Our journey traversed the Agame Mountains in the Gheralta region of northern Tigray, Ethiopia. A trek of approximately 180km began and ended in Addis Ababa crossing the highland communities of Lalibela, Abune Yousef National Park, Bete Korkos, Chehat, Debre Damo, Enaf, Seheta, Gohgot, Erar, Shimbrity, Hawzen and Mekele. Altitudes between 2,500-3,600 meters were summited over twelve days upon the invitation by British polar explorer and environmentalist, Felicity Aston, alongside five other women who gathered as strangers in Addis Ababa from diverse corners of the world.
Natural and man-made phenomenon juxtaposed a curious human and non-human interconnectedness. Centuries-old narratives told stories of the Ethiopian Orthodox faith expressed in baroque frescos that decorate the medieval, monolithic rock-hewn churches along with the church forests that breathe life into a landscape decimated by agricultural grazing.
Stratification of the sandstone cliffs revealed a geological wonderland unlike any other–a land seemingly beyond the construct of chronological time, paradoxically defined by archetypal relics of the past and present. I walked intentionally on the multicoloured soil between the communities where we would rest our fatigued limbs and overwhelmed senses. Each step, I advanced in humility and gratitude. Forever changed by the profundity of it all.
All images made with an analog Agfa Clack Box Camera on 120mm film, June 2019.
© 2008–2024 katrina jane