www.nomadstravel.co.uk or go directly to: www.nomadstravel.co.uk/Jordan.update.html and follow the links.
June 2011
Jordan was relatively quiet this year, but problem free despite Mid East and North African turmoil. There were a few marches in downtown Amman for increased democracy (the King selects the government) and some in the wealthier uptown in support of King Abdullah. And that was about it. Jordan was, as always, a good place to be in the spring even if the weather was a little cooler than usual.
The Northern Hills
This area is still very much untouched by trekkers though it is becoming to be visited by Jordanian walking groups and climbers who have now discovered what a marvellous country they live in, full of adventure opportunities.
Amman
The capital now has its own climbing wall, see http://www.climbat.com/
Dead Sea Canyons
As elsewhere in Jordan, these superb canyons are becoming increasingly popular with Jordanians. They usually visit the canyons with Jordanian adventure travel specialists such as Sarha http://www.sarha.jo Terhaal http://www.terhaal.com/ and Tropical Desert http://tropicaldeserttrips.com who take regular canyoning and trekking trips. All canyons are equipped with fixed abseil points, though the canyons themselves sometimes change due to flash floods. Wadi ibn Hammad (R53) now has a 3m drop in it’s upper section where none existed before.
PetraIn Jan 2011, Petra fees rose considerably. A day pass is now 50JD (about £45). There have beena number of complaints in the Jordan Times newspaper about this (including one from us), but it seems unlikely things will change. In fact they may even be increased again later this year.See http://www.your-guide-to-aqaba-jordan.com/petra_tickets.html for more information. There is also talk of requiring all trekkers passing through Petra to hire a local guide, but we have no firm news on this.
Jebel Mas'udaSouth of Petra, following years of discussions with the local Saidiyin Bedouin, RSCN proposals to create the Jebel Mas’uda Reserve (see map on page 215) have been dropped. This is good news for trekkers and climbers as the area will remain open, but maybe not so good for the area as collecting wood for fires and hunting for ibex and other game will continue. It’s a great area well worth a visit.
RumNothing to report here, except to say that more Bedouin are offering homestays in the village, and there are more Bedouin-style and upmarket tourist camps in the desert. The best place to ask is around the Rest House.
The 2nd edition of our Jordan book was published in July 2008. Info on a number of new climbs and treks was received just after the publisher's deadline, plus we added more on our spring 2008 visit, and some GPS points. We include them here, and in the following pages, working through Jordan, from north to south (trekking info is minimal, due to space limitations). Any info received in the future that is relevant to this book will be posted on these 'Jordan-update' pages for the benefit of our readers.
PELLA AREA Wadi Taibah to the Jordan Valley
Long and varied, descending 600m through different eco-systems and geological layers and past olive groves, orchards, an abandoned fish farm and a ruined water-powered flour mill to almost 200m below sea level.
Easy walk Long, though with reasonably straightforward route finding. Though sometimes small, there are paths the whole way down the valley, following the wadi for 20km from the upper plateau at 400m to the Jordan valley road in the village of Waqqas at 170m below sea level; allow 6-7 hours. There may be murky pools just after half way, past the old flourmill, but best to carry sufficient water.
Approach About 1/2hr by taxi (10JD) from Pella Rest House. Take the road up to Kufr Rakib, then left (N) to Da’yr abu Sa’id (shops and café) then right towards Irbid, to the point where the road descends a long hairpin approx 1km after Sammu and rises up again. The wadi below the bend is Wadi Taiyiba, winding W, initially through a twisting limestone gorge with old quarry workings.
Start From GPS 390m 32° 31.236´ 35° 44.875´
Finish the Jordan Valley road is reached in Waqqas (bread shop and groceries), GPS -190m 32° 32.219´ 35° 36.103´.
Return It’s about 10km S to Tabaqat Fahl and the Pella Rest House by frequent but and/or local taxi (5JD for taxi). We left a car at Pella at the start of the trek and arranged transport to the start and finish of the trek, and accommodation at the Countryside Hotel, with the Rest House Manager.
For those who are unable to walk the full wadi, it’s possible to walk or drive up from Waqqas for 2km and take a short walk up the valley past the hot spring.
PELLA AREA Kufr Rakib to Pella via Wadi abu Salih
Not as pretty as the walk down neighbouring Wadi Salih, but equally varied and more challenging.
Moderate trek
12km, with walking and scrambling on steep terrain and sometimes tricky route finding. The route descends from 500m to 60m below sea level at the natural arch and hot springs, then ascends the road to Pella Rest House at sea level. 4hrs to the hot spring and another 1/2 hr to the Rest House.
Approach From Pella Rest House, go down to the road and turn right then right again in less than 1km and follow the road for about 9km, up past a check point to Kufr Rakib. (Baker of excellent taboun bread just before the crossroads.) Turn left at the crossroads, quickly reaching the point where the road crosses Wadi abu Salih (usually dry). GPS 500m 32° 27.434´ 35° 41.679´
The route Follow the wadi down to the second of two small roads enters the valley about 5km from the start.Follow this down a short way, descending right into the wadi when the road starts to rise away from it. Continue down the small canyon and wadi to the rock arch and hot spring (busy on Friday). GPS –60m 32° 27.915´ 35° 37.209. Either descend to the spring or cross the natural arch before walking 2km generally S on the road (avoid the big hairpin bend by going up the hillside); continue S to reach the turn up left to the Rest House.
(Nice accommodation at the nearby Countryside Hotel – ask Dib Hussein, the Rest House Manager.)
CLIMBING, North Jordan - SAQEB AREA
Saqeb Cliff: Shivering Crack (guidebook page 305) is Grade 5. Apolgies for the ommission.
CAVING, Zubia Cave - Prof Stephan Kempe, a member of a survey of Zubia (also known as Al Daher) in Dec 2006, has asked us to point out that “The problem with giving locations of caves (none are known in Jordan of the extent of Al Daher by the way) is rather grave since people are digging everywhere and destroying very valuable scientific resources. The same is happening in Al-Daher, flowstone is being removed by professionals and there is no way to stop them. Please put a note in your website as to the absolute need for conservative visitation only; may I also recommend that anybody who is defacing this or other caves in Jordan, damaging their interior or even stealing objects, should be reported to the authorities.”
For a full professional report and topo of Zubia (El Daher) Cave, see Journal of Cave & Karst Studies, Dec 06, v.68, no. 3, p.107-114.
