Eight days climbing in Wadi Rum with Frank: multi-pitch routes, Bedouin climbs, desert bivouacs and a piano in the sand to round off our trip to Jordan.
After our climbing trip to Corsica last year, Frank and I are once again letting our craving for warm rock decide where we're heading this year!
And not just anywhere: perhaps one of the few places in the world where you can combine the desert experience with rock climbing and mountaineering.
Wadi Rum!
This is my fifth trip to these Bedouin lands, and every time I feel the same excitement at the thought of experiencing the desert again, wandering through its labyrinth of siqs and jebels, and being welcomed by our kind and mischievous Bedouin friends!
I meet up with Frank at Istanbul Airport. It's always strange to find ourselves in places like this, especially when we're far more used to basic campsites and nights spent in the remote valleys of the Oisans, Vercors or Corsica! But there's no way around it — getting there on foot simply isn't compatible with our schedules!!
Our trip to Jordan begins with what may well be the most dangerous part: the nighttime taxi ride.
On both the outward and return journeys, we lose count of how many points our driver, Mohammed, would have lost if he'd been driving in France. Roughly one point every 20 kilometres — and that's only for the offences we actually notice!
We arrive in the middle of the night at Atayek's place in Rum village and slip straight into our sleeping bags to grab a few hours of sleep before our first day of climbing.
Day 1: East Face of the Vulcanics Towers
Yesterday's journey has taken its toll!
After a short night, lulled to sleep by insomniac roosters and the call to prayer, we wake to a glorious day. It's 25°C in the shade — things are looking good!
We take it easy and wait patiently for the east face to move into the shade.
Today we're heading for the Vulcanics Towers, an area I've never climbed in before and one that's much quieter than the famous east face of Jebel Rum.
We choose the easiest route in the sector: a beautiful, mountain-style line following a succession of chimneys and cracks. The climbing is never particularly difficult, but it's occasionally quite bold for the leader — nothing unusual in Wadi Rum!
Despite the lingering effects of the journey, we quickly get back into the swing of things and rediscover the pleasure of climbing together.
We finish the day with a gentle reintroduction to the Bedouin traditions that are such a big part of Wadi Rum's charm.
After dark, we make our way back to Atayek's place for a hearty feast in excellent Franco-Spanish company.
Day 2: The Edge of Zernouk El Daber – Um Ejil
Today I suggest we go and explore the north face of Um Ejil, home to the world-famous route The Beauty.
First, we'll make our way around the massif through Rakabat Canyon — a chance for me to catch up with a few old friends I've wandered through the jebels with on previous trips!
To reach Zernouk Canyon, we cross the desert, where tourist camps seem to be springing up like mushrooms in an Ardèche cow pasture...
Wadi Rum has clearly experienced a tourism boom over the past couple of years, but it's hard not to wonder what will become of all these structures when the next downturn comes. The logic of unchecked tourism development, and all the disruption that comes with it, gives us something to think about... much like our ski resorts back home, which can turn into ghost towns as soon as the high season is over.
At the same time, we're well aware that we're tourists too — and that, in our own way, we're part of the problem.
That's the paradox of travelling in search of unspoilt nature: wanting to experience pristine places while inevitably changing them simply by being there...
Despite the village being surprisingly close as the crow flies, once you're deep inside Zernouk El Daber Canyon, you already feel a long way from everything.
Like yesterday, today's climb is a classic mountain route where the most demanding pitches aren't necessarily the hardest ones on paper!!
In the end, a V+ up a nice vertical crack can feel a lot more straightforward than a local IV+ across a sea of taffoni, with absolutely nothing to grab above a ledge!
We have a bit of a scare at the start of the route when the team ahead sends two showers of rocks down towards us...
Luckily, the ground at the bottom is sand, so at least we leave it exactly as we found it!!
From the top of the route, and after a well-deserved nap kindly granted by my climbing partner, we scramble over a few domes to reach the summit of Um Ejil, where we're rewarded with a breathtaking view.
Today's descent follows the rappel line of The Beauty... and things are getting busy!
We wait patiently in the glow of the setting sun before finally making our way down.
Back to the village after dark.
This is starting to become a habit!
Day 3: Al Thalamiyah, Jebel Rum – Descent via the Hamad Route
Coming to Wadi Rum without following at least one Bedouin route is, in my opinion, almost sacrilegious! You could spend your entire trip doing nothing but that and be perfectly happy!
But what exactly are these Bedouin routes?
For all sorts of reasons — and probably for thousands of years — the most adventurous locals have explored these mountains, finding ingenious ways through the labyrinth of canyons and domes. Some of these passages are remarkably bold, especially considering how few easy options the terrain offers.
Today, given their difficulty and exposure, many of these routes would be considered mountaineering rather than hiking or rock climbing!
A sure foot and a good mountain sense are essential if you want to avoid the “pleasure” of an unplanned bivouac somewhere in the jebels!
I've already had the chance to follow several Bedouin routes on Jebel Rum — the Hamad Route, Rijm Assaf, the South–North Traverse and the Eye of Allah — so I suggest to Frank that we explore one I haven't done before, and one that doesn't exactly have a reputation for being the easiest: Al Thalamiyah.
The route climbs a deep siq to the right of the Black Tower, and things get steep almost immediately. Climbing shoes aren't necessary, but there are a few grade 5 moves along the way. Whatever some guidebooks might suggest, a rope doesn't really seem optional for the average climber!!
And two or three Camalots will do wonders for the lead climber's peace of mind!
Once we emerge from the siq, the technical difficulty eases, only to be replaced by the exposure of some of the passages — thankfully not all of them!!
Wonder is never far away up here.
You reach the top of a dome and discover another endless landscape stretching away on the other side. You marvel at the extraordinary shapes carved into the sandstone by the relentless work of wind and sun. Then suddenly, a deep canyon opens beneath your feet — one you had no idea was even there...
After a few hours of wandering through this incredible landscape, we eventually join the Hamad Route.
Since we still have time, we continue all the way to the summit of Jebel Rum, where we sit and take in the scenery in complete solitude, the silence broken only occasionally by the harsh, metallic calls of the local crows.
Pure bliss.
It would be a shame to rush the descent in a place like this, so we eventually start making our way back towards the valley, leaving ourselves a little time to spare.
The Hamad Route is relatively well travelled and isn't too difficult to follow as long as you pay attention. For us, everything goes smoothly until the final rappel, when the rope decides to get stuck...
The perfect opportunity to finally put on the climbing shoes that have spent the entire day buried at the bottom of our packs!
Another late return, as expected.
We eat at Atayek's place before being dropped off in the middle of nowhere in Barrah Canyon.
Day 4: Barrah Canyon – Storm and Rumeurs de la pluie
Sleeping in the middle of the desert adds a whole new dimension to the trip.
Far from the bustle of the village and the other climbers, we can finally settle into the rhythm of the place, take in the indescribable beauty surrounding us, feel the sand beneath our bare feet, breathe in the silence...
And brew some tea over a handful of twigs!
A complete change of climbing style today: we're switching to cracks.
Storm will be our “warm-up” for the day, with three beautiful vertical pitches followed by a horizontal IV+ traverse.
We already know the descent and, keen to avoid a repeat of our little adventure here two years ago, we skip the final rappel this time by heading off to the right just before it. A little downclimbing followed by a rappel brings us safely back to the desert.
Since there's still some time left, we round off the day on Rumeurs de la pluie, a perfect dihedral that we climb in two magnificent pitches.
Then it's a leisurely walk back to camp, after stopping for a chat with the climbers camping at the foot of Merlin's Wand.
The days fly by in this desert!
Day 5: Barrah Canyon – Merlin's Wand and Hidden Crack
After a night that would have been perfectly peaceful if it weren't for a few drops of rain, we set off for today's climbs.
Merlin's Wand immediately catches our eye. The beauty and purity of the line make it an absolute must in Barrah Canyon. Like many of the great classics around here, it can sometimes get a little crowded. But today, we're sharing it with just one other rope team — without ever getting in each other's way!
Looking at the lower section, you might expect to need the full crack-climber's repertoire... but not at all! The crack is almost exclusively there for placing Camalots, while most of the actual climbing is done on holds either side of it.
Three overhangs do spice things up a little, though!
Not quite satisfied after such a beautiful climb, we set off to explore another crack nearby: Hidden Crack — invisible from below, as the name suggests.
The grades look fairly modest on paper, but the route turns out to be surprisingly demanding and sustained, requiring a little more actual crack-climbing technique, with a few short sections of less-travelled rock than on Merlin's Wand.
Of course, Merlin's Wand attracts most of the climbers around here and needs no introduction... but the neighbouring routes are definitely worth exploring too!
From the summit, we make our way down via a Bedouin route, with a rappel along the way, before eventually joining the Merlin's Wand rappel line.
Back at camp, we find Atayek's father, who has been waiting for us with a smile on his face for the past few hours while gathering firewood.
Tonight, we'll sleep at the foot of Khazali, at Ali and Atayek's camp.
A hearty dinner shared with a few fellow climbers, and then it's off to bed.
It gets dark early at this time of year...
And we're not getting any younger!
Day 6: Mazyed
No rush this morning. We wake up peacefully in an almost deserted camp, with today's climb right in front of us.
Mazyed winds its way up the right-hand side of Khazali, just a ten-minute walk from camp.
A complete change of style today: most of the climbing is on beautiful fields of red taffoni, broken up by the occasional slab. Route-finding is very much part of the game, with plenty of possible variations!
By managing the rope carefully, I manage to link together some pretty... long pitches!
The guidebook mentions a mysterious “final exposed pitch”, adding that it should probably be possible to protect it with a Camalot #4 in a crack.
Perfect! A friend has lent me the #4 I'd forgotten back in the village.
Nothing to worry about, then!
Slight disappointment when I slide this beautiful piece of gear into the crack: the edges start crumbling away, and the placement looks barely strong enough to hold the weight of the quickdraw!!
So off we go for a good six or seven metres of fairly serious run-out climbing before I manage to place a first Camalot in a rather dubious crack...
And finally, two metres higher, something much more convincing!
It's definitely the kind of section that leaves an impression — and a remarkably effective way of sharpening the concentration of absent-minded climbers like me!
Day 7: From Atayek to Khazali
Since we're enjoying life at camp so much, we decide to keep exploring the climbs within walking distance.
Today we head over to the west face, about a twenty-minute walk away, to check out a route we've heard good things about.
From below, it looks like a vast sea of red taffoni, initially following a faint line of weakness.
From the very first metres, the climbing is magnificent and protects reasonably well, even though six or seven metres between placements is nothing unusual.
The route has seen a few ascents over the previous days, and I follow the occasional faint chalk marks showing me the way.
Once again, I try to manage the rope drag carefully and stretch the pitches as far as possible. I have to admit, when the climbing is this good, it's hard to find a reason to stop!
The rappels down Couchant aren't exactly relaxing either, and every time we pull the ropes, we're more than happy to see them come sailing back down to us!
Day 8: Ali's Route at Khazali
Already our last day... sadly!
With our return to Amman scheduled for mid-afternoon and our fingertips starting to feel the effects of the week, we decide to choose something a little more modest for our final climb.
This Bedouin route offers a fairly direct way up to the north summit of Khazali. As usual, route-finding and a few exposed sections are all part of the game!
Just as Frank is wondering aloud how few animals we've seen in the jebels, two ibex suddenly appear and bound past us, almost as if in response.
We watch them move effortlessly across terrain where we sometimes feel so clumsy.
What a lesson!
One last time, from the summit, we take in the extraordinary landscape stretching away in every direction...
Back at camp earlier than usual, we go and visit Tareq, whom we'd met the day before.
Tareq had a crazy dream: to play a grand piano in the Wadi Rum desert, a place particularly close to his heart!
And now he's making that dream come true — and generously sharing it with us.
We're even treated to a little improvisation from Atayek, who modestly describes himself as the “Debussy of the Desert”!
A beautiful, magical moment to bring our trip to a perfect close...
So, when can we come back?
Practical Info / Route Topo
Day 1: Vulcanics Towers
- First climbs with Frank, through cracks and chimneys, before returning to Atayek’s.
Day 2: Um Ejil
- The Edge of Zernouk El Daber, the summit of Um Ejil and abseils down The Beauty.
Day 3: Jebel Rum
- Up the Bedouin route Al Thalamiyah, down Hamad and on to a bivouac in Barrah Canyon.
Day 4: Barrah Canyon
- Storm and the beautiful corner of Rumeurs de la pluie. A night in the desert.
Day 5: Merlin’s Wand and Hidden Crack
- Two lovely routes before moving to Ali and Atayek’s camp below Khazali.
Day 6: Mazyed
- Red sandstone pockets, route-finding and a few sections that wake us up!
Day 7: Atayek
- Beautiful climbing on Khazali, then abseils down the voie du Couchant.
Day 8: voie d’Ali
- One last climb to Khazali’s north summit and piano in the desert before heading home.
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