. These are the crag’s most climbed routes, and you can multipitch to the top on bolts or gear.
11. Jegna Aymotem: The easiest 5.11 at AG with smooth climbing and great holds. Worth the repeat, over and over. Amharic for “heroes don’t die”.
14. Habesha: The best for its grade and the most climbed route at AG. Hospitable, playful and friendly, like most habeshas.
12. Powered by Injera: Popular and safe climb that gets steep before the chains. Big holds especially if you’ve had your injera fir-fir for breakfast.
15. Cracked Wheat: AG’s first route was named for the stalks of grain trampled to get to the base of the wall. P1 is well protected sport climbing up a steep start, then moves right onto a pillar of grippy basalt. At P2, climbers step off the pillar, which stands separated from the wall, back to the wall and then up a slab to the top. Carry some gear for P2 if your not into longish, empty spaces. P2’s crux has bolts.
13. Oysters Nuts: Oystein, the Norwegian first ascensionist abandoned this climb below the final ledge on a couple of nuts. Today, the most popular trad route at AG. Note there are two sets of anchors at the top of P1, one for toproping or lowering if just doing the first pitch and another 5m higher for setting up the second pitch. P2 is well worth your time with lovely cracks, protection and movement.
16. Easy Eshi: Get your friends climbing on this easy stroll up a small slabby pillar. Already has everyone hissing “eshi eshi”. Ken Ford put it up for the kiddies.
11
12
13
14
15
16
ANBESSA WALL & THE BUSHY SLABS #
Route Name
Type
Grade US
Grade Fr
Length (m)
Gear
17
Anbessa
Sport
5.11c
6c+
35
11 bolts, 70m rope
18
Sau Hund
Trad
5.11d
7a
35
Full rack, 70m rope
19
Battle of Adwa
Trad
5.11a
6c
30
Full rack
20
Chigger Yellem
Sport or Trad
5.7
5a
10
3 bolts or small rack
21
Feral Warp Wolf
Trad
5.11b
6c+
18
Full rack
22
Galatoma
Mix
5.9
5c
18
2 bolts, full rack
23
Atkilt Tera
Sport
5.10a
6a
25
8 bolts
Rank
Welcome to Crackopia These two walls feel less connected than they actually are. Anbessa Wall offers long continuous lines, mostly cracks, of which there are still a number yet to be climbed. The Bushy Slabs seem dirty and full of vegetation, but will likely see more route development in the coming year or so. The base of the slabs is dense and bushy, holding back potential.
17. Anbessa: A must-do. Simply incredible line with aesthetic and athletic! This is AG’s most iconic line and wasn’t bolted until the end of 2015. Use 70m rope, but can be done on 60m if belayer stands on the first ledge. Anbessa is lion: hear the roar. 18. Sau Hund: The hardest trad line at AG, this steep left-trending crack gets finger thin and then transitions to a vertical crack at the crux. Shares anchor with Anbessa. So far, unrepeated. 19. Battle of Adwa: The first crack climbed on this wall, starts in the right crack of Anbessa Wall’s middle crack system and moves to the left side and up. Takes all sizes of gear, nice climbing and an exposed finish. Celebrate the historic battle with the rest of Ethiopia on March 2nd.
20. Chigger Yellem: The Bushy Slabs. Short climb for beginners: ‘No Problem’. Can be done on bolts or gear. 21. Feral Warp Wolf: Same start as Galatoma, stay on the lower, left-trending crack and follow a thin finger crack straight up to the same anchors. Free and feral like its creator. 22. Galatoma: Climb up and over to the higher lefttrending crack, then up a thin ramp to the first bolt. Another bolt and then the anchors. Galatoma means thank-you in the Oromifa language. 23. Atkilt Tera: AG’s one-move wonder! Go up some intermediate terrain and throw a couple of bigger moves to get over a bulge. Sail up the rest of the pillar to the anchor. Named after the famous veggie market in Addis for all the plants pulled off the wall.
23
17
18
19
20
21 22
headfirst into the mouth of the anbessa
atkilt tera’s inviting jug at the top of the bulge
GIORGIS WALL #
Route Name
Type
Grade US
Grade Fr
Length (m)
Gear
24
You Don’t Mess with the Zohan
Sport
5.13c
8a+
18
6 bolts
25
Giorgis ’64
Sport
5.12d
7c
18
6 bolts
26
Coffee Ceremony
Sport
5.11b
6c+
18
6 bolts
27
Liger Army
Sport
5.12a
7a+
22
9 bolts
Rank
Testing Ground In the beginning, villagers told us some farenjis had already been to AG and written their names on the walls. Turns out they weren’t farenjis but one W/Giorgis, scribbled in 1964 (Ethiopian calendar). The names are now part of AG’s steepest, most-challenging wall where Ethiopia’s real sport climbing test-pieces are found. The wall is a bit shorter on bullet proof basalt, which sometimes resembles limestone. Giorgis Wall has potential for several more climbs.
24. You Don’t Mess with the Zohan: Ethiopia’s hardest sport climb has a long sustained crux with moves that most of us only see in the movies. Says Elad Omer, Addis Ababa resident pro climber: “you must be in Zohan shape” to mess with the Zohan. 25. Giorgis ‘64: Elad’s first contribution to the wall starts just below the graffiti. Before setting off, try asking yourself if you’d rather climb a Girogis or drink a Giorgis.
26. Coffee Ceremony: Use your balance to get through the start and pull jugs over the roof and up onto a large flake to the anchor. Classic 5.11 at AG and the easiest climb on Giorgis wall. 27. Liger Army: First crux at the top of the dihedral, long reach on small holds, and an unexpected second crux below the chains. The Liger Army team put this satisfying line in under the chant “Liger Army Never Dies!”
24
25
every climber needs to try coffee ceremony
26
27
you don’t mess with elad
our paradise
james garrett: always leaves behind a friendly climb
we introduced rock climbing and our farenji crew to the people of kile in march 2013
german precision: bernde emmerich
captain habesha: aylwyn bromhead
the pro: elad omer
ken ford: mr. bolts
utah’s son: matt roberts, mino and i niels tietze kile’s climbing team
LOOKING AHEAD
ato alemayehu, telik sew
For climbing around Addis Ababa, Amora Gedel is the spot! True, there are other walls, but they are sparse, less inspiring and not always easy to access. AG carries the torch, not only is it right next to the city, but the quality of climbing is superb and the valley is magical! So next time you’re working on your project, keep a few things in mind: This crag wasn’t created over a long weekend! The birth of sport climbing in Ethiopia took place on Ethiopian time, and from the get-go I was suspect, especially for being a ‘farenji’. I had to make the people of Kile first believe me, then trust me and finally, love me. A lot of this happened through language, but mostly through actions. Many climbers are now part of this process, investing money, time and effort into making AG the best option each and every weekend. Considering the long and careful process, it is important to take care of these valuable relationships. Still, no matter what we do, a rock or two may come down from above (luckily nobody has been injured). The future of the crag is much the same: unpredictable. As Addis Ababa expands, upwards and outwards, the question is whether AG can withstand more housing and the tentacles of Ring Road. The Ethiopian government is at the same time slow and methodical and unpredictable. All land belongs to them and though the cliff sits in a safe spot, an increased urban population will place pressures on the village of Kile in ways we still cannot imagine. We are optimists, and critical mass is on our side. As the number of foreign and Ethiopian climbers rise, it’s crucial to support the development of the crag while maintaining friendly and honest relationships with the local community. The current fee is a small price to pay for this resource. Beyond tomorrow, the incorporation of more influential government agencies, such as the Ministry of Youth and Sports, could give the crag even better chances for survival.The sheer potential of the valley of Amora Gedel, not only for climbing and camping but hiking, will soon convert it into a common spot for families and many other city people looking for a quick escape. We hope the people of Kile will recognize, embrace and act on these opportunities. I am aware that the 300 plus bolts drilled into the wall and our presence have changed the village of Kile indefinitely. Now it’s up to us to assure these are positive changes, carve out a space for this sport and preserve this place we love so much.
the real poroto gringo documenting history
in
2015, two years after his first climb, wubalem was kile’s first to try an amora gedel climb on lead; he waltzed to the top of habesha 5.9 and then led next door powered by injera 5.10 and fell at the crux
AMORA GEDEL, ADDIS ABABA - ETHIOPIA CLIMBING GUIDE Check mountainproject.com for the latest route information and updates. Join the ‘Rock Climbers, Ethiopia’ Facebook group for outings and partners. For even more information about the crag, bolting or other climbing destinations in Ethiopia, write to nico.parco@gmail.com. Big heartfelt thanks to the people of Kile, Ato Alemayehu and his family, and all the climbers and non-climbers who have enjoyed and supported the project since 2013! Especially thanks to Elad Omer, Bernde Emmerich, Ken Ford, James Garrett, and Niels Tietze for the friendship, camping and route development; Aylwyn Bromhead for showing me the cliff; Haz Harrison who helped clean the first routes before unexpectedly getting locked up; Matt Roberts and the Mandriles for being there to share its creation and the great photography; Kirubel Estefanos and crew for the film; Ciara Silke for taking over as community liaison, the always-evolving Addis climbing crew, the kids who have learned to love to climb, and of course my wife, Ignacia, who spent many days at the crag, either pregnant or watching our poroto. She also made this awesome guidebook so every climber in Addis can get to and enjoy Amora Gedel! Cover Photo: Bernde has the eye of the liger on Liger Army. March 2016