Ethiopia in wet season
 

Hi. I'm really keen to work Ethiopia into the eastern Africa trip that I'm planning for next year, but whichever way I plan it I only seem able to be there around July/August time. I know this is the rainy season in most of Ethiopia. Has anyone driven around Ethiopia at that time? I'm travelling by 4x4, not motorbike, but any info on general weather/road conditions then would be appreciated. Eg do many roads become impassable? I'm not sure when another opportunity to visit Ethiopia will come up, so I'm keen to get there on this trip if at all possible. I will be entering and exiting via Kenya. Thanks, John

We were there and traveling in a 4x4 last July/August. In the main the roads were fine. The only place where we had real diffcullties was between Axum and Debark. They are working on the road and it was a quagmire in parts. We have a fully kitted Defender with mud terrain tyres and we still had to be hauled up one stretch by a grader. It can be terrifying in the mud as the roads are often steep and winding with sheer drops.

If they have finished that stretch by the time you travel it should be a lot better.

The rains come and go earlier in the South so we had relatively little rain in South Omo. They do have some black cotton soil in the area (en route to the Mursi from Jinka for example) which is very very slippy so take great care if it has rained.

We deliberately chose some back roads eg Lalibela to Gheralta via Sekota. If you chose to you could find a route (in the north at least) that kept you entirely on the tar.

Great, thanks! I think I'll be searching out a few back roads too - that must be half the fun! Although I'll try to avoid the sheer drop offs...