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More Sand Than Stone
5.10+,
Trad, 4 pitches,
Avg: 3 from 1
vote
FA: Dana Hawlish, Chris Natalie, Mark Feeney Feb/2018
International
> Asia
> Jordan
> Wadi Rum
> Jebel Suweibit Gharbia
Access Issue: Entrance fee required; you are also supposed to register with the Tourist Police if climbing
Details
As of May 2022, the entry fee to Wadi Rum was 5JD/person. The alternative to paying the entrance fee is to buy a Jordan Pass. If you get the Jordan Pass before you arrive in Jordan, your US visa fee ($56 US) is waived and the Jordan Pass allows access to places like Petra, Shobak Castle, etc.
At the Wadi Rum entrance complex is a Tourism Police office. If you are climbing at Wadi Rum, you are supposed to register with the police and give them a photocopy of your passport. Bringing a spare photocopy to give them saves some time, as they don't have a photocopier of their own.
Description
This is an enjoyable moderate route, and if you get past the sketchy choss first pitch you'll be rewarded with a wonderful .10+ pitch of crack climbing and laybacking. The route is on Jebel Suweibit Gharbia, (same formation as "The Haj" for reference) in the far southern end of Wadi Rum. You'll have to hire a local to drive you down there, its about a 40 minute drive. The line lies in the very back of a narrow canyon on the west face. Walk west past The Haj (the south face) until you come to the obvious canyon. Walk up it until you essentially cant go any further, the route starts here in something like a chimney. We left a plaque at the base.
p1: this shit pitch guards the good climbing above it. Stem briefly up the walls of the slot canyon before committing to the wall on the right. gain a good stance on a ledge, place some gear, and make a scary crack switch into the corner to your right. follow a thin hands crack to a ledge and build a belay. the rock is incredibly soft on this pitch.
p2: climb the sweet hand and finger crack straight above you to the imposing roof. undercling out this and continue up flakes and fingercracks with great gear to a good ledge with two bolts. this is an awesome and sustained pitch!
p3: climb the 8" offwidth above the ledge to gain an enjoyable squeeze chimney which goes for a ways. tunnel underneath some huge wedged blocks and build a belay in a sandy gully.
p4: one more good 5.8 pitch up a leftward trending ramp takes you to a drilled thread belay. you can wander to the summit from here if you choose.
Rap the route with two ropes. there is a slightly hidden two bolt rap station at the top of pitch three on a ledge above the wedged boulders.
Protection
Two sets of cams to 4" and stoppers. one 5 and 6 camalot.
[Hide Photo] Chris leading the oh dubya.
[Hide Photo] Chris coming up the sweet 2nd pitch. The splitter and wild roof are just out of sight below.