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Over Mountains and through Canyons - crossing Hajar al-Gharbi
Wadi Bani Awf - Bilad Sayt - Jebel Shams - Wadi Guhl
entering Wadi Bani Awf
There are no asphalt roads crossing the Hajar al-Gharbi or Jebel Akdar - a more than 3000 metre high mountain range between the north east coast and Inner Oman. To reach the city of Nizawa or Wadi Guhl and Jebel Shams - the Grand Canyon of Oman - one can take the more than 200km long way round or a Four-Wheel-Drive car (4WD) and an experienced driver. Between Nakhl and Rustraq we left the asphalt road heading for Wadi Bani Awf.
entering Wadi Bani Awf crossing the Hajar al-Gharbi
crossing the Hajar al-Gharbi crossing the Hajar al-Gharbi

crossing the Hajar al-Gharbi
Through Wadi Bani Awf, sometimes cruising through surprisingly green wadis, and passing the village of Haat, we climbed extremely steep and rocky tracks. After hours we reached Bilat Sayt, a more than 2000 m high pass with an impressive view.
crossing the Hajar al-Gharbi - at Bilad Sayt
panoramic view close to Bilad Sayt - click to enl
[CLICK HERE TO ENLARGE PANORAMIC VIEW]

crossing the Hajar al-Gharbi - driving down to Al-Hamra
From Bilad Sayt we descended to visit the mountain village Misfah al-Ibriyeen. After that we drove along Wadi Ghul to another 2000m high place - Jebel Shams or the Grand Canyon of Oman. To preserve an impression of this marvelous place I took 4 pictures, to obtain a panoramic view of approximately 180 degrees.
Jebel Shams - panoramic view of the Grand Canyon of Oman - click to enlarge
[CLICK HERE TO ENLARGE PANORAMIC VIEW]

After a strenuous day crossing the mountains on rocky tracks Ya'qoub our 4WD driver got a little tired. To wake himself up he decided to show us the narrow parts of Wadi Ghul. He drove on unbelievable tracks through a canyon with perpendicular walls up to 2000m - the canyon we'd seen earlier from further away. It was like driving a car in the Austria's Ötschergräben.
Wadi Guhl - narrow parts
After sunset in the canyon Ya'qoub drove us back almost 300km to our hotel in Al Sawadi. About 100 km before that, we got stuck at a traffic jam close to Masquat. Ya'qoub just drove off the highway to continue our journey in the desert-like sands beside it. No problem for the Toyota Landcruiser equipped with a 4500 cc Electronic Fuel Injected engine and - of course - Ya'qoub, who commented : "No time for traffic jams - we are late !"
Back at the hotel we needed aother day at the pool for relaxing. Although we'd been tightly fastened into our seatbelts, we'd had to cling to the handles all the time while driving on bumpy tracks.
Crossing the Hajar al-Gharbi mountain range was the most exciting and adventurous drive we've ever had in a car. A group of Germans drove the same route a few days later, on our recommendation, and aftwards they thanked us for the tip. They told us it was more impressive than the Hogar mountains in Algeria, which they had crossed on the "Forbidden" route years before.
© photos by Thomas Gramanitsch - February 2005

created: 6.3.2005 - updated: 18.8.2005 - minor changes : 30.12.2021  -  © Th.Gramanitsch