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~ In the footsteps of Lawrence of Arabia
~ Camping with the Bedouin
~ The highest peak in Jordan
~ The Burdah Bridge
~ The fabulous 'Rose-Red City' of Petra
Located in the southern corner of the Kingdom of
Jordan, not far from the Red Sea, the sandstone mountains or 'jebels'
of Wadi Rum provide one of the most dramatic desert landscapes on
earth. The weirdly shaped towers, which rise some 700 meters (2300
feet) above the level desert plains, extend across a vast area. Wadi
Rum is the name given to the most spectacular collection of these
peaks which are centered on the village of Rum. This area was famously
described by T.E Lawrence as “Rum the magnificent… vast, echoing and
God-like.” It is the traditional home and hunting ground of the
Bedouin, whose history in the region goes back more than a thousand
years. Many of the Bedouin families who live here continue to pursue a
semi-nomadic existence, grazing their flocks of sheep and goats in one
place for weeks or months at a time and then packing away their
goat-hair tents and moving to greener pastures. A highlight of our
visit to this part of the world will be the chance to meet the
hospitable Bedouin people and to experience the magic of camping out
in the desert under the stars. Flying in to the Jordanian capital of
Amman, we overnight in the historic City of Madaba, before driving
southwards to meet up with our Bedouin hosts. Our 5 days of
exploration will begin at once, as we cross Jebel Um Ishrin by way of
the exciting Rakebat Canyon and set up our first camp of the trip.
Throughout our time at Wadi Rum, we will use 4-wheel-drive vehicles to
access the most interesting short hikes and easy scrambles. We will
follow ancient trails through hidden wadis and across open rocky
slopes to the summits of several of the biggest peaks in the area,
including Jebel Um Adaami (1832m / 6010ft), Jordan's highest mountain.
To reach some of the rocky summits and to access the best viewpoints,
we will need to do some scrambling and there are a couple of exposed
sections which require a good head for heights. The Bedouin guide will
carry a climbing rope to help safeguard the most exposed sections. As
a fitting finale to this outstanding Arabian adventure, we will visit
the awe-inspiring 2300 year old, rock-hewn city at nearby Petra.
Hidden within an apparently impenetrable mountain massif and
approached through a narrow, kilometer-long chasm known as the Siq,
Petra is one of the most remarkable archaeological sites in the world.
We will have a full guided tour of the site before continuing our
journey back to Amman.
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This is not a long or sustained
trekking trip. It is a series of day-hikes in an unusual mountain
area. We will walk for around 4 to 5 hours on each of the 5 days
that we spend at Wadi Rum. This will involve walking on desert
trails and soft sand, as well as scrambling on the jebels
themselves. When climbing on the jebels we will usually be following
routes which have been used for generations by Bedouin hunters and
shepherds. The Bedouin guide will carry a climbing rope, which may
be used on exposed sections to reassure group members who are not
confident scramblers. The altitudes attained during this trip will
not cause problems in respect of acclimatization. At the time of
year that we will be visiting Jordan (winter) it will not be
extremely hot during the day. However, we might encounter day-time
temperatures as high as 30°C / 86°F and sun protection and adequate
hydration are important considerations. |
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Day 1. Arrive Madaba
Rendezvous at the group hotel in Madaba. A single group transfer will
be provided from Amman Airport to the group hotel in Madaba. This
transfer is normally in the late evening and a representative of our
local agent will accompany the group on the 30 minute journey to the
hotel. (Meals included : None) |
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Day 2. To Wadi Rum and first day's
trek
After breakfast, we set off by minibus for the morning's drive
southwards to Wadi Rum. The Desert Highway runs alongside the railway
line which was famously blown up by Lawrence of Arabia during the
Great War. We will meet our Bedouin hosts at the new Visitor Centre in
Wadi Rum and transfer our baggage from the bus to our 4-wheel-drive
vehicles, before walking into the village to a house where our lunch
has been prepared. Here, we will meet our guide and drivers. Lunch is
likely to consist of salad dishes, pasta and tuna, with sweet tea and
biscuits. Lunch over, we will walk through the village and across the
short stretch of sandy plain to the start of the Rakebat Canyon, which
cuts through the massif of Jebel Um Ishrin. This is a traditional
route used by the Bedouin in their travels between Wadi Rum and Wadi
Um Ishrin and we may meet herds of goats being driven through. After
an initial rocky ascent, the route takes us across an exposed sloping
ledge, before descending steeply into a narrow ravine known as Goat
Gulley. (B, L, D) |
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Day 3. Visit the Burdah Bridge
The itinerary that we have set up is easy-paced and there is no need
to make too early a start. Breakfast will usually be under way by 7
a.m. and this consists of bread, sometimes heated on the fire, a
choice of jams, cheese and halva, as well as eggs, either served as an
omelette or hard boiled. Tea is supplied in quantity and Nescafe is
also available. Anybody who wishes can pocket a snack for later.
Usually fruit is available also for this. In this area, we are likely
to see griffon vultures soaring from the high cliffs as the sun rises
in the sky and the thermals created by the rock walls become active.
After breakfast, we will board our vehicles for the short drive to
Jebel Burdah, which leads through Khor Al Ajram, a wide valley with
magnificent cliffs and high sand dunes. These cliffs are the site of
many world class climbing routes and we may see climbers in action. On
the way to Jebel Burdah, we pass a particularly fine and very old rock
inscription which shows a camel caravan. This morning's objective is
the Burdah Bridge, a well-known landmark which is reached by way of
relatively easy scrambling across open rock slabs. (B, L, D) |
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Day 4. Climb Jebel Khasch
The day starts with a half-hour transfer southwards to Jebel Khasch.
Here, we start out hiking through an interesting rocky valley with
some sparse vegetation, before negotiating easy rocky slabs as our
route twists and turns to the plateau area beneath the highest rocky
piles of this massif. We will choose a prominent summit as our high
point (1700m / 5575ft) and enjoy views which extend on all sides
across the desert landscape. Descending towards the west through
another rocky valley, we will effectively made a traverse of Jebel
Khasch which takes around 4 hours. There are some great rock colours,
blues and purples, as we finally reach a sandy wadi and meet up with
our vehicles for lunch. After lunch, we descend an impressive wadi,
where we may see Sinai or roseate finches (the national bird of
Jordan). This walk also takes us through an ancient Bedouin cemetery
and into an area of red rocks and red sand. There is a choice of
camping places in this area which each afford good sunset views. (B,
L, D) |
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Day 5. Ascend Jebel Um Adaami
There are even better views today, as we set off to tackle Jebel Um
Adaami, the highest mountain in Jordan, which lies on the border with
Saudi Arabia. This is quite a difficult drive for our 4-wheel-drive
transport, but an enjoyable one for the passengers. Especially
memorable is the wide and lonely Wadi Saabit, close to the mountain.
Notice the deep stream bed in the centre of this valley – it shows
just how much water used to fall in the Wadi Rum area. Arriving at the
start of the day's walk, we can see a Nabatean dam on the left as we
head up into a sandy valley. Still in use by the Bedouin, a long line
of stones (now set in cement) directs as much water as possible into
the shaded reservoir under the cliff. At the end of the valley we
climb up a gulley onto the mountain and this is the only difficulty in
the ascent. The rest of the path is a stoney one, leading to the cairn
marking the summit. Here, we are right on the border and can see far
into the Saudi mountains. Make sure you have plenty of film with you!
The Bedouin guide might even brew a cup of herb tea on the summit,
using materials gathered on the ascent. After this 3-hour round-trip,
we will drive back to our camping place of the previous evening for
lunch. The afternoon's programme is a 2-hour walk across the desert,
through an area where we are likely to see Bedouin camps and grazing
goats and camels. On this evening, we may choose to spend the night in
a Bedouin tent, close to Um Sabata. Anybody who wishes can sleep
outside on the soft sand, otherwise we spread our mattresses inside
the tent which is twenty or thirty metres long. One option tonight is
to have a traditional Bedouin dish of chicken or lamb, cooked in an
underground oven. These ovens are often improvised in the desert, dug
out and lined with a metal drum, before a fire is lit inside and the
oven heated for a couple of hours. The meat and vegetables are placed
on the embers and sand heaped high over the oven. A couple more hours
and the dish is ready. The cooks will start this dish before we
arrive, but you can see the finished product being brought out. (B, L,
D) |
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Day 6. Jebel Rum and then drive to
Petra
This morning, we drive back northwards into the rarely-visited Wadi
Ramman on the western side of the 10 kilometre (6 mile) long massif of
Jebel Rum. At the entrance to a large valley we say goodbye to our
vehicles and set off on a pleasant 4-hour walk which will take us
through Jebel Rum. To begin with, we are trekking through granite
scenery, as this is the rock which forms the plinth on which the
sandstone jebels are based. There are different flower species
associated with this rock type. This walk involves a height gain of
around 250 metres (800 feet) to a low pass amongst spectacular rock
scenery. We then contour around, with views of the desert area north
of Rum Village and drop down steeply through a narrow valley to meet
up with our transport in Wadi Rum. After returning to Rum Village for
lunch there is the option of a short hike up to 'Lawrence's Well' in
Wadi Shelaali. This is a great place and has the only running water
that you are likely to see during your time in Jordan, as well as fig
trees, gardens and grinning Bedouin kids and their goats. Back at the
village, we say goodbye to our Bedouin hosts and board our transport
for the 2-hour drive to Petra. On arrival in Petra, we check in to the
group hotel. (B, L) |
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Day 7. Petra sightseeing, then drive
to Amman
We have arranged for a full sightseeing visit to the ancient city of
Petra, accompanied by a knowledgeable English-speaking guide. Making
an early start, we will walk to the Visitor Centre, pick up our
tickets and set off through the narrow 'Siq' which leads to the heart
of this site. The Petra fees, which are included in the trip cost,
allow you to ride a horse for the first few hundred metres of the
approach to the site - it's up to you whether you want to take was
created by the Nabataeans, an industrious people of Arab descent who
came to this part of Jordan some 2000 years ago. Ancient Petra was
occupied for around 400 years at around the time of Christ. It appears
that the city lay entirely deserted and forgotten for a period of
approximately 300 years before its more recent rediscovery in 1812.
Approaching through the gloomy kilometre-long chasm of the Siq
provides a dramatic contrast as we reach arguably the most spectacular
of the city's rock-hewn buildings, the magnificent Treasury, with its
intricately carved facade. There are over 800 individual monuments at
Petra, including temples, tombs, arched gateways and entire streets,
carved from the colourful native sandstone. Other highlights are the
High Place of Sacrifice, which offers views across the whole area, and
the Monastery which is even bigger than the Treasury and is reached by
way of 800 steps. In one long and quite tough day at the site (and by
careful coordination with our guide) we should be able to see more
than 90% of the city. We will return to our bus at the Visitor Centre
in the late afternoon and make the three hour drive northwards to
Madaba, where we will check in to the group hotel, have dinner and try
to get to bed as early as possible. (B) |
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Day 8. Depart from Amman Airport
Transfer to Amman Airport for the homeward flight. (B |
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Rates starts at 749 US $ per person |
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Services included
Desert paramours leader, together with an experienced English-speaking
local leader. a single Amman Airport group transfer at the beginning
and end of the trip, all land transport involved in the itinerary,
hotel accommodation in Madaba and in Petra on a bed and breakfast
basis, a guided sightseeing tour of Petra including entrance fees.
Once on trek, a full service, including food and all equipment
(excluding personal equipment) is included in the trek price. |
Services not included
Travel Insurance, cost of visa, tips for drivers, local guide and
other local staff, Amman Airport departure tax, meals other than
breakfast when staying in hotels, miscellaneous expenses, drinks,
souvenirs etc.. |
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Meal Plan
All meals are included within the package price, with the exception of
lunches and dinners when staying in hotels in Madaba and Wadi Musa
(Petra). |
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Equipment
For this trip you will need the following: Comfortable lightweight
walking boots suitable for rough terrain and easy scrambling,
lightweight waterproof jacket, lightweight, loose-fitting clothing
appropriate to warm conditions, fleece jacket or similar, a daypack of
around 20 - 30 litres, torch and batteries, 2 x 1 litre water bottles,
sunhat, sunglasses, sun cream, 2/3 season sleeping bag. Sleeping
mattresses are provided. |
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Baggage allowance on trek
During the trip your baggage will be carried by bus and by 4WD
vehicles. The only baggage limit is that which is imposed by the
airline. However, Jordan is a hot country and you will not require any
heavy clothing, nor are you required to bring a camping mattress. We
recommend that the weight of your packed trek bag does not exceed 15
kgs / 33 lbs as this will make transiting airports a much more
pleasant experience for you. |
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Food
Breakfasts on trek consist of bread, a variety of cheese, honey, jams,
fruit, tea and Nescafe. For lunch there will be a variety of salads,
spicy humus, breads and other dishes from which we can select. Dinner
will usually be barbeque or pan fried meat and vegetables with plenty
of bread, yoghurt, and humus followed by fresh fruit and tea or
coffee. Mineral water is provided. Vegetarians can be catered for. |
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