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Primarily this thread is to publicise a free PDF guide to the French Pillar of Jebel Misht that I have put together:
http://www.foordkelcey.net/uae/misht_fp_topo.pdf
Jebel Misht is one of the major peaks of the limestone Hajar mountains. The Hajar run south from the Strait of Hormuz, at the mouth of the Gulf, along the spine of Oman for about 500 km. Though there's almost limitless exposed rock along their length, not all is great quality. The lack of recent water flow and extreme summer temperatures (50°C) makes for a lot of exfoliation and looseness. The best stuff, partially metamorphosed by volcanic extrusions nearby, centers around Misht and a few other peaks south and east. Of these, Misht's 900m South-East face is thought to be the highest cliff in the Arabian Peninsula.
The French Pillar (E3, 1100m) was originally seiged with fixed ropes by a group of alpine guides in 1979, and is the original route of the face. It is essentially the Walker Spur / Nose of El Cap of this region. The only guidebook description is in Alec McDonald's 1993 'Rock Climbing in Oman'. Based purely on the second ascentionists description, it is error-ridden and misleading. Having become quite intimate with the area and this route over the last year, I thought it would be good to put an updated description in the public domain. Maybe needless to say, I recommend this route highly to anyone interested in long free climbs in accessible parts of the world. Prime season is UK mid-winter.
The most recent writing in English about Oman climbing was Dave Pickford's article in Climber last year, which has since been put online by Planet Fear:
http://www.planetfear.com/article_detail.asp?a_id=694
The article is generally pretty accurate and gives a good flavour of the place. One oversight by Dave was stating that the French Pillar hadn't yet had a one day ascent. In fact an Austrian team, Sepp Joechler and Jakob Oberhauser, managed it in February 2005. (Jakob had also done a one day ascent of a parallel line, The English Pillar, with Brian Davidson in 2003.) Dan Donovan and I did the second one-day ascent of the French Pillar in February this year. Also in January, a Russian team, Alexander and Darey Toporkov, spent three days repeating most of Make Love Not War, a stunning 25 pitch free route, with bolted climbing up to 7b, on the steepest face of Misht, established by a German team in 2003. They said that the rock and climbing were very good. A topo for MLNW is hosted on several climbing sites.
Around the same area of the Hajar are several other major faces (Jebel Asait, Jebel Ghul, Jebel Misfah) only slightly smaller than Misht. Geoff Hornby and friends have been active here for several years. Geoff has a thick wad of topos that he'll copy and mail out on request. Late last year a group of Pyrenean climbers spent several weeks in the area, adding about fifteen routes from 100 to 750 meters on these crags. A trip report (in French) are here: http://www.euskalade.com/pyrenews/index.php?2006/12/13/61-expe-sultanat-d-o...
photos and topos here http://www.euskalade.com/pyrenews/galerie/index.php?id=25 and at http://freakclimbing.blogspot.com/2006_12_01_freakclimbing_archive.html
Muscat, the capital of Oman, has quite a few climbers amongst the expat population. Last year they got organised with a web forum http://www.omanclimbing.com/forum/ There are topos for several good sport crags and some excellent medium-sized trad routes on there. Mixing that stuff with one or two of the more serious long routes would make a memorable trip.
I'd be grateful for any feedback on the guide.
http://www.foordkelcey.net/uae/misht_fp_topo.pdf
Jebel Misht is one of the major peaks of the limestone Hajar mountains. The Hajar run south from the Strait of Hormuz, at the mouth of the Gulf, along the spine of Oman for about 500 km. Though there's almost limitless exposed rock along their length, not all is great quality. The lack of recent water flow and extreme summer temperatures (50°C) makes for a lot of exfoliation and looseness. The best stuff, partially metamorphosed by volcanic extrusions nearby, centers around Misht and a few other peaks south and east. Of these, Misht's 900m South-East face is thought to be the highest cliff in the Arabian Peninsula.
The French Pillar (E3, 1100m) was originally seiged with fixed ropes by a group of alpine guides in 1979, and is the original route of the face. It is essentially the Walker Spur / Nose of El Cap of this region. The only guidebook description is in Alec McDonald's 1993 'Rock Climbing in Oman'. Based purely on the second ascentionists description, it is error-ridden and misleading. Having become quite intimate with the area and this route over the last year, I thought it would be good to put an updated description in the public domain. Maybe needless to say, I recommend this route highly to anyone interested in long free climbs in accessible parts of the world. Prime season is UK mid-winter.
The most recent writing in English about Oman climbing was Dave Pickford's article in Climber last year, which has since been put online by Planet Fear:
http://www.planetfear.com/article_detail.asp?a_id=694
The article is generally pretty accurate and gives a good flavour of the place. One oversight by Dave was stating that the French Pillar hadn't yet had a one day ascent. In fact an Austrian team, Sepp Joechler and Jakob Oberhauser, managed it in February 2005. (Jakob had also done a one day ascent of a parallel line, The English Pillar, with Brian Davidson in 2003.) Dan Donovan and I did the second one-day ascent of the French Pillar in February this year. Also in January, a Russian team, Alexander and Darey Toporkov, spent three days repeating most of Make Love Not War, a stunning 25 pitch free route, with bolted climbing up to 7b, on the steepest face of Misht, established by a German team in 2003. They said that the rock and climbing were very good. A topo for MLNW is hosted on several climbing sites.
Around the same area of the Hajar are several other major faces (Jebel Asait, Jebel Ghul, Jebel Misfah) only slightly smaller than Misht. Geoff Hornby and friends have been active here for several years. Geoff has a thick wad of topos that he'll copy and mail out on request. Late last year a group of Pyrenean climbers spent several weeks in the area, adding about fifteen routes from 100 to 750 meters on these crags. A trip report (in French) are here: http://www.euskalade.com/pyrenews/index.php?2006/12/13/61-expe-sultanat-d-o...
photos and topos here http://www.euskalade.com/pyrenews/galerie/index.php?id=25 and at http://freakclimbing.blogspot.com/2006_12_01_freakclimbing_archive.html
Muscat, the capital of Oman, has quite a few climbers amongst the expat population. Last year they got organised with a web forum http://www.omanclimbing.com/forum/ There are topos for several good sport crags and some excellent medium-sized trad routes on there. Mixing that stuff with one or two of the more serious long routes would make a memorable trip.
I'd be grateful for any feedback on the guide.
In reply to tobyfk: I lent once all my personal papers and reccies drawings to somone from ukc. They were never returned. It was not you by chance?
In reply to francoisecall:
Sorry to hear you're still searching:
http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=158858&v=1#2260669
Presumably they're papers and drawings relating to Oman. When were you here? When did you lend them?
Sorry to hear you're still searching:
http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=158858&v=1#2260669
Presumably they're papers and drawings relating to Oman. When were you here? When did you lend them?
In reply to tobyfk:
Excellent effort Toby. Keep up the good work. One of these days the penny will drop that the region is a fine sun rock destination.
Makes my attempt at a guide look amateurish by comparison.
Excellent effort Toby. Keep up the good work. One of these days the penny will drop that the region is a fine sun rock destination.
Makes my attempt at a guide look amateurish by comparison.
In reply to Lord of Starkness:
Thanks Alan. To be honest, I'm in no rush for it to get popular. Actually Oman has definitely been discovered by the French.
> Excellent effort Toby. Keep up the good work. One of these days the penny will drop that the region is a fine sun rock destination.
Thanks Alan. To be honest, I'm in no rush for it to get popular. Actually Oman has definitely been discovered by the French.
In reply to tobyfk: Great guide - only one suggestion is that on version 1.01 you could consider a different colour to mark the line on the photos. At least to colour-blind me seeing the line on the pic that shows the first pitches is rather hard. Light blue might work?
Nice to see you took a hex with you! You'll have to buy you some offsets when DMM get them into the shops - then your rack will be 'totally-pimped'. Are those Dan's quickdraws or have you relented and replaced the ones I was rude about?
Nice to see you took a hex with you! You'll have to buy you some offsets when DMM get them into the shops - then your rack will be 'totally-pimped'. Are those Dan's quickdraws or have you relented and replaced the ones I was rude about?
In reply to TobyA:
Draws are mine. Those Wild Country super-light things .. Heliums? I have retired the 15 year old Mambas.
We only took one hex. It was useful for fighting off goats at the ledges ...
Draws are mine. Those Wild Country super-light things .. Heliums? I have retired the 15 year old Mambas.
We only took one hex. It was useful for fighting off goats at the ledges ...
In reply to tobyfk:
I think the relative distance from Europe and cost of flights compared to budget destinations like the Costas will keep numbers down, but it's ironic that it's the French who seem to be setting the pace in Oman in particular, given the long association Britain has enjoyed with the Sultanate.
I think the relative distance from Europe and cost of flights compared to budget destinations like the Costas will keep numbers down, but it's ironic that it's the French who seem to be setting the pace in Oman in particular, given the long association Britain has enjoyed with the Sultanate.
In reply to Lord of Starkness:
I think the French have more of an affinity with Muslim countries ... dates back to their colonies I guess? And of course, they already live in a country with decent rock and a decent climate so don't have to spend half the year Ryanair'ing to Spain like the Brits ... they can justify taking their holidays somewhere more exotic.
Cost of 4WD rental is also an offputting issue for visitors to Oman.
I think the French have more of an affinity with Muslim countries ... dates back to their colonies I guess? And of course, they already live in a country with decent rock and a decent climate so don't have to spend half the year Ryanair'ing to Spain like the Brits ... they can justify taking their holidays somewhere more exotic.
Cost of 4WD rental is also an offputting issue for visitors to Oman.
In reply to tobyfk:
Or anywhere else for that matter.
That's where the UAE is perhaps of more interest to the holiday visitor -- most climbing areas and camping spots are accessible with a 2WD. It's amazing where a Hyundai Accent will go - I've got photos!!
It was not always the case - it's not too long ago that the tarmac in Wadi Bih stopped just after the entrance to Wadi Qada'a, and the Wadi Ajran road from Zaroub R/A was just a graded track.
Whilst not in the same league as Misht, there are plenty of 300m plus routes (and scope for many more) in Wadi Bih, Wadi Louab and Wadi Ghaliah, few of which are more than a 20-30 minute easy walk from where you can park an ordinary car.
> (In reply to Lord of Starkness)
>
> Cost of 4WD rental is also an offputting issue for visitors to Oman.
>
> Cost of 4WD rental is also an offputting issue for visitors to Oman.
Or anywhere else for that matter.
That's where the UAE is perhaps of more interest to the holiday visitor -- most climbing areas and camping spots are accessible with a 2WD. It's amazing where a Hyundai Accent will go - I've got photos!!
It was not always the case - it's not too long ago that the tarmac in Wadi Bih stopped just after the entrance to Wadi Qada'a, and the Wadi Ajran road from Zaroub R/A was just a graded track.
Whilst not in the same league as Misht, there are plenty of 300m plus routes (and scope for many more) in Wadi Bih, Wadi Louab and Wadi Ghaliah, few of which are more than a 20-30 minute easy walk from where you can park an ordinary car.
In reply to Lord of Starkness:
I thought it was only a matter of time before you went for the full-blown plug ...
2WD's are fine for getting to some of the UAE crags, true, but you need a 4WD to stay alive in Dubai.
> That's where the UAE is perhaps of more interest to the holiday visitor
I thought it was only a matter of time before you went for the full-blown plug ...
2WD's are fine for getting to some of the UAE crags, true, but you need a 4WD to stay alive in Dubai.
In reply to tobyfk:
>...... but you need a 4WD to stay alive in Dubai.
Sadly thats no guarantee -- a friend was killed last year when her 4wd was wiped out by a crazy local who had a bigger one -- and she lived in Sharjah.
> (In reply to Lord of Starkness)
>
> [...]
>
>
> [...]
>
>...... but you need a 4WD to stay alive in Dubai.
Sadly thats no guarantee -- a friend was killed last year when her 4wd was wiped out by a crazy local who had a bigger one -- and she lived in Sharjah.
In reply to Lord of Starkness:
Sorry to hear that. That whole topic makes my blood boil .. they'll never sort these problems out until they start locking these people up - regardless of wealth and wasta - and throwing away the key.
Though it's true you're not 100% safe in a bigger vehicle like a 4WD, you are much safer than in, say, a small sedan. Considering identical collision scenarios.
One attraction of Oman vs the UAE is that average car size is much smaller. The driving is just as bad but at least 'they' are in knackered Toyota Corolla's rather than 3-ton 500hp Porsche Cayennes.
Sorry to hear that. That whole topic makes my blood boil .. they'll never sort these problems out until they start locking these people up - regardless of wealth and wasta - and throwing away the key.
Though it's true you're not 100% safe in a bigger vehicle like a 4WD, you are much safer than in, say, a small sedan. Considering identical collision scenarios.
One attraction of Oman vs the UAE is that average car size is much smaller. The driving is just as bad but at least 'they' are in knackered Toyota Corolla's rather than 3-ton 500hp Porsche Cayennes.
>
> Though it's true you're not 100% safe in a bigger vehicle like a 4WD, you are much safer than in, say, a small sedan. Considering identical collision scenarios.
>
> One attraction of Oman vs the UAE is that average car size is much smaller. The driving is just as bad but at least 'they' are in knackered Toyota Corolla's rather than 3-ton 500hp Porsche Cayennes.
> Though it's true you're not 100% safe in a bigger vehicle like a 4WD, you are much safer than in, say, a small sedan. Considering identical collision scenarios.
>
> One attraction of Oman vs the UAE is that average car size is much smaller. The driving is just as bad but at least 'they' are in knackered Toyota Corolla's rather than 3-ton 500hp Porsche Cayennes.
The real threat is not the 3 tonne 4x4, it must be the mobile homes dressed up as a 4 x 4.
In reply to tobyfk: At least in my experience the police are a bit fairer in the Emirates than in Saudi.
When I got my first speeding ticket in Abu Dhabi I had to go to the court to be fined, and whilst I was waiting a number of locals including fairly high ranking police & army officers judging by the scrambled egg on their shoulders were also paying their fines!
In Saudi the driving rules are a bit like this
If a westerner gets hit by a local it's the westerner's fault.
If a westerner gets hit by an Asian, it's the Asian's fault
If an Indian and a Filipino have an accident it's both their faults.
If you hit a Yemeni, go to the nearest police station and collect a prize!
For all other traffic misdemeanours - go to jail, go directly to Jail, do not pass Mecca, do not get an exit visa, and it will cost a lot more than 200 riyals to get you out of jail unless your sponsor's brother was the minister of justice!
When I got my first speeding ticket in Abu Dhabi I had to go to the court to be fined, and whilst I was waiting a number of locals including fairly high ranking police & army officers judging by the scrambled egg on their shoulders were also paying their fines!
In Saudi the driving rules are a bit like this
If a westerner gets hit by a local it's the westerner's fault.
If a westerner gets hit by an Asian, it's the Asian's fault
If an Indian and a Filipino have an accident it's both their faults.
If you hit a Yemeni, go to the nearest police station and collect a prize!
For all other traffic misdemeanours - go to jail, go directly to Jail, do not pass Mecca, do not get an exit visa, and it will cost a lot more than 200 riyals to get you out of jail unless your sponsor's brother was the minister of justice!
In reply to tobyfk:
Going back to the main topic, how far (distance/time) is Misht from the main centres in the Emirates?.
Do you know what the prominent isolated mountain is that's visible to the south east of Wonderwall? (probably about 30 km away).
Bill and I had admired that one from afar, but my boss was funny about hanging on to my passport except when I was scheduled for UK leaves or business trips, and getting a visa to visit Oman was a no-no. Problem was he was Indian, and had a history of being ripped off by other Asians who'd absconded and viewed all employees as potentially untrustworthy - which didn't go down too well with me - but we put up with each other for 5 years!
Going back to the main topic, how far (distance/time) is Misht from the main centres in the Emirates?.
Do you know what the prominent isolated mountain is that's visible to the south east of Wonderwall? (probably about 30 km away).
Bill and I had admired that one from afar, but my boss was funny about hanging on to my passport except when I was scheduled for UK leaves or business trips, and getting a visa to visit Oman was a no-no. Problem was he was Indian, and had a history of being ripped off by other Asians who'd absconded and viewed all employees as potentially untrustworthy - which didn't go down too well with me - but we put up with each other for 5 years!
In reply to tobyfk:
Hello!!
Sounds like you and Dan had a great time! Well done on your second ascent.
Hope you are well!
Hello!!
Sounds like you and Dan had a great time! Well done on your second ascent.
Hope you are well!
In reply to Lord of Starkness: I must say it was not fun to drive there as a woman! The Saudis running the shops on the main road refused to serve me and I had some threatening behaviour at one point. Omanis in the mountains however were lovely and went out of their ways to help me when I got lost. I promised myself never to set a foot in Saudi Arabia after that.
In reply to francoisecall:
A woman who drove - In Saudi -- you deserve a medal - or your head examined. It's illegal for a start. You might just about get away with it on one of the big residential compounds, or the diplomatic quarter in Riyadh, but certainly not on any public highway!
I can't comment upon the courtesies in Oman, but everyone I know who's been there speaks very highly of the Omani people.
Once you get away from the cities in the Emirates, the locals are in the main are also very friendly and hospitable. The less well off people in the mountains and desert were especially so!
A woman who drove - In Saudi -- you deserve a medal - or your head examined. It's illegal for a start. You might just about get away with it on one of the big residential compounds, or the diplomatic quarter in Riyadh, but certainly not on any public highway!
I can't comment upon the courtesies in Oman, but everyone I know who's been there speaks very highly of the Omani people.
Once you get away from the cities in the Emirates, the locals are in the main are also very friendly and hospitable. The less well off people in the mountains and desert were especially so!
In reply to Lord of Starkness: Woman can drive legally in Oman. Adult women need to cover their shoulders, elbows and legs to avoid offending people and being spat at etc.
In reply to rock waif:
As they can in the Emirates.
It's only Saudi (I think) where women are prohibited from driving.
A little modesty in the Arab world goes a long way. My missus always had means of 'covering up' whenever we were in the mountains or on the beach and were approached by locals, and was always treated with respect. It was not the same if she ventured out to the shops round the corner from our apartment in a mainly arab part of Sharjah.
With relatively relaxed attitudes to female dress in Dubai (and large numbers of eastern european, asian and african ladies of negotiable hospitality plying their trade) unaccompanied women were often assumed to be little better than whores. A friend's wife, (a mature lady of over 60) was even 'touched up' in the lift in her apartment block! The Arab assumed because she was white and unaccompanied, she was 'fair game'.
As they can in the Emirates.
It's only Saudi (I think) where women are prohibited from driving.
A little modesty in the Arab world goes a long way. My missus always had means of 'covering up' whenever we were in the mountains or on the beach and were approached by locals, and was always treated with respect. It was not the same if she ventured out to the shops round the corner from our apartment in a mainly arab part of Sharjah.
With relatively relaxed attitudes to female dress in Dubai (and large numbers of eastern european, asian and african ladies of negotiable hospitality plying their trade) unaccompanied women were often assumed to be little better than whores. A friend's wife, (a mature lady of over 60) was even 'touched up' in the lift in her apartment block! The Arab assumed because she was white and unaccompanied, she was 'fair game'.
In reply to Lord of Starkness:
I kept within Oman but the main road that crosses the country is full of Saudis. And I was extremely careful to keep covered. The most difficult was to find a place to pee. There is always someone in the desert!
I kept within Oman but the main road that crosses the country is full of Saudis. And I was extremely careful to keep covered. The most difficult was to find a place to pee. There is always someone in the desert!
In reply to rock waif:
That may be true in a few places, but I have never observed it. I have spent a cumulative month or so in Oman over the last two years and women in our group have usually been in shorts + t-shirts.
> Adult women need to cover their shoulders, elbows and legs to avoid offending people and being spat at etc.
That may be true in a few places, but I have never observed it. I have spent a cumulative month or so in Oman over the last two years and women in our group have usually been in shorts + t-shirts.
In reply to The sharp end:
Hi Patricia .. not second ascent actually ... was (maybe) second in-a-day ascent and (maybe) fifth overall. Neither of which an especially big deal.
> Well done on your second ascent.
Hi Patricia .. not second ascent actually ... was (maybe) second in-a-day ascent and (maybe) fifth overall. Neither of which an especially big deal.
In reply to Lord of Starkness:
From the Oman side of the border posts at Mazyad (under Jebel Hafit, south of Al Ain) it's about 170km, of which about 120km on a new empty dual-carriage way. So that's under two hours. Border processing time (UAE exit and Oman entry) varies from 20 - 60 minutes. Drive time Abu Dhabi to Mayzad is also sub-two hours. Dubai to Mayzad would be two - infinity hours depending on whether someone's girlfriend insisted on a last-minute lift to their parents' house, had to drive back to Dubai half-way to Al Ain to visit ATM, got lost in Al Ain and so on.
For me, going to the Misht area is pretty comparable to Llanberis from London, but with vastly better traffic and more friendly, articulate locals.
Have been studying this also and in fact tried to drive to it a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, without busting through a locked-gate or doing a formal border crossing at Mayzad, it's inaccessible.
> Going back to the main topic, how far (distance/time) is Misht from the main centres in the Emirates?
From the Oman side of the border posts at Mazyad (under Jebel Hafit, south of Al Ain) it's about 170km, of which about 120km on a new empty dual-carriage way. So that's under two hours. Border processing time (UAE exit and Oman entry) varies from 20 - 60 minutes. Drive time Abu Dhabi to Mayzad is also sub-two hours. Dubai to Mayzad would be two - infinity hours depending on whether someone's girlfriend insisted on a last-minute lift to their parents' house, had to drive back to Dubai half-way to Al Ain to visit ATM, got lost in Al Ain and so on.
For me, going to the Misht area is pretty comparable to Llanberis from London, but with vastly better traffic and more friendly, articulate locals.
> Do you know what the prominent isolated mountain is that's visible to the south east of Wonderwall? (probably about 30 km away).
Have been studying this also and in fact tried to drive to it a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, without busting through a locked-gate or doing a formal border crossing at Mayzad, it's inaccessible.
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