In Wadi Rum, you’ll find climbers from Dubai and Israel, some who are refugees from Iraq or Syria, and some who drive down from Amman. Surrounded by hot spots like Syria, Iraq, Israel, the Palestine Territories, Iran, and Egypt, Jordan has developed arguably the strongest (and certainly the friendliest) climbing community in the Middle East. Perhaps it’s due to the difficult conditions in the surrounding countries that have led Jordan to develop a legit climbing culture that’s coming into its own. The climbing community in Jordan is surprisingly strong. From both sides of the village, the massive ranges of Jebel (mountain) Rum and Jebel Um Ishrin rise to a height of over 1,700 meters, casting cathedral-like shadows across the sun-scorched sand. The Bedouin village of Rum is located in the center of this vast maze of domes and cliffs, at just 950 meters above sea level. It extends south to the Saudi Arabian border. The Wadi Rum Protected Area is about four hours south of Amman and an hour north of the Red Sea port of Aqaba. The mountaineering and climbing are world-class and the bouldering unexplored. There are corners, dihedrals, arêtes, and towering faces all made accessible by endless cracks, hidden chimneys, pockets, and knobs. Route-finding is tricky, and descents can be complex and technical. The clean-climbing ethic is strong here, although most of the classics now have fixed anchors. There are steep, 12-pitch 5.12 and 5.13 testpieces, some bolted, some not. And the collection of 5.5 to 5.11 cracks may be one of the finest in the world. This is desert alpinism, with intricate scrambles up low-angle ramps to spectacular 1,800-meter summits via traditional Bedouin routes. There are long runouts and airy traverses, and the rock quality can go from hard to soft in a matter of moves. The climbing here is mainly trad on big sandstone formations (the longest routes are more than 600 meters and nearly 30 pitches), and is characterized by a bold, committing style. It’s the ultimate in adventure climbing-a blend of Canyonlands cracks, Yosemite big walls, and Black Canyon commitment, with a vibe that’s totally Arabia. The climbing I can explain you’ll just have to trust me on the spiritual thing.
Wadi Rum, a vast, echoing labyrinth of brick-red sand and castellated cliffs in southern Jordan, lies deep in the cradle of civilization. It feels like the epicenter of the universe-in both a spiritual and a climbing sense.
Although climbing at Petra is illegal, guide Hakim Tamimi climbs next to the Treasury to help the government assess damage to the monuments. This story originally appeared in the August 2014 issue of our print edition.
Ras ben rock of ages free full#
Get full access to Outside Learn, our online education hub featuring in-depth fitness, nutrition, and adventure courses and more than 2,000 instructional videos when you sign up for Outside+
0 kommentar(er)
