When To Go
The Bale Mountains are best visited from November to March when the days are generally clear, warm and dry – but beware as nights are often below freezing. Temperatures during this time can drop to as low as -15oC at night (but typically drop to around -5oC) and rise to as high as 25oC during the day (but only when the wind calms down). At this time of year, trekking conditions are more pleasant and the breathtaking views of Harenna forest escarpment from the Afroalpine plateau are clear and vast.
For visitors who are prepared to put up with the inevitable and frequent afternoon showers however, the period from May to July is also a spectacular time to visit the Bale Mountains. The days are relatively mild and the landscape below 3800 m asl is aglow with flowering red hot pokers. Wild flowers are in abundance throughout the mountains at this time and the hillsides appear lush and alive. Temperatures do not usually climb higher than 15oC during the day, however at night time temperatures don’t drop much below 5oC (although at the highest altitudes visitors should be prepared for very cold temperatures at night all year round).
If there is a time when traveling to the Bale Mountains is less appetizing for the average person it is in April (first heavy rains) and again in August to October. The rain, particularly during the latter months, can be oppressive – with almost constant mist and drizzle and temperatures similar to those in May-July (as above). For visitors prepared for this type of weather however, there is a heightened sense of being on the roof of Africa, sleeping in the clouds. The weather itself becomes part of the spectacular scenery, and the Bale Mountains become a very ‘moody’ place.