Stairways 2 Heaven - Right Bank (Wadi Lithbah to Ras Al Ghash Village)

Stairways To Heaven, one of the most popular trail in the region which is further classified as Right bank (Wadi Lithbah to Ras al ghash village and come back through the same way - Moderate+ level) and Full loop (Including the deadly stairs on the left bank, reaching the Ras Al Ghash village through Oman area and then coming back through right bank - Relatively Difficult)

The trail i have marked here is the Right Bank (Summit at the Ras al Ghash village and come back). People used to call this village as woh village, but woh village is actually at the summit of Galilah trail.

Even though i have passed though the way multiple times (while aiming the JJ True summit) i haven't done a descent through this trail. Since summer is almost started and Ramadan is approaching, i decided to do this, as probably the last hike of the season.

Myself and some friends from Adventure Squad UAE, started the hike at 6.15 in the morning from Wadi Lithbah starting point. You need an SUV in order to reach here. If you have a normal car, you can drive upto Galilah dam, park over there and then have to walk about 3km to the starting point.

We walked slowly and took some breaks in between. There is a water pond (which is almost dry due to the lack of rain) and a nice balcony walk before it. The rest is elevation gain and gain and gain. Finally reached the village in 3 hours+ time. We were invited for some tea and snack by the Pakistani men who were staying at the top of the village and we took rest for almost an hour.

We started descending after filling some more water from the village. It took about 2 hours to descent with one break which was at the water pond.

The trail is well laid and very less chance to get lost for someone who used to hike. It is consist of cemented rock steps, and some lose rocky terrain that is similar in the RAK region. It is basically a donkey path and you can see them carrying load, transporting goods from/to the village. The elevation is gaining gradually and reaches 1450m at the village. Just be careful while descending at the lose rocky areas and make sure to have hiking poles to reduce the effort of your knees.

There are resting points and flat camping areas throughout the trail. In winter, you can carry your stuff and do an overnight in one of the points or even in the top village.

Overall its a good hike, not a visual treat but an endurance hike with 10+ km length and relatively more elevation gain. Physically and mentally challenging for those who finished easy level hikes and aiming for some serious trails.

Points to note:
- Mobile network only available at the top village
- Keep enough water (4 litres minimum) plus electrolytes according to the climate.
- Hiking poles are recommended
- If you have sedan, you have to park at the Galilah dam and the walk ~3 km additional.

Location : Wadi Lithbah (RAK)
Parking : 25.98416981901447, 56.16749853631842 (AWD)
: 25.981039751622394, 56.14541155565999 (Sedan)
Difficulty : Moderate+
Highlight : Balcony walk, Water pond, Ras Al Ghash village at the top

Note the waypoints and read their description. Please reach out for any further info / clarifications