Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ADVENTURE IN THE HAJAR MOUNTAINS
Most people would be content with peering gingerly over the rim of Wadi Ghul (Oman's Grand Canyon) but
there are those for whom this isn't close enough. If you are the kind who likes to edge to the ledge, then try some
of the following adventure activities in the Hajar Mountains.
Hike the Balcony Walk
The return hike along route W6 from the rim village of Al-Khateem (3km beyond Jebel
Shams Resort) to the well-named hanging village of Sap Bani Khamis is a favourite with thrill-seekers. Aban-
doned more than 30 years ago, it is reached along the popular but vertiginous balcony walk: one false step in this
five-hour 'moderate hike' will send you sailing (without the 'ab') 500m into the void.
Cycle at High Altitude
For those with lungs built to withstand punishing altitude, try Bike & Hike Oman's
(
Click here
)
high-altitude tour that pedals between 1600m and 2300m with two canyons thrown in.
Climb in Snake Gorge
If you're comfortable with an extreme angle of dangle, then you might like the climbing
opportunities in the upper reaches of this narrow gorge. Enthusiasts have thrown up 'via ferrata' lines allowing
those with a head for heights to pirouette on a tightrope 60m above certain death.
Rappel into Majlis al-Jinn
The 158m drop into this cavern is like a descent into Hades. Fabled as the second-
largest cavern in the world - bigger than St Peter's Basilica in Rome, bigger than Cheops' pyramid in Giza - this
is one mighty hole. Don't count on
jinn
(genies) for company; the only spirit you're likely to feel is your own, pe-
tering out with the rope as you reach for rock bottom. Named after the first person to descend into the shaft of
sunlight at the bottom of the cavern, Cheryl's Drop is the deepest free-fall rappel in Oman.
Drive the Mountain Road to Hatt
You don't need to see the mangled heaps of metal at the bottom of the vertic-
al cliffs to realise that this is one off-road route that needs extreme concentration. If impossible inclines, narrow
gaps and heart-stopping drop-offs appeal, this five-hour route is for you.
With dozens of challenging hikes, 200 bolted climbing routes, and an almost uncharted cave system, Oman is
one adrenalin rush still pretty much waiting to happen. If you want to be in with the pioneers, contact the moun-
tain camps on Jebel Shams (guided hikes cost from around OR50 from the camps for a maximum of four people).
Alternatively, contact Muscat Diving & Adventure Centre (
Click here
) which tailor-makes trips for the extremely
edgy or Bike & Hike Oman (
Click here
)
which offers exciting pedal-power tours.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Bahla
25 / POP 58,200
Ask anyone in Oman what Bahla means to them and historians will single it out for its
fort, expats for its potteries; but any Omani not resident in the town will respond with '
jinn'.
These devilishly difficult spirits are blamed for all manner of evil-eye activities, but
you're unlikely to encounter them unless you understand Arabic, as they are considered a
living legend in the folklore of the country.
Sights
