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Rooftop of Africa trek a huge success
Sixteen adventurers trekked across the “Rooftop of Africa” through the
Simien Mountains of Ethiopia at the end of November to raise money for RETRAK’s work with street children and had an incredible time.
All agreed that the trek was far harder than they had imagined it would
be. The team endured extreme temperatures of -10C at night and up to
+30C during the day.
 The
scenery was breathtaking. Each day the team trekked along precipitous
ridges and through lush valleys. The ultimate aim was to ascend Ras
Dashen, at 4,600 metres Ethiopia’s highest mountain. All but two of the
party made it to the top.
Before leaving Ethiopia all the trekkers  visited RETRAK’s project
in Addis Ababa and spent time with the staff and children. It was
wonderful to see how the money raised from the trek will be used to
give street children the opportunity to change their lives.
RETRAK would like to thank
all the trekkers for their fantastic efforts. The fundraising target of
£45,000 has already been surpassed and the total currently stands at
over £50,000.
Troops of Gelada Baboons are a common sight in the Simien Mountains
Yvonne Burkinshaw with boys at RETRAK Ethiopia’s Addis Ababa project site
All the boys and staff from RETRAK’s project had run the Great Ethiopia Run a few days before the trekkers visited. One boy was keen to show off his artwork and the medal he’d won for completing the 10k race
When they reached the top of Ras dashen, Ethiopia’s highest mountain
(4,600m) the trekkers were amazed to be greeted by shepherd boys who
live in caves at the top of the mountain!
14 of the 16 trekkers made it to the top of Ras Dashen
The Simien mountains provide challenging trekking and stunning scenery
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