Wadi Haqab and the 3 Secrets

Having seen a handful of precariously placed farm houses towards the top of the Haqab valley when gallivanting across the qada'ah ridge line in days gone by, it was almost certain that there was a more practical route to them than the up-and-over method. So with a bit of trail and error, a load of luck, and some initially keen hiking partners, a route was discovered, with a nice balance of natural terrain, wadi's, man made steps and dry stone features to compliment. All in all, an enjoyable single day route, with a lot of the exciting bits reachable without doing the whole route, as the elements come nicely spaced along the trek.

A lot of the enjoyment in this route is the process of discovery, and unlocking of clues, so in some ways, consider the following description a spoiler!

I have published a number of routes on Jebel Qada'ah. Therefore it is possible take elements from this route and link it together with elements of the following routes.

https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/jebel-qadaah-routes-2-and-3-19575686
https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/jebel-qadaah-routes-1-and-2-19573408
https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/hubs-stairway-to-hell-and-jebel-qadaah-northern-ridge-58970972

This route goes up to the meeting point on the ridge where by the options open up on where to go, so this is a return route to the ridge line and back, but it's certainly not limited to that. For those options take a look at the attached Qada'ah map. This route explores section '2'.

This route is technically almost an easy. Only the steeper last section to the ridge from the village and the short steep section from the wadi out give it this grade. The rest is easy. The pace for this route should be considered moderate. It wasn't rushed, and there were some pauses, but it wasn't chilled out either. Therefore I would say this would typically take people between 5.5-8.5 hours round trip, or 3 - 5 to get up and 2.5 - 3.5 hours down. It's around 8km/5 miles from bottom to top. The following description is based on this trails times, as it is pretty regular, without breaks included.

To note, the gps signal in parts (particularly around the section 2 below) goes way off at times, so stick to the description, waypoints and some common sense. The route up is exactly the same as the route down, except for exploring the top village area, so in the case of confusion when returning, just retrace.

The route nicely breaks down into the following 6 sections:

1. WP 01 - 07 - Wadi Haqab - 35 mins up / 30 mins down - 2.4km (1.5 miles)
2. WP 07 - 10 - The Hidden Exit - 35 mins up / 25 mins down - 0.8 km (0.5 miles)
3. WP 10 - 16 - The Valley Side - 30 mins up / 25 mins down - 1.6km (1 mile)
4. WP 16 - 18 - The Hidden balcony - 5 mins up / 5 mins down - 0.3 km (0.2 miles)
5. WP 18 - 22 - The tributary wadi and the Hidden staircase - 45 mins up / 40 mins down - 0.8 km (0.5 miles)
6. WP - 22 - 24 - The steep finish - 1 hour / 40 mins down - 2 km (1.3 miles)

The following description is written from bottom to top.

1. Wadi Haqab

Parking is easy, as there is a large area used by the locals to access the nearby villages, including the ones on this route. It can be reached by car or 4x4, both reaching the same point.

From here head directly to waypoint 02, and the start of the main wadi. There is at times a very clear path. The path tends to stick to the left hand side, and often raises slightly up away from the wadi floor, so if you find yourself in the wadi among rocks, look left and gain height.

Flow through waypoint 3. Half way between waypoints 3 and 4 the path leaves the wadi floor and this time raises up the right hand side (looking up the wadi) on the south side. It is easy to loose it at times, and as you get to waypoint 4, make sure to stick in the same direction and not to head off the large wadi tributary on the right hand side. At times there are small scrambles as the path crosses this wadi. Once passed this section the path is moderately easy to track up to way point 5.

Between waypoints 5 and 7 the path appears and disappears, and is really hard to spot. It generally takes a racing line through the wadi bends, but as long as you just keep plodding up the wadi, in the end it doesn't really matter, it just might be a little bit slower if you loose it.

2. The Hidden Exit

At way point 7, it is really key that you hit this exact marker point. The path leaves the wadi to the right and is not at all obvious, with a step up onto a rocky tributary section. There are a few stones placed to act as a step. Clamber up a very short distance (a matter of meters) and then turn right again, completing the U turn and now looking back in the direction from which you original came up the wadi. In front of you there should be a moderately steep navigable section, with a tree some 20m ahead. That's the route out!

If you have a keen eye, look slightly up the wadi on the other side and a red flag in placed in the rock, and can be used to confirm you are at the right spot.

Follow this section westward, which keeps a sustained pitch of around 1:4, and you will pass a few more small trees. The rocks to your left, and the wadi's cliff edge to the right, slowly come together narrowing to a single path. This brings you to waypoint 9.

Take a sharp left and head south, taking the easy scramble to waypoint 10, where 2 vertically placed stones, mark the gateway to a village abandoned long ago.

3. The Valley Side

From the village curve off to the left again, now generally heading back up the wadi in a east-south easterly direction. The path gains/losses little to no height and just traverses the valley side.

It has some key directional changes which are marked at waypoints 12, 13 and 14. Waypoint 13 makes for a good rest spot, with a large flat sitting area and rocks.

Continue on, and the path slowly gets closer to the wadi once more, as the wadi rises up to meet it. However, when you get to way point 15, look out for the next tricky to spot section. The path breaks up and disappears and reappears. Make sure not to actually reach the wadi itself, remaining 10 or so meters above, on the wadi side, and head for way point 16. After way point 16, the path should be clear taking you to the 'secret passage' The 2nd critical waypoint.

4. The Hidden Balcony

From Waypoints 16 follow the path around the edge and the exit balcony will appear in front of you. Some dry stone steps take you up the meter hight step. Step up onto the balcony and walk (slightly downward sloping) the 20m section until you reach the side wadi, at the point it drops into Haqab's main section. With out much option, take a right and head up the wadi.

5. The Tributary wadi and The Hidden Staircase

In the morning, the left hand side of this section offers good shade, so makes for another good rest point.

Follow the wadi up, with it's small steep sides, until it opens out into a more V-shaped valley. Continue until ahead of you, you will see a 30m or so high wall wrapping itself around the wadi, allowing for everything to fall in and nothing to get out. This should mean you are at waypoint 19. The bottom of the second secret.

From here turn left and head up the grassy slopes to the edge of the wadi. Hopefully in front of you you should be able to make out the first set of stairs. Once you reach the stair case it is very easy to stay on track. They are clear, obvious man made elements, with cement used in some parts, so if you are on it, you will know you are on it. Any doubt, your not.

Zig zag up the staircase, and around the rocks for this short but exciting element of the route, and this will bring you out onto the flat village section. There are around half a dozen building slightly spread out, and the route this path takes weaves around them, but you could head straight for the next section also.

6. The steep finish

The final section lacks an obvious path. This section brings you to the ridge, and is worth it if your after the views of some of the neighbouring wadis, but it is also noticeably steeper, longer and more sustained than all the previous sections. There is no one route, but generally just head for waypoint 23. Avoid the steeper sections and weave the route through the path of least resistance.

This final section is really there as the link from this route into other routes, and a set up for a possible summit route of Qada'ah. It is distinctly different from the other sections and was the main part of the route which brings the grading here up to a 'moderate'.