Planet Danakil | Danakil Depression + Tigray, Bucket List of Ethiopia

Name: Planet Danakil | Danakil Depression + Tigray, Bucket List of Ethiopia
Start: 2025-02-12T02:00:00+04:00
End: 2025-02-16T04:00:00+04:00
Location: Dubai International Airport

Schedule

Wed, 12 Feb, 2025 at 02:00 am to Sun, 16 Feb, 2025 at 04:00 am

UTC+04:00

Location

Dubai International Airport | Dubai, DU

Planet: Danakil.
Location: Galaxy of Ethiopia, close proximity to Sun.
Oxygen in norms, water towards lower limits. Life existent but limited due to temperatures, high population of flies.
Humans, known as Affars, use camels for extracting salt deposits of crystalized salt from the surface of volcanic lake. Salt mining unlimited on the connection of 3 tectonic plates - geological madness explained.
Potassium, salt, Sulphur, coffee, beers - unlimited. Sugar restricted.
Volcanic activity at high alert, fuming enormous, precautions taken.
https://vimeo.com/765781751
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Located at the meeting point of 3 tectonic plates, with some of the greatest geological pressures on earth, the Danakil Depression is extremely active and scattered with a large number of volcanoes, including the Erta Ale, while the landscape is covered with lava flows almost everywhere you go.
Danakil, also known as "Afar Depression" is also one of the hottest and the lowest places on the planet, with an average temperature of 34C, day and night. This is the harshest microclimate in Ethiopia, questioning every single life form around for the choice of habitat.
Lake Asale is a former bay that used to be a part of Red Sea. When water evaporated, it now consists of a vast surface salt deposit, which for several thousands of years been a source of wealth for the Ethiopian rulers, as the Afar mined and traded the salt, transporting it on their camels over distances of hundreds and sometimes thousands of kilometers.
You will feel Mother Nature deadliest phenomena at your feet, where you will cross the rim and enter the smoking hot lava lake, at night, just a step away.
Lets go!
Day 1 // LAKE AFDERA + ERTA ALE LAVA LAKE
Flight to Addis and domestic connection, local breakfast accompanied by BUNA, traditional Ethiopian coffee. Drive to Salt Lake Afdera to swim in natural hot springs. Continue offroad drive to Dodom, at the base of Erta Ale, dinner. In the evening, we start simple night hike to Erta Ale. It takes 1.5 hour to trek to Erta Ale volcano rim at 613, where we will stay overnight on the top of the mountain (or descent to camp, depending on the volcano activity). Its time to watch a hypnotizing spectacle of bubbling lava.
DAY 2 // SUNSET, SALT BARS, MIRROR LAKE
Continue drive around and visit potassium lakes nearby and few faults in salt surface, proving that salt flat is in fact a massive salt deposit on the top of the lake. The desert has several points lying more than 100m below sea level, we will continue our drive through Afar salt flats, where salt is still extracted using ancestral techniques such as salt bars, which once were used as local currency. In the afternoon, we reach the shores of salt lake for spectacular sunset over a white mirror surface. Overnight at camp.
Day 3 // DALLOL SULFUR SPRINGS
Morning departure to Dallol. Dallol Spring located 116 meters below sea level is one of the lowest places in the world, but what surprises the most, it is actually a cinder cone volcano. On a more or less flat surface we will discover endless sulfuric hot springs, discharging rainbow colored brine or acidic liquid in a bubbling rhythm. This nature phenomenon is called phreatic eruption. We will continue drive around and visit potassium lakes nearby and few faults in salt surface, proving that salt flat is in fact a massive salt deposit on the top of the lake. In the evening local restaurant with “little party never killed nobody” themed evening. Overnight in Mekele, hotel.
DAY 4 // MEKELE + SKY CHAPPEL Abuna Yemata Guh
Breakfast and hit the road to Tigray. We will start with the legendary Abuna Yemata Guh climb to discover this unique cave church (and its keeper), located at vertical cliff of 250 mtrs. Basic climbing with harness here for just few meters will make it memorable experience for everyone. **Watch this **Return to airport for flight back home.
Activities: Striking sightseeing, trekking, close encounters of lava fields.
Accommodation & meals: Hotel (dbl sharing) and local camps, incl. overnight at the rim of volcano. Local meals included, except meals on transfers (in Addis).
Cost: AED 7350 all incl. international and domestic flights from Dubai; except visa and insurance; or 3780 AED excl. all flights.
Cost valid until FEB 08th.
Visas:
Evisa. It is responsibility of participant to secure admission to the country of destination.
See yah at Lava Lake x
Trekkup Crew
Whatsapp 050 4848238 // [email protected]
Find all trekkups at linktr.ee/trekkup