By Fiona Ferrer
The drive from the stiflingly hot, cosmopolitan Muscat up to the canyon at Jebel Shams cuts through the centre of Oman. At first glance it's an unforgiving, uninhabitable terrain of dusty, empty plains lined with barren mountains. But as my eyes adjusted to the hot, shimmering landscape life began to emerge out of it. There's a shaggy goat tripping along a narrow path, a tiny figure scrambling up the mountain-side to their village and suddenly my focus shifts again and I realise I've been staring at the ruins of a stone village. How did I miss that? It's all part of Oman's charm. The closer you look the more you find.
Eventually the tarmac ran out, the 4x4s kicked in and my ears popped. We started to wind our way higher and higher into the mountains towards our first stop, Jebel Shams, the highest mountain on the Arabian Peninsular at 3000 meters and home to the Grand Canyon of Oman.
Jebel Shams
The first glimpse of the canyon was breathtaking. The path, only a couple of feet wide, fell away to my right down to the dried up river bed 1000 meters below. On the opposite side of the canyon and far off into the distance was a vast, barren moonscape shimmering in the heat with no signs of life other than dots of isolated scrub surviving the relentless sun.
Although there's a known trail along the canyon rim it's not for the feint-hearted; it's high, narrow, there's no shade unless you set off at the right time of day and, in parts, it's less of a path and more of a 'how do I get over that?'. We began our trek slowly, acclimatising to the heat and the terrifying drop which was just a small slip away, "My mother would kill me if she could see me now", I thought as I clung onto rocks and inched my way along sections of the path which would have challenged a goat.
The path narrows
After three hours we reached the end of the canyon, took off our rucksacks and sat down in silence to take in the sheer scale of the mountains, the height of the canyon and far, far beneath the dried up river bed. The trek back was more strenuous than I had anticipated, partly due to Hamdan's spanking pace and partly because sections of it are uphill and deceptively steep. It's an impressive trek and well worth having a guide with you for the geological, historical and cultural background which makes up life in the Jebel Shams.
Having thoroughly inspected the outside of the mountains it was time to take a look at them from the inside. The enormous Al Hoota caves are on the southern slopes of Jabal Akhdar at the foot of Jebel Shams. Huge stalagmites and stalactites meet in stunning formations to create an ethereal underground cathedral. At the darkest end of the cave is a silent, black lake home to rare transparent blind fish. For Lord of the Rings fans it's as close as you're going to get to Mordor without the Orcs. It's worth a trip for the sheer scale of the caves and the sight of geology in the making.
And then it was time to go wadi-bashing. Admittedly this is not the most eco-friendly of adventures being a bumpy drive in a 4x4 along a dried-up river bed (or wadi) but it's certainly an impressive experience. The idea is to get a feel for the depth of the course carved deep into the rocks by the river and to see the evidence of its power to shift boulders as big as houses.
The only water in the wadi
The Omani rainy season is short but, because the ground is baked hard by the intense sun, when it finally comes the river flashes down the wadi at a torrential rate, sweeping up huge boulders and anything else in its path. The river is only a river for a short time before it's absorbed, evaporated and drained away. Which is lucky for the residence of the small village at the end of the canyon who are completely cut off when the rains come. It's a great way to get some respite from the heat and to get a feel for the depths of the canyon and the power of the river when it comes.
The following day it was time to put on our hiking boots again and take on the 'Green Mountain' on the Saiq plateau. The route runs along the mountain side linking the four villages of Wadi Bani Habib, Shrejaya, Al ain and Aqur together by narrow paths and irrigation channels. Called the 'Garden of Oman' this area provides the country's freshest and most sought-after produce thanks to the fresh mountain water and excellent soil.
The wonders of irrigation
Rather than follow the paths our guides took us the more adventurous route along the 'falaj', narrow, knee-high irrigation channels.
Climbing down the falaj
The steep drop of lush green fell away from the terrace edge and gave out onto the valley far below and over to the barren mountains opposite. As we stood in the 40 degree heat surrounded by green trees laden with fruit we marvelled at the incredible feat of irrigation engineering. A hawk circled on thermals high above our heads and the mountains shimmered in the silent heat.
But Oman isn't just about trekking and mountains - there are miles of fabulous sandy beaches, clear seas for whale-watching, a surf suited to beginners and, of course, rolling sand dunes in the desert. It offers some of the Arabian Peninsula's most exciting destinations, friendliest people and fabulous food.If you love escaping the normal tourist trails, immersing yourself in exotic cultures and having a bit of an adventure Oman is the place for you.
Fiona Ferrer
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Our trip was organised by Desert Thunder.
For information and reservations contact:
Desert Thunder Travel & Tourism
PO Box 807
Post Code 132
Al Khoud
Sultanate of Oman
Tel: 00 968 9555 5153
Fax: 00 968 2469 4293
email: info@desertthunderoman.com
Web: www.desertthunderoman.com
Flights
Return economy fares from London Heathrow and Manchester airports to Muscat via Abu Dhabi start at £346 including taxes. Etihad Airways operates daily morning, afternoon and evening services to Muscat from London Heathrow. The airline also operates a daily service from Manchester airport to the Oman capital. For further details visit www.etihadairways.com or book flights here.
