The church is carved into the side of a cliff and to reach it, visitors and worshippers alike have to cross a natural stone bridge with a sheer drop of approximately 250m (820 ft) on either side, and thereafter a final narrow wooden footbridge, followed by a climb up a vertical rock wall depending entirely on hand grips and foot holds (bare footed since it is considered a holy ground) crowned with a walk over a 50 cm wide ledge facing a cliff of 980 ft sheer drop.

“The routes are blessed”, said father assefa. “No one has ever died. our patron saint saves those who fall with his wind. They are returned to the ledge from halfway down”.