This adventure was supposed to be another girls’ trip with my trusted cycling buddy Kimi, until she injured her knee skiing. Searching for a last-minute replacement I had to field questions like:
“Will you wear a scarf? Will you cover up on the bike? Will we be allowed to share a room if we are not married? Are women allowed to drive?”Easy to persuade, my work colleague Neil was keen for a new adventure, and to snap some photos. Back on track again…
Located on the south eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula, with the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Yemen as its neighbours, it is no surprise that the Sultanate of Oman is often overlooked as a travel destination. Put aside any preconceptions of the region, and you will find a tranquil, peaceful country, a true treasure chest of adventure, hospitality and scenery – a jewel of the Middle East. A short (6hr) direct flight from most major European cities to the capital Muscat, makes Oman the perfect winter escape.
The Al Hajar Mountains lie to the North West. Some 70km from the coast, Jebel Shams is Oman’s highest mountain, peaking at an imposing 3002m. The area is popular with Omanis in the summer months, looking to escape the brutal heat of the lowlands. Ideal conditions for cycling fall within the winter months though (Dec/Jan).
Working out the perfect 3-day trip that would allow us to travel light, while taking in the highlights and providing maximum variety, proved trickier than anticipated. Though the area features plenty of villages to fill up on water and food, accommodation is seriously limited outside the major business centres and away from the (very few) tourist hubs.
Researching route options on Google Earth exhaustively, I felt more like an astronaut than a cyclist – but after several nights of pouring over my PC, we were finally ready to embark on our 3-day adventure: “Ground control to Major Tom….take your protein pills and put your helmet on…”
DAY 1: MURRI – JEBEL SHAMS
Still dark, we drove to Murri, a tiny village tucked into the mountains just off Route 10 between Rustaq and Ibris, to strategically park the rental car for our return 3 days later.This was going to be our biggest day, and with somewhat unreliable estimates on just how much climbing and what terrain was to be expected, a dawn start made sure we had a buffer – which turned out to be a good call. Shortly after rolling out of Murri, the terrain changed to a narrow wadi with lots of short, sharp climbs that didn’t feature on the profile, making for slow progress. Was Google, which notoriously overstates the climbing metres, accurate after all?
As the wadi widened and the sun started peaking over the mountains, we approached a small town and a large tar road with almost no traffic, other than a few construction vehicles. Our GPS log drew a straight line over the former winding track as the road carved through the mountain side – a telling clue as to the rate of development in Oman. The country continues to invest billions of US$ into road infrastructure – and the rate at which they are going, I recommend that you visit Oman rather sooner than later, while there are still gravel roads!
En route, we passed the beehive tombs of Al Ayn, dramatically lined up atop a rocky ridge, with Jebel Misht as the backdrop. The stone structures date back to 2000-3000 BC and the whole area holds UNESCO World Heritage status.
Just when we got used to the smooth riding, making good time, my cunning Google Earth short-cut turned upwards onto a 4×4 track with a loose steep descent. Oh the irony, that Neil cut his tire on a piece of glass between all the sharp rocks – that morning we had decided that carrying a spare tire for three days would be overkill, so it had remained behind in the car. Out came the tubeless plugging kit instead, which would (with some daily re-plugging) see us through to the end of the trip.
With the light waning and the final 18km and 1300m ascent up the Jebel Shams Road ahead, we wisely declined a coffee invitation of a friendly local who was intrigued with our tire fixing efforts. Initially disappointed that the first 10km of the climb are now tarred, we soon were to thank our lucky stars – this rivals European iconic climbs like Ventoux and Alp d’Huez. If it wasn’t for the final 8km stretch of gravel, it would make for a spectacular hilltop finish at the Tour of Oman – but it’s probably just a matter of time.
After lots of grimacing and zig-zagging across the (thankfully) wide road, we eventually made it to the top just before sunset. Wanting to catch the last rays, we rode on to the closest viewing point of the Grand Canyon of Arabia – Wadi Ghul, dropping a 1000m into a stunning abyss. Also dropping dramatically were the temperatures, and by the time we finally reached our accommodation we were frozen solid. The incredibly hospitable staff at Sama Heights couldn’t believe anyone would actually cycle up this mountain. Highly impressed, they promptly upgraded our accommodation. A scrumptious buffet dinner in the cosy hotel restaurant made us feel on top of the world… oh wait, we were – at least on top of Oman.
DAY 2: JEBEL SHAMS – WADI BANI AWF
We spent the morning exploring the magnificent view points along the rim of the canyon. The ‘balcony trail’ is popular with hikers, but don’t attempt this on a bike, with luggage, unless you are Danny MacAskill or suicidal J.
After the sun pushed temperatures back into the double digits, we claimed our reward for the previous day’s efforts – the descent towards Al Hamra. There were noises coming from our disk brakes that I’d never heard before. Neil assured me it would go away if I just braked less (huuuhh?) and that it’s normal if they run very hot. We used it as an excuse to stop for more photos.
Al Hamra is one of Oman’s oldest towns, with wonderfully green palm trees and rows of traditional mud-brick houses. It’s also the perfect spot to refuel before tackling the next climb, from 700m altitude right back up onto the ridge to the Sharfat al Alamayn viewpoint at 2000m. The road to the top is tarred and offers a pleasant gradient, compared to the previous day’s ascent. At the top however, this all changes. Out next section of ‘road’ is graded as a 4WD route only, plummeting at some scary gradients to the traditional mountain oasis of Hatt and into Wadi Bani Awf.
Just as we began descending we met a German cyclist, walking up towards us. Encouraging him with ‘awesome, you almost made it’, he told us that he had attempted the descent, but turned around after one kilometre realising his bike wasn’t up to the task… Ever the techy, Neil just raised his eyebrows at carbon rims, calliper brakes, skinny tires and laughably inadequate gear ratios. Very un-German preparation!
Even basic research reveals grave warnings about travelling by 4×4 here: “the route passes through remote, rugged country and you should take the necessary precautions (spare tire, jack, water, warm clothing, walking shoes and basic provisions). Check weather conditions before you leave and do not attempt the journey during or after rains.” What was he thinking?!
In mountain biking I was often told ‘get your ass behind your saddle’ when descending steep sections – not that easy when carrying a saddle pack filled with gear… On the one hand, we just wanted to blast down, adrenaline pumping, white knuckles. But this section is an absolute geological wonder, awe inspiring – we felt like we were in a scene from Star Wars. Around every corner there was yet another view that made us stop (generally with a long skid) to take in this astonishing scenery. Once again we rolled into camp with only the last rays of daylight. Nestled deep into the folds of the mountains, Bait Bimah Travel Lodge offers very basic accommodation with shared bathrooms, but is immaculately clean. Settling into the cosy tea area, we reflected on another magnificent day, savouring this special and remote place, sharing stories with a handful of other travellers, hikers and climbers.
DAY 3: WADI BANI AWF – MURRI
The next morning, we backtracked a few kilometres to visit Bilad Sayt – an idyllic village tucked into a side gorge. If you can (just cycle faster than us J), I recommend visiting during the afternoon – as the light should be better for photos.
The final day was meant to be easy – at least that’s what the profile suggested, so we decided to take another quick side trip to the lower entry into Snake Canyon, with its steep, towering walls. But halfway there, one look at the descent (knowing we’d have to come up again, which would probably take a good hour and involve walking) we decided it wiser to press on with our journey and re-join our route to Wadi Sahtan.
Just as well. We had underestimated the ‘little spike’ in the profile – only 2km long, but brutally steep. We pondered the road sign for Wadi Sahtan (with its variations of spelling – like many places in Oman…), as the road pointed towards heaven while putting us through hell.
Wadi Sahtan itself was everything and more that we could have hoped for. After the previous days’ desert and high mountain riding, we found ourselves in a narrow river bed with flowing water with Jebel Shams towering right above us. It seemed as if we couldn’t escape the lore of this mountain.
Popping out of the wadi, we were abruptly back in civilization, on yet another oversized tarred road (for such light traffic). However the scenery was no less spectacular. At this point, we came close to hitting the wall – figuratively as well as literally. Following the main road, we missed our usual village shops, assuring ourselves ‘there’ll be another one soon’. Also, as fast as new roads are built, new neighbourhoods spring up – massive plots and large houses dot the desert landscape and our original plotted GPS tracks often indicated a route directly through the middle of an Omani person’s brand new house, always surrounded by a big wall.
It didn’t help that during the afternoon almost everything is closed. Between 12h00-16h00 (when temperatures are around 45 degrees during summer months) there’s not a person in sight. Before we knew it we were back on lonesome gravel tracks, skirting the foot of the mountain range – the vast contrasts never ceased to amaze.
With the short daylight hours, once again we were racing the sunset back to our rental car in Murri, to get us back to Muscat for a sumptuous dinner. While guzzling down our well-earned four-course meals, we reflected on what were (and what surely will remain) three of the most remarkable days of cycling in our lives.
Check the full PHOTO gallery here below!:
TRIP INFO
The people
We were blown away by the friendliness of the Omani. Stopping along the road, locals would approach us to offer water and simply to chat. Any hooting on the road was to greet us – and not even in Canada did I experience cars giving me this much space when passing.
Maps
All planning was done on Google Earth and Google Maps. On-the-go, my favourite maps app is maps.me – it’s free, and most importantly, once the map is downloaded it allows you to search and navigate when offline (maps are accurate, and much smaller download size than e.g. making a Google map available offline). It also produces an elevation profile and you can upload your own .kmz files.
Driving
Leaving Muscat you’ll find yourself on an empty 4-lane highway. Personally, I couldn’t help wonder who this was built for. Road signs are in Arabic and ‘English’. Each place seems to have various iterations of spelling though which makes things a little trickier. The hardest part however is navigating the off-ramps, figuring out if your lane is for turning or not and when… If you get it wrong, you may drive for 30km before you have a chance to turn around.
Rental Cars
Most major car rental agencies have representations at Muscat airport. Unfortunately, hatchbacks/station wagons are not the norm. Unless it’s one of the larger 4×4 models, most cars come with a closed boot, which required us to remove the bikes from their bags at the airport and do some creative packing to fit everything into the car.
Cell Phones
When you arrive at Muscat, buy yourself a local SIM card at the airport. The cell phone coverage is excellent, especially considering the remoteness of some of the places. I was often surprised to pick up a full 4G signal.
Airport
Muscat
Oman Air (direct) and Emirates (via Dubai) had the best deals, but also check your national airline. Pay attention to the bike policy. About a year ago Oman Air and Emirates changed theirs and both airlines no longer take bicycles as part of your free baggage allowance. Even if your bike bag is your only piece of luggage and less than 23kg, you still have to pay extra. Make sure to book this in advance! If purchasing a code share ticket with another airline, remember that it’s the baggage policy of the operating airline that applies and any surcharge is usually per sector, so you might pay twice if it’s not a direct flight.
| Location | Oman Al Hajar Mountains |
| Stages | 3 |
| Distance | 285 km (177 mi) |
| Ascent | 7170 m (23523 ft) |
| Best Time | Winter months (Dec/Jan). Avoid the hot summer months |
| Terrain | From flat fast tar roads to rugged steep gravel roads. This trip is the perfect playground to get the most out of the versatility of the Exploro. Make sure you bring your climbing legs and DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS TRIP IN REVERSE or you are in for a long walk getting out of Wadi Bani Awf. |
| Weather | Sunny and dry. The temperatures are primarily dependant on the altitude, ranging from an average daytime temperature in the mid-twenties at about 700m to (very) low teens at 2000m, night-time temperatures can drop to zero at the higher elevations, so be prepared, especially if you are planning on an early morning start. |
| Tires | 650B /2.0. Tubeless. I definitely prefer the extra comfort and grip of the wider tires. |
| Gearing | 34T front with 11/42T back. I was glad that I, at the last minute, downsized to a 34T. Admittedly, climbing is not my strength, so with a theme of “going slow faster” I figured there is no need to pedal when traveling faster than 40km/h. Rather save the gears for the climbs! |
| Don’t Forget | Food: You’ll come across several small stores advertising Food Stuff for Sale. Don’t let the strange sign designs put you off – we enjoyed some delicious roadside food and fun interactions with the people! There is a significant Indian (and Asian) influence and the food is tasty! Water: drinking water is freely available. In the vicinity of mosques you’ll usually find a tap dispensing purified water, or you can buy bottled water in the shops. This was a huge relief, saving us carrying extra weight |
You can download Kati’s GPS tracks on our Komoot account here:
