Routes in Wadi Rum for selected grade

Topo: Howard guidebook #5.

Topo: Howard guidebook #26.

West face of the little tower.

#29

Timing: Allow for a long day, more if you get lost, which you probably might, more if you want to take it easy and have a break or two. If you are a super-duper mountain guide then perhaps the guide book time of 3-4 hours is achievable.

Sun / Temperature: In August it was bearable with shady belays, but starting in the dark could help.

Gear: Expect rope drag, Cams up to Camalot 3. Some belay stations are bolted. The abseil from the plateau (Hammads ridge) back down to the traverse is about 50m.

Route

• From the village head towards Jebel Rum and take the steps up to Lawrence’s well. Turn right in the minty area and head up the gully.
• After passing between large boulders, towards the top of the gully on the right hand side there will be a rock ramp heading up but facing down the gully (grade 3/4). Someone has also scratched an arrow into the face at the bottom. (Between 40 mins and 1 hour from the village.)

• Traverse the ledge and scramble up

  1. f5- large diagonal crack in the wall, 50m.
• From the shelf traverse a little bit to the right and then head up the plateau (Hammads ridge),look out for a repel station on your right as you climb.
• On the plateau, head left
• find a straight, long and narrow walled chimney/gully that heads to the great siq floor and descend.
• Go east through the great siq with a rappel and two short problems, 2nd being about f5 6m and unprotectable.

• After the 2nd problem you will be at the base of the eye (3 - 4 hours from the village).

  1. f5- wide crack about 50m.

  2. 50m, f5- starts with a tricky chimney

  3. 40m f4 climb the ramp

  4. traverse across to the base of the eye, f3.

  5. Pitch 5 of the main route, climb the slab (and or crack / chimney), in the guide book it is f3 however there are some very tricky sections, with maybe the hardest move of the route, 40m. You are now in the eye.

Descent.

Reverse route about 6 repels to the base, back up through the siq and back up the chimney to hammads ridge. Two options exist from here.

Descent alt. Alternative abseil descent, down jebel rum east face and route mumkin. Somewhat complicated and easy to make mistakes. - 50m From the eye rap diagonally back to below the start of the final pitch. - 25m, hidden. - 50m, heading more east to big ledge at the side of the big black slab - 50m, down big black slab - 50m, - 15m, traversing climbers right, don't go down the gully. - Easy walk through sand to Mumkin abseils.

For more details see http://kbecan.blogspot.com/2014/02/welcome-to-jordan.html

Topo: Howard guidebook #57.

On the outer east face, not in the canyon but in wadi Um Ishrin, decent walk off following cairns back into canyon.

Up from the canyon to the ridge. Descent is by following the ridge and then down a gully.

Not to be confused with "The Beauty"

Approach: At the west end of Kharazeh canyon. 2 hours from rakabat east, 1.5 if you know where your going. (1 hour from the village?) From the top of Goats gully head north along a plateau. Head up the scree slope. When you reach the bottom of the face you will see an the bolted climb "the glory", scramble/climb up and round left to reach the easy but exposed ramps of the first pitch.

P1: f3, ramps, un-protectable (or pointless to protect). Head up and right to the bottom of P2 and where the climb splits into scarlet o hara.

P2: f5, a tricky move to get over the bulge then a walk to the base of P3

P3: f4, (30-40m) a beautiful sustained low angle corner crack which gets wider at the top. Two #3's can protect the top 1/3 of the crack. Finishing at a large thread.

Descent: Possible to 60m repel to the base of P2. The guide book suggest a 40m repel and walk off to another area (un-checked). Down climb P1.

A great climb with a tricky hand/fingers crack and an airy second pitch. The climb twists and turns a lot.

Time: About 4 hours up and down. Approach 30 mins to 1 hour from rakabat east entrance.

Gear: A full rack.

• P1 f5: Scramble up the ramp, climb the hand/finger crack and question your ability to jam and balance. Belay under the small roof from the big thread.
• P2 f-5: Head up to the left where the crack widens and you feel the air between your legs. Reach a bulge with no hand holds, heading right to a sheltered section and up the slab.
• P3 f4: Pull over a jagged corner/crack head up more slab. Careful your ropes don't get stuck in the crack here as you climb. Head right to the summit.

Descent.

Walk off to the opposite side, repel to reach the valley floor where crack in the back is.

A tough first pitch and an exposed hard to protect but fairly easy 2nd pitch.

Approach: From the east entrance to Rakabat canyon just after the under/over boulder scramble up the ramp to the first pitch. About 20-40 mins from rakabat east entrance.

Gear: A full rack.

Time: Roughly 4 hours up and down.

• Pitch 1 f5: Head straight up pulling over the bulge to poor holds.
• Pitch 2 f5-: Head up the slab hard to protect. There is a big flake on the right side wall don't use it sounds very hollow. Head to the corner on the left.
• Pitch 3 f4: From the corner cruise up the ramp to the mini summit.

Decent.

Using the tat on the huge blocks head down the other face into the gully. Walk down the gully a bit and find the abseil about midway in it back to the start.

Unknown 5b trad single pitch with a fixed anchor. The corner 50m to the right of "Merlins Wand".

A diagonal corner crack. Protection not very forthcoming or useful, soft rock on the left side. No fixed stations. 60m double ropes useful.

Approach

On the west face of Jebel Annafishiyyah, 100m south of the luxury camp, or 100m north of the inscriptions, the climb starts from behind a generator/mechanics where the red wall meets the white wall.

Time

Guide book states 1.5 hours, it took me 5 to reach the top. Descent 1-2 hours.

1. f4 Swing out right on to the face to gain the terrace.

2. f5 Swing out right from the main corner, awkward and bold crux if you can't get the gear in due to your hands being in the way. Slightly harder than the guidebook grade of -5. Back up the main corner, poor options for belay.

3. f4 Diagonal face climbing with nice exposure.

4. f4 Face / corner climbing over 50m

5. f3 Face climbing over 50m

6. f2 short pitch to reach the end.

Descent

?? Not obvious.

• Head to the actual summit, from there go north east down a gentle slope on the east face.
• Awkward down climb to a terrace.
• Head right 50m past big blocks. Then down to the next terrace.
• Head left 50m to some biggish blocks. Abseil from here 50m to the main couloir.
• Then easy walk south out of the couloir.

There is some unusual detritus on the top which suggests there might be an easier way up and down.

South west face

Start in the same spot as Hanging Gardens of Zagorchev, about 100 feet down and left of "Runner Up". Climb up and left to gain the left-hand of two nice looking varnished corners. Stem up this corner to easier ground and an anchor (27m). Photo.

Long, but cool 10 pitches of climbing.

You can reach the summit.

P1 easy p2 traverse p3 5 2 overhang moves (A thread could be good) could be connected with p2 p4 chimney p5 nothing continue up could be connected with p4 p6 Crux move left crack p7 face then a chimney p8 stay to the left to reach 2 pitons shity pro p9 nothing continue right p10 short climb up 3 Parallel cracks

Descent the canyon next to Falcon corner abseils, or Sabbah route scramble.

5 bolts ? 1 sling

5 slings

West face of 1260 dome / Jebel Astar, further south down the valley than Desert rats in the shade. The "Obvious" crack line that climbs up through a cave at the top. 3 Pitches to get through the cave. From here you can walk off down the south ridge. Pleasantly soft rock everywhere. Alternatively the TH guide book says the rest is a scramble to the summit descending via relax max? Unverified if this is the actual route in the TH guide book but it seems fairly close.

wide, look east on the way out to Jebel Sweibet , smooth corner carved out of small stone

Approach from nearby Obeid's Camp, immediately behind and in close proximity to Obeid's Bedouin Camp. 5 minutes to the East walk from the camp.

Approach: You can access the route by car from Disi village (15 min) or Rum village (20 min).

1. First pitch (5b) Nice quality sand stone crack with some face climbing (38m).

2. Second pitch (5b) Sandy chimney with awkward moves and small protection (20m).

3. Third pitch (4-) Easy stretch to the summit plateau (20m).

Descent: Head West to an easy traverse (30-40m) on the same face, Then descend down the back of the mountain following the rock cairns back to valley floor (easy walk 15 min back to base of the route). Option to park you car here (29.617757, 35.482987) then walk to the base of the climb.