Routes in Middle East for selected grade

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

An underrated gem, a must do mountain traverse full of character and diverse terrain. The best 5- in rum packaged into an achievable 1 day objective full of big mountain adventure.

Time: Going easy, 5 hours to the summit, 1.5 hours descent, 1.5 hour walk back to the cove. Shade all day can be done in summer.

The TH guide book 1 paragraph description and dotted line topo is remarkably useful. The climb starts at the cove on the west side of north barrah. Take the gully which goes up to the left with some squeeze sections to the hanging valley. Stay on the left of the hanging valley and go almost all the way to the end. Take the ramp back up the left side to reach a water worn groove with a jammed toaster sized block.

1. f4 Scramble over the jammed block passing some obvious cracks on the right.

2. f5- Take the slab back up right pull over the fun overhang (golden wonder crisps?) to a bolted station.

3. f4 easy slab on to the exposed dome to another bolted station.

4. f3 easy traverse back into the big gully.

5. f5- (eyeball from the left the big chimney, the groove and the thin cracks.) climb straight up the crack, to the left of the pedestal, brittle rock.

6. f5- climb up right on top of the pedestal, traverse right to the chimney. Super cool easier than it looks with good protection (f4-) to a single bolt above a large hollow flake. (Potentially dangerous)

Descent Follow the skinny siq, through the white powder sands and arching walls to a number of entertaining technical squeeze sections (f4). After these it opens up into a plateau. The TH guide book mentions 2 abseils however we didn't find these (assume these are in the main siq). From the plateau leaving the main siq and trending to the left we followed cairns and scrambled down the rest of the way to sands on the east side.

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.

To the left of the sport routes is a huge, right-facing corner that forms the left margin of the face (Runner Up). Down and left about 100 feet from this huge corner are two, short, nice looking varnished corners. This route climbs the right-hand corner. Climb the right corner, which has a prominent wide crack on the right side. This corner had partially been climbed previously by local Bedouin guide Omar, who lowered off a cam because there was no anchor. The FRA party continued to the top of the corner and installed an anchor. Rappel with one rope from a fixed anchor (drilled baby angle and thread).

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.

North east face, identified by the rightward curving crack line, left of the big black slab.

5 bolts ? 1 sling

5 slings in situ

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.

Has a different access from the east side of the crag, easy slab, exposed in the sun.

Has a different access from the east side of the crag, easy slab, exposed in the sun.

Shares Anchor with Faris

Requires a single set of medium-large friend.

Short but sweet.

Everything right where you need it

A little sandy on the entrance then nice and easy

A little sandy on the entrance then nice and easy