Wadi Haqab to Jebel Qada’a Eastern Ascent
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 6.45 mi
- Elevation gain
- 4,367 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Difficult
- Elevation loss
- 413 ft
- Max elevation
- 4,530 ft
- TrailRank
-
72
5
- Min elevation
- 577 ft
- Trail type
- One Way
- Moving time
- 2 hours 43 minutes
- Time
- 3 hours 58 minutes
- Coordinates
- 1825
- Uploaded
- December 20, 2020
- Recorded
- December 2020
near Al Mazlūq, Musandam (Sultanate of Oman)
Viewed 554 times, downloaded 19 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
A recently renovated footpath leads all the way to Ras village. Intermittent paths then lead to the base of the Jebel ascent at waypoint 26.
The climb is relatively straight forward and never leaves you feeling in danger. I have marked the route difficult only for some scrambling and bouldering in this section. The hike up to waypoint 26 is easy to moderate.
Waypoints
Photo
581 ft
1) Start
Begin the trail at the collection of farm buildings. There is ample parking space and it is accessible by 2WD at time of writing (December 2020). Two visible footpaths leave this area - one to the right heading off into the wadi and one to the left towards the staircase visible ahead of you.
Photo
696 ft
2) Staircase
The stairs split almost immediately. The newer steps are steeper but more direct. The paths meet again soon.
Photo
1,135 ft
3) Tree
Take pause at the tree and trace the trail up the slope ahead heading to the right. There are several man-made sections visible to help you get a picture.
Photo
1,368 ft
4) Narrow Steps
When you reach the Barrie steps, head forwards and keep going until you reach the next waypoint. The path does not deviate but it is tricky to spot immediately after you reach the top of these steps.
Photo
1,394 ft
5) Staircase Climb
The path head bow, criss-crossing up the cliff. It is well maintained and easy to follow. Take pause every so often to pinpoint the man-made features.
Photo
1,729 ft
6) House
A rather pristine, modern house greets you as you reach the top of the climb. Be mindful of people who may be here as you pass to continue the trail beyond.
Photo
1,795 ft
7) Trail
Above the slightly more basic buildings to the right of the previous waypoint, the trail is visible and continues on upwards. Various rock cuttings make it visible some way up the slope if you want to plan your ascent accordingly.
Photo
1,942 ft
8) Wall
The path is at its clearest here as a - what looks to be a freshly carved - pathway passes by an outcrop. The path ahead is very clear from this point.
Photo
2,028 ft
9) Viewpoint
As you reach the top of this climb, the view opens up ahead of you down into Wadi Bih and beyond. Continue the climb and IGNORE the trail heading north down the gully.
Photo
2,526 ft
10) Start of Ridge
The path begins to level out around this point as your start to head east along the ridge. The path remains clear obvious. I cannot guarantee the donkeys will still be there when you arrive!
Photo
2,523 ft
11) House
The trail eventually reaches this house under the looping outcrop behind it. The footpath goes to the left and remains very clear as it rounds the small peaks in the distance. At the time of writing (December 2020), this house was very active with multiple people working here - be mindful of you’re near.
Photo
2,595 ft
12) Footpath
The path around the outcrop is very well maintained and clear. It appears to have been renovated recently. Any steep exposure has been clearly walled off. Follow the winding path all the way around several bends.
Photo
2,654 ft
13) Bend in Path
The path bends to the right and heads in a southerly direction. The sloping face of Jebel Qada’a is clearly visible from here.
Photo
2,457 ft
14) Gully
The path joins the course of a gully. Take note of the route on the opposite side as the path switches and comes back on itself.
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2,533 ft
15) Crossing
The crossing to the left is obvious at this point between the giant boulders. This area was being used to store the materials being used reinforcing the path at time of writing.
Photo
2,549 ft
16) Bend
Continue the traverse up and around the outcrop using the clear footpath. You are afforded spectacular views into Musandam as you round the corner.
Photo
2,628 ft
17) End of Path
The path flirts with the Omani border - look out for the marker posts visible at various points. As of December 2020, this is the end of the footpath. There were several men working on it though at this location. I followed the gully up and around towards the village in the ridge to your right.
Photo
2,733 ft
18) Village
There is an active village on top of the ridge here. I believe this one is called Ras village.
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2,900 ft
19) Connecting Trail
A trail joining the two villages on this plateau makes for an easy route across this flat section.
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2,946 ft
20) Steep Cutting
Take care as you follow the path between the villages. There is a steep drop here into a cutting. There is a flat, wide path to follow, however.
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3,022 ft
21) Crossing
As you cross the gully, look out for the path which rises up behind you on the opposite side from where you were. It heads up towards the next village. There is a small staircase to help you just after this waypoint.
Photo
3,081 ft
22) Falaj
Again, be mindful of the residents in Magam village. There is a network of falajes running to the left side (East) of the village. I used these to quickly bypass several houses.
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3,182 ft
23) Magam Village
Your math must inevitably cross through the village at some stage. Try to pick an already trodden path and, as ever, be mindful of the properties here.
Photo
3,314 ft
24) Falaj/Trail
A loose trail follows the contours of the land. You’re heading for the U shape saddle in the top left of the pic.
Photo
3,671 ft
26) Bottom of Summit Hike
Decision time once you reach the saddle. Do you take in the views and head back the way you came? Or do you continue up the final 300m (height) or so climb? The climb looks more daunting than it actually is. You may need to scramble around at certain points but it is void of any dangerous exposure. Allow for another 2 hrs up and down back to this point.
Photo
4,505 ft
27) Jebel Qada’a Summit
Congratulations! You’ve made it to the summit of Jebel Qada’a!
Comments (1)
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Beautiful and difficult route, and an excellent description.
Thank you very much for your documentation work and detailed explanations.