Adaptation to climate change in tropical highland regions is complicated, because elevation contrasts and dissected topography produce diverse climatic conditions that are often accompanied by significant ecological and agricultural diversity within a relatively small region. Such is the case for the Choke mountain watersheds, in the Blue Nile highlands of Ethiopia. The physical diversity of the area and the accompanying socio-economic contrasts demand diverse strategies for enhanced climate resilience and adaptation to climate change. To support these goals, this study presents an agroecosystem analysis of Choke Mountain, under the premise that the agroecosystem (the intersection of climatic and physiographic conditions with agricultural practices) is the most appropriate unit for defining adaptation strategies in these primarily subsistence agriculture communities. The paper provides two approaches to agroecosystem analysis that can be applied to climate resilience studies.