WADI RUM SCRAMBLING & TREKKING TOUR

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1 WADI RUM SCRAMBLING & TREKKING TOUR This is a 12 day programme which is 6* rated, involving fantastic scrambling and trekking for around 5-6 hours per day, desert Bedouin camps and awe inspiring scenery. Please note that there is a requirement on the part of each team member to be able to scramble down unaided and not to suffer from vertigo. Each day we ascend and descend around 1,000m and walk on average circa 16-20km. On one or two nights we will be visited by travelling Bedouin, when we can join in with music, singing, share an excellent meal and generally have a good fun time. At every camp, a traditional Bedouin tent with carpet and cushions will be set up ready to relax in, there will also be two person individual hooped tents available. Basic cold showers will also be available and a spade enables DIY toilet facilities as the camp location changes with each day. Day 1. Meet in Aqaba Fly to Amman (e.g. Easyjet) to Aqaba (e.g. Royal Jordanian Airlines). Taxi to Aqaba Hotel Golden Rose and 7pm team meeting followed by dinner at a local restaurant. Day 2. Canyon Rakabat, Canyon Amzeki, Broda Arch & Camp at Um Amdaraj (6.5 hours) Early bus Aqaba to Rum Village, Wadi Rum (~1hr). We meet our Bedouin Mountain Guide and camp team, transfer kit to the 4x4 desert truck that will go ahead of us. The adventure begins, as we trek from the village to Canyon Rakabat, scramble through its delights, followed by a short desert walk to scrambling at Canyon Amzeki (2.5 hours) and then lunch Um Harak (1.5 hours). After lunch our trucks take us Broda arch where we have some nice scrambling to a fantastic feature. There is a short section where a rope will be used for a ~7m ascent and descent. This is followed by a descent which involves a long scramble down some nice slabs. We then walk across the evening sand to our camp at Um Amdaraj. A Bedouin camp awaits, with good food and time to reflect on a great day. There are great sunset views not far from the camp and moon light on the rock is inspirational. Copyright Red Sea Nomads

2 Day 3. Um Amdaraj to Mallag to Wadi Abu Iss:ayeh to our camp at Ra:dit Rabbi: (circa 8hrs) From Um Amdaraj, we walk part way towards our next ascent, taking in an inspiring perspective of Broda before we hitch a ride to the foot of Mallag and move outside of the Wadi Rum World Heritage Site. The scramble and trek to Mallag (circa 1,500m) takes around 1.5 hours. We are now in a different world of a high plateau of peaks and wadis. This is one of the traditional hunting and grazing areas of the Azalabeh tribe, but not just them we have lunch under a prominent rock feature of Abu Dudea that has been frequented for several thousands of years as the Nabataean inscriptions will testify. First, though, we do a lovely scrambling descent to Wadi Abu Iss:ayeh, see one of the few natural dams of the area, frequented by birds, Ibex and spied on by a lonely Syrian Wolf we pass a wolf den en route. Our scrambling continues on sound rock before we reach a one roped pitch that will take us out of the wadi the climb is easy, about 15m, with just one move that you really need to think about. If the weather is bad or the wadi has recently received a rare deluge, there is an alternative high route scramble that can be taken instead. After lunch and siesta, we take in another plateau summit with a wide angled vista towards the mountains and wadis that lead to the border between Jordan and Saudi Arabia, in particular Am Umsaham. We then make our way towards our camp at Ra:dit Rabbi: enjoying the the plateau s ridge as we go. We finish with a nice scrambling descent to our camp where we are met with smiling faces of our hosts, sweet tea and our dinner cooking in the background. We relax in our Bedouin tent and discuss the day and make preparations for the night. Copyright Red Sea Nomads

3 Day 4 Ra:dit Rabbi: to Am Ultrafanni to Um Adlaf to our camp at Gharuba From our camp at Ra:dit Rabbi: we ascend to the summit of Am Utrafanni (circa 1,500m), which offers up great views of the Wadi Rum Protected Area. We scramble down and in all likelihood take tea with a Bedouin herder. We ascend once more on sound rock to a ridge followed by lunch at the foot of Um Adlaf. Um Adlaf offers up some of the best views of the Protected Area of our tour, truly inspirational with a unique panorama of this unique landscape. We descend to our camp at Gharuba beside domed rock, which after a short scramble allow you to soak in the panorama at a lower level once more. Sunset, golden rock, red and white sand and either the moon shimmering white on the crags around us or millions of stars looking down on us in the desert calm. 6 hour day plus siesta! Copyright Red Sea Nomads

4 Day 5 Garuba to Sardan via Wadi Umgore to Noghra, we camp at the foot of Noghra (~6hrs) From Garuba there is a truck ride to the foot of Sardan which offers up a pleasant scramble to a lovely ridge that takes us to the summit. Great views again and we begin to see Um Dammi (Jordan s heighest peak) in the distance, our most southerly point which is still 1.5 days away. A falcon glides around us before disappearing into the distance and we may well find rare samples of flora to admire on the summit After enjoying the visit, we descend the same way as we came for a cooked lunch at our camp at the foot of Noghra, our next ascent after a wellearned siesta. Noghra also must be climbed and descended via the same route, it offers nice scrambling and sand dunes to run down. Copyright Red Sea Nomads

5 Day 6. Noghra to Jabal Hash via Wadi Rabu Irthami to Um Isnayni to Abu Arraerri (1,774m). Around 7 hours to Uma Dammi camp. From our camp at Noghra, we walk through Wadi Rabu Urdayman to Jabal Hash. An easy scramble takes us to the summit with new aspects of the awe inspiring vista once more. We descend to the Hash viewpoint and could well meet our first fellow tourists since the beginning of the tour here. A nice trek down takes us to our cooked lunch and siesta at Um Isnayni. We now climb one of the most magical mountains of the tour, Jordan s fourth highest summit Abu Arraeri at 1,774m. This is a fantastic afternoons mountaineering, with a sound central ridge leading to the summit followed by sound rock taking us to a lovely domed rock and a final interweaving canyon descent to Wadi Sabat. From here we walk part way over the desert before being picked up the other side of a dry riverbank and trucked to our camp at the foot of Uma Dammi. Copyright Red Sea Nomads

6 Day 7. Half Day. Uma Dami, desert 4x4 journey through Wadi Swaybat to Um Radda canyon to Ramman camp at the foot of Jabal Rum. 3 hours of trekking, 1.5 hours 4x4. This is our half day in preparation for the ascent of Jabal Rum on the following day. We trek up and down Uma Dammi, very close to the Saudi Arabian border and Jordan s highest summit at around 1850m. A new vista south to the high Saudi mountains in the distance and great views north to Abu Arraeri, our previous day s summit. A straight forward descent to our base camp, followed by an early cooked lunch and a brief siesta and we are off on a fun 4x4 desert journey en route to Jabal Rum near our tours start point of Rum village. Great scenery, and a fun canyon halfway which we trek through. This journey is exhilerating and we are ready for it after our adventures in some of Wadi Rum remotest areas. We simply relax in our seats and take it all in, stopping now and again to take photos. We reach Ramma camp to the west of Jabal Rum after stopping at a precious mountain water source at Qatar and enjoying the views. Ramman camp is at the start of tomorrow s ascent. Copyright Red Sea Nomads

7 Day 8. Ascent of Jabal Rum (1,754m). 8 hour round trip. We divide into teams of 4, calling in other Bedouin Mountain Guides as required, starting our ascent at 7am. Initially we climbing up through scree before the rock becomes sound as we scramble through a canyon to the base of our ascent up a 500m buttress, the Talmud way used by a people before the Nabataens as their ancient rock messages allude to. This is full-on scrambling with exposure and requires confidence in such environments. I ll make a decision during the tour on those who are up for this challenge. As we leave the buttress we enter into another world of a high level plateau and lovely slabs to enjoy as we make our way to the summit. Finally, a nice block of rock is surmounted to reach the top and some of the best views of the tour via a 360 degree vista. We descend the same way as we came. A fantastic way to finish the mountaineering aspect of our tour. Please note that another adventure will be arranged for those who may not be in a position to make this ascent. Copyright Red Sea Nomads

8 Day 9. Lawrence of Arabia s camel journey to near Aqaba (6-7 hours) or WWI mock attack of a Turkish army steam train at the entrance to Wadi Rum and bus to Aqaba. After having spent the night at the Rum Village tourist guest house, the team has an option of activities that must have been decided upon mid-tour. There is a fantastic camel ride along the route that Lawrence of Arabia took with his Bedouin army to attack the Turkish garrison at Aqaba during the First World War. It takes between 6-7 hours and stops when the main road is reached. Transport is then arranged to take the team to our hotel in Aqaba. Alternatively, on Fridays & Saturdays, the re-enactment of the Lawrence s raids on Turkish army steam trains may well be taking place while we are there. If that is the case, there is the option to watch this spectacle, carried out by local Bedouin wearing period dress, while riding in a carriage. Transport is then arranged to take those who have chosen this activity to our hotel in Aqaba. We then all enjoy hotel comforts, Aqaba restaurant food and the buzz of this Red Sea resort town. Day 10. Scuba diving or snorkelling in the Red Sea. From our hotel, we are taken by boat to the snorkelling and/or scuba diving (available for those who are suitably qualified) sites off Aqaba, finish off on the beach and enjoy the evening warmth, sunset and good restaurants. Day 11. Petra & Jabal Aaron, en route to Amman We leave Aqaba early in the morning and start our 4 hour bus journey to Amman. En route we stop at Petra for around 4 hours and enjoy the uniqueness of this World Heritage site. For those who wish, an ascent of Jabal Aaron can be made along a route not usually taken, offering some fine easy scrambling and trekking. There are fine views across Wadi Araba to the hills of Israel. That evening we arrive at our hotel accommodation in Amman and a final meal together when we reminisce on our amazing adventures. Day 12. Day of departure. The team follow through on their own arrangements to travel home or explore the region further. Copyright Red Sea Nomads