In reply to UKC Videos:
Great interview. The only reason he’s not a household name in Britain as a great adventurer is because of his unassuming nature.
When I visited Wadi Rum in 2012 I had a chat with Sabah, an older Bedouin guide, who'd been one of the first guides to start up when Tony Howard was there in the 1980s. Sabah's Route on Jebel Rum was his and is named after him in Tony Howard's guide. He said he'd travelled round the UK and had stayed with TH.
Another Bedouin I spoke to said that TH is respected by all in the village, and is welcome in every home. Not surprising in view of what he must have done to boost the local economy.
Things in 2012 were very different from how they must have been in the 1980s. Tony says in the interview that there were only about 6 houses in the village and they lived by hunting. The taxi driver who took me to what was now a big village in 2012 said many of the Bedouin now had Internet and TV. All the Bedouin we met in the desert had mobiles. It was strange to hear the ubiquitous Nokia ringtone out in the desert.
Hearing Tony Howard talk about the world class Bedouin scrambling routes makes me want to go back! I only did one trek/scramble, through the Rabakat canyon. Supposedly Grade 2, but I must have gone off route as I found myself on Solid Grade 3 territory for a couple of shortish sections. Route finding is a big part of the adventure there!