Oman

Long contemplated and in February finally realized, a 12 day trekking and cultural trip to Oman certainly met my expectations. Although KE Adventure’s offering was not a continuous trek – featuring a mid-trip cultural stop in the ancient capital of Nizwa as well as daily 4×4 transport for our luggage (and us) to each campsite – nonetheless, it was a fine experience of a location that for me was a Blank on the Map.

One does not usually think of the Arabian Peninsula as mountainous. Indeed, the Empty Quarter and the holy cities of Mecca and Medina more often come to mind. However, in the Hajar Mountains (translated as the Rocky Mountains or the Stone Mountains), Oman boasts one of the highest mountain ranges in the Arabian Peninsula*, shared with the United Arab Emirates. They separate the low coastal plain of Oman, including its Capital, Muscat, from the high desert plateau, and lie 50–100 km inland from the Gulf of Oman. We explored some of the most dramatic sections of the Al Hajar range. Unfortunately, the high point, Jebel Shams (3009m), is closed due to a military installation, and though its slightly lower South Summit (2997m) is accessible to trekkers, it was not on our itinerary.

* – pub trivia question: what is the highest mountain on the Arabian Peninsula? Answer, Jabal an Nabi Shu’ayb in Yemen, at 3666m.

Enjoy this often overlooked outdoor destination in a safe, very friendly country!

Oman and its neighbors on the Southeastern Arabian Peninsula

Muscat Grand Mosque. We visited this impressive complex before heading out on trek.

**Day 1** consisted of a short hike up Wadi Bani Auf, a narrow gorge that is the entrance to the pretty village of Bilad Sait.

On **Day 2** we did the most popular hike in Oman, the balcony trail from Al Kateen Village though the “Grand Canyon of the Middle East”

An abandoned village along the balcony trail. Rockfall was a continuous problem for precarious villages built below the high plateau.

A pool at the terminus of the balcony trail. Spot the trekker in his yellow shirt.

Our Lebanese leader, Toufic, in lunchtime contemplation, *en route* to our 2nd night’s camp.

View from our 2nd camp. (Our 1st camp, which I termed the “generator camp,” is not to be recommended at all).

**Day 3** trek vista in the Jebel Akhdar. Apart from the balcony trail, we saw virtually no other trekkers the entire time.

View during our Jebel Akhdar village walk. The first half of our trek consisted of fairly easy days, with some long drives between the trek and camp.

Sunset view with a fort from our 3rd camp

**Day 4**, the descent of Wadi Muyadeen, was more strenuous by far, and particularly hard on the knees!

Our **Day 5** desert camp, one of our most scenic. (Note that on the previous night and day we had a cultural break at Nizwa with hot showers at our hotel. I was indisposed with GI issues and took no photos).

**Day 6** was a very early start as we climbed the Selma Plateau. This is a trailhead view at dawn.

Morning view back towards the trailhead. We gradually ascended about 1650m this day over a distance of 17km, by far the toughest day’s trekking.

Our group along the Selma Plateau route. There were 11 clients along with our guide, Toufic. Keeping the group together was challenging for him.

Vista along the Selma Plateau. Our high point was about 2150m.

On **Day 7** we continued our plateau traverse and then descended the Wadi Tiwi to the coast. Here are a couple feral burros we saw in the early morning.

Perhaps it was because of the early season, but the botanizing was disappointing on this trip. However, as we descended on Day 7 to more humid climes toward the Gulf of Oman, I finally had some limited success.

*Morettia canescens*. Another wildflower without an English common name.

*Prunus scoparia*, a wild almond primarily found in Iran and Turkmenistan, but perhaps seeds had blown across the Gulf

A not very good photo of *Aerva javanica*, the kapok bush or desert cotton

Another vista on Day 7, with the Gulf in the background. Plenteous clouds (accompanied with a bit of rain!) made the light good for photography

View of Wadi Tiwi far below. This final day’s trek was a tough descent into the heat of the day.

Relaxing at our final camp on Wadi Shab beach.

View of the Gulf from our Wadi Shab beach camp. As it was the weekend, numerous Omanis were car camping along this beach.

On the last morning we enjoyed the highlight of the trip, a walk/swim up the Wadi Shab. The three pools and waterfall at the end of the last one were absolutely amazing. Cleansing ourselves of the dirt, sweat, and salt (for those of us who swam in the Gulf) before our 4 hour drive back to Muscat was an added bonus. I did not bring my camera, choosing to live completely in the moment. Sorry.

I am now in Hastings, East Sussex, after more than 2 weeks walking in Malta. I was not planning on sharing any photos from that trip, but the wildflowers were far better than I had expected, so I will work on that post as I enjoy lovely spring weather here in the UK.

The Vagabond Hiker

Trekking in Oman

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