A Cairn on the Canyon Oman’s ‘Grand Canyon’ at Jebel Shams is the second deepest canyon in the world – after the one in Arizona, USA.
I knew virtually nothing about Oman before travelling there – my aim was a long-awaited trip to Egypt (eg: Souvenirs of Egypt) and Jordan (eg: Postcards from Jordan), and I had the chance to tack another stop onto my journey.
Oman has a subtropical dry climate, and is defined as being 82 percent desert; given that it is tucked at the bottom of the Arabian Peninsula, I was expecting – and got – a magical desert sojourn (eg: Life in the Desert). The roads were smooth and straight, making touring easy. Once we were away from the rugged coastline, much of the landscape was rocky and flat, interspersed with date groves and forts. I visited a lot of forts! We had visited one that very morning (see: Jabreen Castle).
The remaining 15 percent of the country is mountainous. The Hajar range – running parallel to the northern coastline of Oman – is home to Jebel Shams (جَبَل شَمْس – Mountain of Sun), the country’s highest peak (3018 meters, 9902 feet), and the Al Nakhur (Al Nakhr) Canyon.
This canyon is also known as Wadi Nakhar, Wadi Ghul, and/or the ‘Grand Canyon’ of Arabia/Oman. It is well named! This gorge, which runs through the valley at the base of Jebel Shams and into the Western Hajar Mountains, is at least 500m (1640 ft) long, and up to 1,000m (3281 ft) deep. The top of Jebel Shams is home to a military installation, and access to that side of the canyon is restricted; the vantage point we drove to was on a high plateau opposite the mountain peak.
You can hike along the bottom of the Wadi Ghul / Wadi Nakhr gulley, or along the top on the 4km (2.5m) out-and-back Jebel Shams Balcony Walk (see: ZigZagonEarth Jebel Shams). Our driver gave us a short briefing and left us to our own devices at the top of the plateau, where I happily wandered taking photos.
Rocky Hillside from the Car Because of the brick construction of those buildings, I’m not sure if that is one of the abandoned villages in the area, or if it is still inhabited. This region was once home to dozens of remote mountain settlements, but in the early 2000s the Government of Oman moved most of the inhabitants to less remote locations.
Roadworks Most of the roads I traveled on in Oman were smooth bitumen highways. In this region, however, heavy annual rains destroy the road surface, so it is graded, but there is no effort to pave it in between seasons.
Nature’s Still Life Found Small shrubs cling to the granite boulders at the top of the lookout-plateau.
The Canyon The patterns and striations in the walls of the canyon are mesmerising.
Military Installation The white domes on the top of Jebel Shams are rather other-worldly.
Stripes Those layer of rock speak to the pressures of inconceivable time!
Overhanging Lookout Ledge There are no guard rails; …
People on Top … anyone with severe vertigo might want to re-think their visit.
Small Shrubs
Into Forever The canyon walls and the blue mountains float off into the distance, …
Patterned Rock … while the unique patterns on the rocks here on the plateau catch my attention.
Don’t Look Down! The wadi – a ravine or channel that is dry except in the rainy season – winds through the valley far below.
Slabs in the Sun
Cairn Against the Sky
An Otherworldly Landscape Powerlines run alongside the dirt road: the area is not completely isolated.
Tumbled Blocks
On the Track Goats mingle with the tourists on the rocky paths.
Men on the Lookout In one of the few fenced areas on the plateau …
Guides Chatting … local drivers catch up on the news.
Rocky Landscape When my travel companion and I have had our fill of the canyon rim, we drive back west – through more rocky terrain.
It is a stark, but beautiful landscape; this imposing gorge is well worth exploring.
- Performing the Ganga Aarti from Dasaswamedh Ghat, Varanasi
- Buddha Head from Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar
- Harry Clarke Window from Dingle, Ireland
- Novice Monk Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery, Myanmar
Packets of 10 for $AU50.
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