The Vagabond Hiker

Hiking, trekking, and climbing the world

Trekking in 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.
Bilad Sait village
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.
A goatish siesta
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!
Another view along the Wadi Muyadeen
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.
Syrian oregano (Origanum syriacum)
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
View towards the Gulf of Oman on Day 7.
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

Return to Lanzarote

First, I apologize for leading my loyal readers to believe that my next post would be on trekking in Oman. However, on reviewing my photos from 6 weeks this past January and February wintering on Lanzarote in the Islas Canarias, it became apparent that some were not all that bad. Furthermore, unlike my two previous Lanzarote posts, in December 2018 and 2019, I was able to spot (and identify) a number of plants and wildflowers, a couple of which are endemic to the Canary Islands. Enjoy!

From my base in Puerto del Carmen (PDC) to Puerto Calero and onward to Playa Quemada there is a fantastic coastal path that I walked numerous times. Here is a view of the promenade in PDC, with cat
Puerto Calero from the coastal path. A great hike and very convenient, considering that for most of the time I did not have a car.
View along the coastal path near Playa Quemada. Can you spot the two fishers?
Low tide along the coastal path adds a spot of color
Puerto Calero harbor. Every time I walked by here, the sailing boats reminded me of my dad.
With a rental car, I did a loop hike up Hacha Grande from the inland village of Femes. Here is a view up the Hacha Grande ascent route. Despite the ominous appearance, the rains stayed mostly at sea this day.
Echium pitardii on Hacha Grande. I’m aware of no common name for this plant in the borage family, endemic to the Canary Islands.
Tree of Baroda (Kleinia neriifolia), also endemic to the Canary Islands
In contrast, this erect prickly pear (Opuntia stricta) is considered an invasive in much of the world, including here. Fortunately, they’re not about to take over Lanzarote. The irrigation hose is not watering the cactus, however!
Hacha Grande summit vista northwest. Clouds add tremendously to landscape photos!
Hacha Grande summit vista towards Playa Blanca, on the southern tip of the island.
Along the Ruta Litoral in Parque Timanfaya on the west coast, another day hike facilitated by a rental car
A Balsam spurge (Euphorbia balsamifera) along the Ruta Litoral. Not much has established itself since the multitude of eruptions in the 1730’s covered this part of the island with lava.
A natural arch along the Ruta Litoral in Parque Timanfaya
Monte de la Pena de Santa Catalina summit view north. A great exercise hike, but I took only a handful of photos that day.
One of the most popular hikes, even during the week, is Caldera Blanca. I did a loop hike that started at this trailhead. Note the Unimog 500 Overlander expedition vehicle. There is an interesting article in Motortrend on a Unimog camper conversion for any gearheads reading this post.
Caldera Blanca summit loop hike trailhead landscape with scoria. Though admittedly redundant with the prior photo, I do like the strong horizontals here. One is advised to stay on the paths in this terrain!
Wavy heliotrope (Heliotropium ramosissimum)
A more robust Echium pitardii, flowering on Caldera Blanca
Caldera Blanca summit pano
False sow-thistle (Reichardia tingitana)
Bladder dock (Rumex vesicarius)

And finally, a couple of photos from my balcony. . .

A Eurasian collared dove. She visited me on my balcony most afternoons, once even deciding to briefly enter my apartment. To me she looks virtually identical to an African collared dove (seen occasionally on Lanzarote), but can easily be distinguished by her voice.
Balcony sunset view, enhanced further with a sundowner in hand!

I promise that my Oman Trekking post is in the not-too-distant future.

The Vagabond Hiker

Walks and Wildlife in Rajasthan

Rajasthan, in northwest India (see map below), is a land of opulent palaces, magnificent forts and deep cultural traditions. There is an incredible diversity of landscape here, including jungle, mountains and desert. On a two-week walking holiday, our group explored this landscape and some of its communities on a collection of treks and heritage trails. We also visited Ranthambore National Park for two game drives. This post will highlight the walks and wildlife, leaving the cultural aspects for the reader to discover on her own. . .

This map (from Encyclopedia Britannica), shows where Rajasthan is located in India.

New Delhi – Lodi Gardens

In my humble opinion, smog-choked, massively congested New Delhi has little to recommend it. However, anyone traveling to Northern India will most likely begin and end their journey in this capital city. I can heartily recommend two things: a portable air purifier for your hotel room, and a visit to the 90-acre Lodi Gardens as a decompression from the stresses induced by this teeming metropolis.

A temple in Lodi Gardens
A common Kingfisher in Lodi Gardens

Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary

The Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary is a popular tourist attraction located in the Rajsamand district of Rajasthan. Encompassing more than 600 km2 across the Aravalli ranges, this sanctuary offers a variety of landscapes, plants, and animals. It surrounds the historic Kumbhalgarh Fort, also known as the “Great Wall of India,” a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We spent two days walking in this sanctuary, the hiking highlight of the trip for me.

A small Hindu temple near the start of our first day’s trek
Hayricks
Ladies, here seen carrying hay, seem to do most of the work
A vista on day 1 of the trek
A tribal village seen near the end of our first day’s trek. December is in the dry season.
Laundry day
Path-side bougainvillea
Our local guide demonstrating a water wheel on day 2 of the trek. These are used primarily for the cows, but benefit all wildlife.
A cool stream in Kumbhalgarh
Lake view with crocodilians (not clear in this photo) and birds near the end of the 2nd day of the trek in Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary

Aravalli Hills

This day walk between two tribal villages, although located not far from the Kumbhalgarth Wildlife Sanctuary, had an entirely different feel to it. A wonderful break from all the cities, nonetheless.

Some of our group on the Aravalli Hills walk, Udaipur
Ubiquitous cows
A well-made dry stone wall with steps
A local kid
A lush Aravalli hills vista

Ratnagiri Hill, Pushkar

An overnight stay in the city of Pushkar gave us the opportunity for a dawn climb – up 890 steps – to the Hindu temple of Savitri.

Pushkar city lights
A Langur monkey awaiting sunrise on the summit of Ratnagiri hill . . .
. . . and posing for her photo. I did apologize to her afterwards for the flash.

Ranthambore National Park

This national park is best known as a tiger sanctuary. Also located in Rajasthan, it covers a total area of 1,330 km2. It is named after the historic Ranthambore Fort which lies within the park. Our group went on two game drives, the first in the afternoon until sunset in a couple of small 4×4’s, and the second one early the next morning in a gargantuan truck-type 4×4. I strongly recommend only going on safari in small vehicles.

Driving in Ranthambore on the afternoon safari
Two Chital, or spotted deer
A tiger paw print. Some of the group were able to spot a tiger the next day, but I had sot settle for this print.
A Sambar deer, listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List
A Sloth Bear (perhaps the worst photo of one ever taken). Also listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, mainly because of habitat loss and degradation.
A panoramic view of Ranthambore in the early morning
A red-wattled lapwing
A rufous treepie
A female painted sand-grouse landing on our vehicle. Not being fortunate enough to see a tiger, the birds were the highlight of the morning safari for me.
Ranthambore morning: lake, island, and peacock. My favorite photo of this post.

Of course, throughout these two weeks we also enjoyed much of the local culture, from forts and palaces to a home cooking demo. And temples. Tons of temples. And a mosque or two. The complete itinerary can be seen on KE Adventure’s Heritage Trails of Rajasthan web page. There was even one city that I found enjoyable to visit: Udaipur. It has much to recommend it, as far as cities go – large lakes, the City Palace museum, Jagmandir Island Palace, fine restaurants and hotels, and a noticeably slower vibe than other northern Indian cities.

I will leave you with only one photo from all these cultural journeys. Sadly, unlike all of the previous photos, it was not taken by me, but by another client.

The Taj Mahal in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, framed by the Great Entry Arch

Currently, I am in St. George, Utah, preparing for extended* overseas travel, which I promise will include many more hikes and treks in new destinations, as well as some of my favorites in England and Italy. The calendar on the home page of this blog has been updated to reflect my planned travels through September.

In the mean time, I am working on my next blog post, Trekking in Oman. Stay tuned.

The Vagabond Hiker

* – measured in years, rather than months

P.S. In case any of my readers were curious about the air quality in New Delhi, most of the time I was in the city the AQI was above 250, and often above 400, with both pm2.5 and pm10 particles the culprits. See the photo below, taken from my airport hotel in the middle of December.

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