Wadi Rum, Jordan

Some pictures from the Xmas trip to Wadi Rum. An amazing place, would definetly like to return here one day.. But not to stay at the Resthouse campsite in Rum village - its a dump! Much better to take a Bedoiun taxi and 50 litres of water and disapear into the desert. Such an inspiring place with so many timeless lines to be climbed, and many huge adventurous routes on sandstone chimneys and faces with everything from imacculate rock to the most chossy nonsense anywhere..

Canyon of the Hyena

East Ridge of Ranayim

Desert Dog

Abbing into the Great siq on Hammad's Route

HUGE walls on Jebel um Ishrim

High on Sabbah's Route

Alpen glow Wadi rum style

Wadi Rum Sunset, looking into the wilderness area to the east

Bivi Boulders

Bivi

Retreat!

Common sight in Rum Village

And plenty more, way too many pictures to put here...

Petra, Jordan

East face of Jebel Rum

Update from Xmas trip to Jordan, almost a month late! Great trip exploring Wadi Rum and Petra, and the interesting locals who seem keen to try and rip you off at every available opportunity. First up, Petra.

Petra

What a place - some of the buildings took over 300 years to carve by hand from the sandstone walls, they must have had a lot of time free! A very touristy place, this fact recognised by the locals, who take great pleasure and have no shame trying to extract as much of your money as possible. The ridiculous entry prices with different prices for people staying in the local area, day visitors, multi day visits, people staying in the local area... Where does the money go? Someone will be getting very rich from this place, as the information provided on the buildings is pretty basic and litter abounds everywhere, seems like the locals don't give a toss and are just out to squeeze as much money out of passing visitors as possible. But then the whole Middle East seems to have no desire to keep its area clean, throwing rubbish away seems to be a national sport, something to do with the Koran?? But i'm digressing...

Getting away from the beaten track was the way to do it, and only then do you get a feel for how the place used to be at it's peak. Over 30,000 people used to live here apparently, there must have been plenty more water going about back then!! Can't imagine what the sewage system was like.. A home to traders, gangstars, vagabonds and religious nuts, maybe a few normal people too, with a soceity based on human sacrafice to the gods, i'm glad i'm visiting it now and not 2000 years ago...

Rush hour, Petra

2000 year old stairway

Garden Temple

Petra 'Police'

Petra vista, from near the place where children were sacraficed to the 'gods'

House? Temple?

Big old temple...

This was carved out by hand, crazy..

Massive..

Entrance to Petra

300 years to build this

Top of Petra

Update

Desertscape - home for next wee while

A while since the last post, and a lot has changed! Now in the United Arab Emirates, working with the local military and providing adventure training in the desertish landscape. Currently two and half months into an 8 month stint, back in the UK at the start of May, where hopefully there will be plenty of dry crags to be climbed. Winter will be missed this year, but it's a nessesary evil...

Before heading out here at the start of September, a wee trip to the Alps proved entertaing. Main objective, 'The Cassin Route' on the Piz Badilie, was too snowy at the top to go for, however, there is plenty of alternative entertainment to be had in the Alps!

Motley Alps crew

Pitch 3 Steinfresser - an amazing E2 5b/F6a/b

Piz Palu col

Bivi spot

John descending from Flatiron

Smithy

Terry coming up Flatiron

Obglitory broken down car

Moody Bregalia

The Flatiron

Descent from Piz Palu

Approach to Piz Palu

And plenty more.

Also managed to get some nice trad trips in before heading to the desert. Highlights had to be the Bullroar on Ben Nevis, a great adventurous route climbing Carn Dearg in 12 pitches, and a few days in Reiff and the north, getting some great late summer sunshine..

The Bullroar pitch 4, Ben Nevis

Reiff village

Reiffscape

Which leads on to living in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE. Plenty of loose sketchy rock out here, some ok sport routes, and enough scrambly/trad to last a lifetime, which may not be a very long lifetime if your not carefull with the rock...

Hanging out on Justice League, Hatta

Massive wall in north of UAE

Shisha Time

Omani cooking a fish, Kashab

Musandam, Oman

Fossil Face

About to ab for some gear... Junction Crag

Sarah at Zombieskull

Ralph seconding the 1st pitch of Weapons of Mass Distruction, a new 3 pitch HVS

View from home

The mighty Burj Kalifa

Shababs in the desert

Wandering the desert

Desert sunset

Will post plenty more plus some thoughts on the UAE - it's a weird place..