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| no partners | | It's about an hour and a half drive from the town of Wadi Musa to the red sands of Wadi Rum. On this day, the drive took over two hours as rough weather had rolled in the night before. Dense fog blanketed the mountains, making the narrow, winding road difficult to navigate at normal speeds. Somehow I made it to my meeting location on time.
I utilized a guide for this trip. The group for the day consisted of three others from Germany, our guide, Abdula, and myself. Abdula drove through the desert with the four of us seated on benches in the bed of the truck. Rain graced Wadi Rum for the first time in months, resulting in a cold, wet, and windy ride to the base of Jabal Umm.
From the mock trailhead, Abdula led us straight up the mountainside, sans trail. Initially, our route was steep, occasionally requiring hands for balance. Once we reached a substantial ridgeline, the grade lightened up and in no time, we were at the highest point in Jordan. Ordinarily, sunny skies would grant us tremendous views of Wadi Rum and Saudi Arabia, which is immediately to the south. Not today.
Our 360 degree panorama consisted of nothing but clouds which sprinkled intermittent snow on us. Abdula commandeered a small fire left by a previous group for a delicious pot of tea. After snacks and laughs, we began our descent. Half-way down, the skies opened up enough to see nearby peaks towering over the otherworldly, Mars-like landscape below.
Our next stop was an overhanging cliff about 45 minutes away for lunch which Abdula made from scratch. We filled up on stew, bread, hummus, and tea before heading off to a famous arch in the area. If living in Arizona has taught me anything, it's that rain in the desert is always a beautiful thing. With that said, I'd say we couldn't have asked for more ideal conditions in Wadi Rum. |
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