Words by Susanne Süßmeier

High, steep walls with bizarre sandstone domes rise up around us. A little off a logical line along a perfect intersection. First over green granite, which soon is replaced by sandstone, we hike along the Karazeh Canyon. Every now and then you have to take your hands out of your trouser pockets and climb up a few meters. Then we are under our current line: the "Rock Fascination", first climbed by Albert Precht and colleagues. Through Chimneys, intersections and cracks, along honeycombs and Sandsteinsintern it goes in 15 pitches, between sand and sandstone, out of the canyon. Secured with mobile Safety devices and slings, a few old slings point the way. The Austrian Albert Precht, known for his bolt-free first ascent style, left some adventurous routes here in Wadi Rum. If you want to go rock climbing in Wadi Rum, you should feel comfortable with trad climbing. For a long time, there was a strict climbing ethic, which mainly set natural safety points and used as few bolts as possible. In the soft sandstone, a portion of experience and a lot of glue are required to set them safely anyway…

Back to rock fascination: just before 4 p.m., two hours before nightfall, we sit at the exit, knowing that the hardest part is yet to come: the complex descent. The Summit plateaus of the mountains consist of many different high sandstone domes. Once you have overcome one, often over steep slabs, the next one after that comes. In between there is always a ditch with vertical walls, which blocks the way. The darkness has now caught up with us - but we only have to rappel down the "Secret Garden" route. However, “only” becomes three hours, most of which we spend on ropes looking for the next abseil. Naturally according to the style, abseiling on slings... we are glad when our hosts us meet us in the jeep and make us the daily “chicken and rice” dinner.

A little less adventure is offered by numerous classics, which can also be abseiled down. We preferred to do this on the first climbing days. It also took a few pitches until we got used to the desert sandstone. "If all the walls from here were good rock quality - it would probably be one of the world's best climbing areas" sums up Elad Omer, an Israeli mountain guide and probably currently one of the best area experts. Unfortunately, only a small part of the sandstone is enjoyable to climb….

But not only the European climbers brought climbing to Wadi Rum. The local Bedouin have many challenging climbed routes. One of them is the “Al Thalamyyiah” route, the start of which we have already seen from the descent of the “Know the Black Magic” route at the Black Tower. The sight of the canyon in which the route going up is terrific. The steep ones look artistic, reminiscent of ornaments on a decorated church façade. After noon we set off with a few litres of water, the best falafel from the small falafel snack bar in the village, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, one rope, one Packed ab-line and 3 Friends. Again and again our gaze wanders these impressive walls, while we climb with a rope, but mostly without a rope in “stimulating” climbing, airy and exposed. Sometimes we wish we had a little more geological understanding to understand the creation of this fairytale landscape. After a basalt plateau we reach the smooth-polished domes, which here around Wadi Rum cover the upper third of each mountain. Finding your way doesn't get any easier, only a few cairns point the way.

Shortly after the setting sun has coloured the landscape fiery red, we reach a big sandy plateau. There we look for a nice spot for our night's camp. The crackling of listening to the campfire, we cuddle up in our sleeping bags. It's dead quiet up there, apart from a few little birds, we didn’t see any animals all day, although there were occasional traces of droppings to testify their presence. Even if finding our way the next day is much easier for us, the path to the summit still drags a little. A few hours later we are back in the background noise of the village. Five times a day the two imams call for prayer, and in addition to roosters, donkeys, the sound of the water tanker and the "Bedouin taxis" whizzing from the village into the desert, the camels also have an unmistakable vocal organ.

We take it easy the next day, trading one of our old ropes for one Camel ride in the desert and make plans for the last week in Jordan. Three more Climbing days should follow before we want to drive from Aqaba to Amman with a rental car, to experience a little more of the country and culture.

The climbing

Wadi Rum is situated on a granite and basalt plateau at 800m and is surrounded by sandstone mountains. Also, the Jebel Rum, at 1734m the second highest mountain in Jordan, is directly west of the village, the ascent takes just 20 minutes. The climbing in the sandstone is very diverse. There are cracks, corners, chimneys, wall and slab climbing and steep 3D climbing. The more exciting the structures look, the more adventurous the climbing- the "Honeycomb" usually sounds hollower than one would like.

The sinters are also a sandy experience – still impressive to climb. It needs a bit of warming up with the sandstone and the realization that the optically impressive structures from a climbing point of view also are impressive but not ideal.

Many pitches can be secured in the classic way with friends, nuts and slings. You usually end somewhere on the plateaus, it's definitely worth going on to a summit for the view!

Fixed material: The most trustworthy material are definitely the glued hooks, you can also find bolts, snap hooks in drilled holes and drilled slings. Classic hooks are not said to have a particularly long service life. The descents are often very complex and sometimes just as demanding as climbing.

Travel dates: 28/11/2022-19/12/2022

Day 1: Visited Petra because it was raining. Wetness makes the sandstone less stable.

Day 2: "In the court of the crimson King", 6a, Burdah east face, no fixed material, descent over the north ridge past the rock bridge. Remote piece of rock in the far east of the territory. Not a classic.

Day 3: “The Beauty” 6b and “Alain and his Perverse Frog”, 6a, Jebel around Ejil. The impressive canyon, which is worth a visit in itself, you climb approx. an hour too. "The Beauty", an absolute classic, has shade until the afternoon. For "The Beauty" it is recommended to use 2x Camalot #5 or once #5 and take #6 with you for the last pitch. The belays are glued, you can also rope down over them. If you have enough time you can still climb "Alain..." or "Priez pour nous". At "Alain..." there is little fixed material. Abseiling is also done here via “The Beauty”.

Day 4: “Lionhart”, 6b, Abu Aina Towers. Another classic, with adhesive hooks on the belays for abseiling over the route. Late November it is in the sun until noon. We only got on at 12 a.m.

Day 5: "Flight of Fancy", 6b and "Troubadour", 6b at Jebel Rum, East Face. Both tours offer grandiose pitches. Partially glued belays. With the "Troubadour" you can use the "Voie du Coeur" with a 7a pitch (many bolts). Predictive rope management for the 6c (3rd pitch). Advantageously, the bolts are distributed somewhat to the left and right…. Ideal routes (as well as the neighbouring routes) for shorter climbing days with little ascent or to get used to.

Day 6: "Black Magic", 5c, Dark Tower. No fixed material in the lower part, only in the upper part, because there is abseiling over the route. The descent in the canyon gives a tiny Foretaste of the “Al Thalamiyyah” route to Jebel Rum. The source at which you pass by is incredibly beautiful and compared to "Lawrence Spring" without any tourists.

Day 7: "The Star of Abu Judaidah", 6c and "Merlin's Wall", 6a in Barrah Canyon, two of the classic there. A return trip cost 80 JD in 2022, which is why many spend a few days there. In the morning we climbed "The Star..." but on recommendation without the last 5a - pitch and after an extended lunch break, the "Merlin’s Wall". The extension of we really liked Arnauld Petit (P5 and P6). Both routes have glued belays, over which one abseils.

Day 8: "La Guerre Sainte" 7b, Nassrani SE wall. The very best pleasure climbing, exclusively quickdraws necessary!

Day 9: Rest day in Aqaba: beach chairs, snorkelling and eating fresh fish

Day 10: "Queen of the desert", 7a, Jebel Rum east face. Another fun route that only requires 3 friends apart from quickdraws (where it crosses other routes). Varied climbing - first flat wall climbing, then ingeniously steep, and finally in the finishing pitches you can really admire how much Friction that sandstone gives! We had received the tip from the first climbers to do this route as the first of the longer routes on this wall, since the abseiling has been set up and is very pleasant and also makes sense for some neighbouring tours.

Day 11: “Inshallah factor”. Highlight: the end in a huge fireplace, in which you have 2 climbs up pitches in the best rock. A 60m rope strand is sufficient for abseiling from the "Eye of Allah" into the Great Siq. About 7 descents, all shorter than 30m. On the last abseil before pulling the rope, check out the further way, because you can continue abseiling a little diagonally, towards the inside of the gorge, behind a hump and thus save yourself some sporty climbing. After a spooky stride, the impressive gorge goes a little further inward. It gives a foretaste of the Hamads route, a possible ascent of Jebel Rum. Where you meet it, by a small tree, you follow its ascent route up the red ridge and directly orographically to the right following the cairns to two rappels, which are also each with a 60m strand are possible.

Day 12 + 13: Jebel Rum via "Al Thalamyyiah" route with bivouac

Day 14: Rest day, camel riding

Day 15: "Atayek Hamad Route", 6c, Jebel Khazali West Face. Anyone who since arriving in Wadi Rum has been wondering about these ominous "honeycomb structures" climb - you try it out here extensively over 9 pitches. Take many slings for hourglasses, except one few threaded hourglasses, there is no fixed material. Abseiling is via the side tour. The sunset from there is amazing!

Day 16: "Rock Fascination", 6b, at Jebel Kharazeh. We were previously recommended the route and Secret Garden for the descent. We can now also recommend it... If you don’t do it loke us: pay close attention to the topo where the point for the abseiler is marked...there is one below the band… On camptocamp.org you can find a great topo for the upper part of the Descent, i.e., the one directly after the exit, the path described by Prechts differs.

Day 17: "Inferno", Jebel Rum. The extension "Towering Inferno" also looks great, is 7a (?), however, around a corner more demanding and we only wanted an entertaining one afternoon climbing.

Day 18: "Raid with the Camel", 7a, incredibly varied and rewarding! We abseiled down the "Queen of the desert" (see day 10).

19-21: Journeys from Aqaba to Amman via the Dead Sea