The wonderful colors of the Wadi Rum in Jordan

Ever see a photograph of a place that then becomes an obsession?

I saw a photograph of the Bugaboos about 30 yeas ago, and I knew that I would never be happy until I climbed there. Well, I am pleased to say that I will die a happy man.

Happy, that is, until a few years ago. Then I saw a photograph of the sandstone towers of the Wadi Rum in Jordan's desert. The obsession started all over again. Mind you, I'm 30 years older now, my shoulders pop out of their sockets if I sneeze hard (old injuries from an extreme skiing crash), and bilateral shoulder operations haven't helped much. So my rock-climbing days have long been over.

How did I get into this predicament?

Well, I figured that I would just go scrambling. I can sill do that, can't I? So I hired a Bedouin guide from Wadi Rum Mountain Guides for 3 days of scrambling and I flew to Jordan.

What I got was more than what I bargained for. Apparently the Bedouin bagged most of the first ascents in the area by scrambling to the summits of these peaks. Westerners like me would say that the correct description is not scrambling, but rather that the Bedouin have been free-soloing to 5.7 on these peaks.

So what I got was a an easy scrambling ascent of the mountain Jebel Khazali (i.e., free-soloing to 5.2 and roped climbing).

Generally, there are two kinds of sandstone in the Wadi Rum: (1) a purple Um Sahn sandstone and (2) white Rum sandstone. The Um Sahm sandstone is very soft and friable, has lots of handholds (like limestone) and forms massive walls. The white Rum sandstone forms large, gritty slabs and domes with relatively few holds.

Temperatures in March:
95 degrees F during the day
40 degrees F at night

Jordan has a tourism-based economy and no oil. They don't have a beef with anyone, and they take their tourism seriously. Everywhere we went people smiled broadly and shouted, "Welcome to Jordan!" One of my taxi drivers found out that I was American and insisted that he take me out to dinner. "I know a place that serves the best chicken tikka in Jordan," he said. (He was right!) The Jordanians and Bedouins are some of the nicest and most generous people I have ever met. Yes, Jordan is very safe for tourists. I am already planning a return trip in one year, this time for 2 weeks! And I'll be carrying a rope & rack!

Pictures say it all better than words, so 'nuff talking.

A wonderful panorama of the Jebel um Ishrin massif in the Wadi Rum. Most of the big towers have 800 meters of vertical relief.

See this panorama in its full glory at:

Jebel um Ishrin Panorama

I stayed in a Bedouin tent out in the desert for 3 days. (There is a climber's and back-packer's lodge in the nearby village of Rum for those who want more of the comforts of home.)

On the summit of a small tower in Wadi Un Ishrin.

A self-portrait of myself on the summit of a small tower that I soloed.

The lower 300-400 meters of Sabbah's Route on Jebel Khazali. (Grade III, class 5.3)

The upper 300 meters of Sabbah's Route on Jebel Khazali, and the rappel route. (Grade III, class 5.3)

The start of the route, showing typical scrambling terrain.

My Bedouin climbing guide poses for a "hero" shot.

On the lower section of the route.

Beautiful slabs of white Rum sandstone. At the top of the slab move right into parallel cracks (class 5.2).

Domes of white Rum sandstone on the summit plateau of Jebel Khazali.

Coiling the rope after a short section of class 5

Even the "flat" summit plateau requires a lot of climbing up and down.

C'est moi, on the summit.

Miles of rock, with very few routes.

Sitting in the shade, taking a rest from the down-climbing. It was 95 degrees with sustained class 3-4 down-climbing with some roped down-climbing and a total of 5 rappels.

The last of 5 rappels.

Other photos from the Wadi Rum to get you drooling:

The big walls of the SE Face of Jebel Al Qattar

Do you like expansive vistas? The rock structure in the lower right is Lawrence's House.

Barrah Canyon is a popular hiking and climbing area.

Unclimbed!


Hiking in Barrah Canyon.

Lunch, Bedouin style. Some flat bread is the only other thing you need! Those are the rock-climbing shoes of my bedouin guide!!

Scrambling on the North Ridge of Jebel Burdah.

Wadi Rum.

Awesome climbing on this stuff.

The final scramble up to the Burdah Arch.

Be prepared to "4th class" some steep terrain in the Wadi Rum.

Some of the smaller towers of the Wadi Rum.

For you geology fans, here is a funky blue contact rock (presumably a marine sediment like everything else) that is sandwiched between the granite basement rocks and the sandstone. What is it? It almost looks like marble but it's way too hard. Obviously some baked metamorphic rock, but what?

Enjoying some sage & cinnamon tea in a Bedouin tent out in the desert.