Topography of the Bale Mountains

The highest concentrations of Ethiopian wolves are found in extensive rolling short grasslands and valley meadows typified by the Sanetti Plateau and Web Valley. These open landscapes are dominated by the activity of rodents and by frost-induced soil movements. The burrowing of the giant molerat and cryoturbation keeps the vegetation in permanent pioneer stages, dominated by short herbs and grasses. These open grasslands support a high biomass of rodents, in the order of 2,000 - 3,000 kilograms per km². Wolves are less common on the drier southern declivity of the plateau, in the rain shadow of Tullu Deemtu (at 4,377m the highest mountain in southern Ethiopia), and in the lava flows of the Central Peaks dominated by the less fertile ericaceous moorlands.

Areas below 3,200 m on the northern side of the Bale Mounatins are heavily cultivated with remnant Juniper forests. To the south large areas of closed canopy montane forest persist (the Harenna Forest). Hagenia/Hypericum woodland remnants occurs close to the treeline in all areas between 3,200-3,500 m, grading into heathlands from about 3,400-3,800 m. Afroalpine habitat extends to the summits. The vegetation along the Web Valley, which drains a large area in the north eastern part of the range, is exceptional. A wide valley in the upper part of the drainage at 3,500 m is covered with afroalpine habitat. Lower down at 3,000 m edaphic grasslands in the Gaysay Valley provides wolf habitat at an unusually low elevation.
The Bale Mountains are home to the largest of the populations of two Ethiopian endemics: the mountain Nyala (Tragelaphus buxtoni) , the Ethiopian wolf, Menelik's Bushbuck as well as the latter’s varied rodent prey, of which many are locally evolved Oromo people and their livestock live in or use these mountains and some cultivation occurs in most areas up to 3,500 m. In core wolf areas in the upper Web Valley plowing has been tried but has not persisted. In the Web valley there are permanent settlements of pastoralists and houses as high as 4,000 m in other areas. People and livestock travel across the mountains, visiting the mineral rich springs called horas
These elegant, long-legged wolves are only found in a handful of scattered mountains in Ethiopia. Some 500 survive today in small populations, threatened by loss of high altitude habitats, disease and persecution.

Other Endemic mammals found in the Bale Mountains

Plants: The mountain forest changes its composition with increasing altitude. The different forest formations are the main attraction of the area. The world’s largest Juniper tree (Juniperus procera) and the only other African conifer (Podocarpus falcatus) dominate the lower forest edge. As you move upwards, broad-leaved species become more frequent. The red flowers of the female trees of Hagenia abyssinica provide a traditional tapeworm cure of very high importance in a country where consumption of raw meat is customary. The bright-yellow flowers of Hypericumlanceolatum provide the nectar for most of the local honey brewed into mead. Rapaniasimensis is easily mistaken as rhododendron. Schefflera species are common as pot plants in temperate zones but here grow into huge trees. Starting as parasites grafted on other trees like oversized mistletoe, they end up suppressing their host.  The torch lily (Kiphophia foliosa) covers whole hillsides with its flame-coloured flowers between June and November.  In the sub-alpine zone above 3200 meters of altitude, forests consist mainly of Hypericum (St. John’s wort) and Erica (heather). These genera are known in other parts of the world as forbs or small shrubs. The species you will encounter during your trek form proper forests. Lichens hanging from branches covered with moss puffs give a mystical, fairy-tale atmosphere to these forests. Further up, the forest changes rather abruptly into moors covered with heather. Due to the harsh climate (but also browsing and burning) tree-Erica only grows to bush height. In specific sites, the tree-like giant thistle (Echinops longisetus) with its huge ball-shaped red flower head grows up to 4 m high. The palm-like giant lobelia (Lobelia rhynchopetalum) is most spectacular and reaches up to 12 m.