oman-escapes-issue-22

THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST
OCTOBER 2012 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM
Locations
Oman
escapes
Words + Photos: Darryl MacDonald
The name “Snake Gorge”
conjures up exciting images
in the mind’s eye,like
a scene out of an Indiana
Jones or Tomb Raider
movie. Aptly named for the
winding, slithering path it
cuts through the Al Hajar
Mountains, this canyon offers
several adventures that
do not disappoint.
On our most recent trip, my wife, I and
a few friends decided to undertake “Big
Snake Gorge”, a three to four hour journey
depending of the fitness and experience
level of the group. The night before our venture
I checked the weather online to ensure
there was no chance of rain as flash floods in
this canyon have taken many lives over the
years and under no circumstance should the
canyon be attempted if there is any hint or
possibility of rain.
In the morning, we departed from Muscat
and drove west towards the village ofRustaq,
turning off the main highway towards the village
of At Tikhah. We continued another 25
minutes down this dirt track until we reached
the end of the canyon. Total drive time from
Muscat was just over two hours. We left
one vehicle at the bottom of the canyon
and shuttled everyone to the starting point,
which is about a ten minute drive up beyond
In preparation for our trip we
packed the following essentials:
• Sunscreen
• Emergency first aid kit
• Drinking water
• Camera in a pelican case (or waterproof
camera)
• Dive light
• Towel
• Snacks
• Rope bag containing:
• 40M half rope
• 20m full rope
• 8 locking carabiners
• Micro pulley
• Reverso
• Various slings
• Harness
the tiny village of Az Zammah. From the parking
area it’s about five minutes to the first pool,
where the adventure really begins!
The first pool is approximately a six meter
jump into a deep body of water. Once committed
there is no turning back as climbing
back up the smooth algae covered rock is near
impossible unless you put ropes in place. This
was my third time through the canyon and,as
always at the first pool, I hesitate. I search the
sky for any sign of clouds or rain, peer through
the emerald green water below for assurance
of its depth, then take a deep breath and step
over the edge. Once the first plunge is taken,
the journey that follows is one of dramatic and
breathtaking scenery. The walls of the canyon
reach beyond 80 meters in places and can be
so close together in areas that you can touch
both sides at the same time. Floods have
carved out this canyon for thousands of years
and smoothed away the rock walls, exposing all
the colors of the layers underneath.
We continued to hike, climb, jump and slide
our way through the rest of the canyon. We
found plenty of places to stop for pictures or
to climb back up to jump into one of the pools
again or go back down one of the many natural
waterslides. We passed small waterfalls, and
as we neared the end, we arrived at the cave.
Over 30 meters long and residence to a colony
of bats,the cave is certainly one of the highlights
of the gorge. You must swim the entire
distance, and as you enter, you can just make
out the light of the exit on the far end. Swimming
through, you see the stalactite formations
overhead, and if you bring a waterproof light,
you can make out the bats sleeping among
them. Beyond the cave, there are a few more
pools to jump, slide and swim through before
the canyon widens into a larger valley near the
end. From thereit’s a short 15 minute hike back
to the car that we left at the bottom.
Snake Gorge is definitely one of my favorite
treks in Oman and can be accomplished by
almost anyone if they have an experienced
guide. Trips through the canyon can be booked
with many of the local guiding companies in
Muscat. The best time of year to go is April
until November; the gorge is accessible
year round but, as most of the hike is in the
shade, the temperatures can be quite cool in
the winter months requiring a wetsuit to stay
warm. If you’re looking for something more
adventurous,the canyon can be accessed
further up where a 40 meter absail is required
during a portion of the trek. Along the road in
is “little snake canyon”, which is a shorter route
with some pools for swimming and jumping.
If you want something totally different, Snake
Gorge also has a Via Ferrata offering explorers
a place to climb across the cliffs and zip over
the canyon with the same spectacular views
from a more frightening angle!
If you undertake this weekend adventure,
don’t forget you are hiking through a wadi
where the water levels can vary greatly. You
need to be prepared to test the water depth
before jumping and keep an eye on the
weather. It’s always more fun when everyone
finishes with no broken bones! As we like to say
in Canada, get out there, have fun and “keep
your stick on the ice”.
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