3-Day Hiking in Danakil Depression
Danakil Depression hiking is an adventure in the plain in the north of the Afar Region of Ethiopia, near the border with Eritrea. The area is a triple junction of three tectonic plates and has a complex geological history. It has developed due to Africa and Asia moving apart, causing rifting and volcanic activity. Erosion, inundation by the sea, and the rising and falling of the ground have all played their part in forming this depression, and it is a great place to hike.
Details
The Danakil Depression is a plain in the north of the Afar Region of Ethiopia, near the border with Eritrea. The area is a triple junction of three tectonic plates and has a complex geological history. It has developed due to Africa and Asia moving apart, causing rifting and volcanic activity. Erosion, inundation by the sea, and the rising and falling of the ground have all played their part in forming this depression, and it is a great place to hike.
We start the drive early from Mekelle to Dodom at the base of Erta Ale Volcano. Leave after an early breakfast, possibly at 7:30 am. The 70km distance can take about 5 hours, passing through a changing landscape of solidified lava, rock, sand, and occasional palm-lined oases. After you pass several small hamlets scattered here and there in this desert land, Dodom is about 9.5km from Erta Ale, and it takes about 3 hours to trek. Have an early dinner around 5:00 pm and trek to Erta Ale at 8:00 pm. Camels transport all the camping materials and some food (sleeping materials like light mattresses and mats and water) to the volcano's rim, where we spend the night watching the dramatic action of the boiling lava. Erta Ale ranks as one of Ethiopia's most alluring and physically challenging natural attractions.
Wake up early and return to Dodom, where you will arrive at the latest at 8:00am. After breakfast, you have time to relax. Then, drive 100km to Hamed Ela with a picnic lunch on the way in the shade of palm trees. Reach Hamed Ela at 4:30pm, a village with a total population of about 500 people. You will see many camel caravans and the sunset from the shallow salt Lake Asale.
Start with a morning drive to Ragad (Asebo), where the locals mine salt. 1,200km² (460mi²). The Afar Depression is covered with salt, and you will see the locals breaking the salt from the ground, cutting it into rectangular pieces and loading it on camels. You drive ahead to Dallol and will see the different landscapes formed by volcanic activity. Finally, return to Hamed Ela for lunch and proceed to Mekele.
