Ethiopia XC Tour

3-14 Feb, 2020

Price: All guided pilots share the cost of transportation, and pay individually for their food and accommodation directly on location.  Expect to pay approximately US$50-70/day for those costs combined.   The daily cost for guiding is a fixed US$50/person.

Minimum pilot level required: intermediate, with a solid safety level.  Because of the lower humidity, expect conditions to be rougher than in Kenya.

Flying sites during the trip:

*Oromo highlands *is a 2500 m high plateau just North of Addis surrounded by big canyons and deep lowlands further north. Big convergence lines with 5000 cloudbases.  Plenty of landings in farmed flatlands.  Some take offs are at the edge of the plateau, some are the 200 m hills at the middle of the plateaus and require good catch of first thermals.  Photos below:



*Amhara highlands* is 2500 plateau with 4000 m mountain in the center with Nile river canyon going around it.  Photos below:



*Semien mountains National Park *is probably the most impressive landscape in Africa. We take off at the edge of the park and then follow the convergence line toward Gondar (/the Ethiopian Camelot with its medieval castles).  Photos below:


*Lalibela* is the Ethiopian Jerusalem with its world famous rock carved churches.  The strongest conditions and the highest cloudbases are there.  Plenty of lift and convergences, which make it possible to fly against the local NW winds and make some nice triangles in this impressive terrain.  Photos below:

All photos: Niki Yotov