Trekking in Oman's ancient Hajar Mountains: On the roof of the desert

We’re sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. We’re working to restore it. Please try again later.

Advertisement

This was published 6 years ago

Trekking in Oman's ancient Hajar Mountains: On the roof of the desert

By Jamie Lafferty
The rugged terrain of Jabal Akhdar.

The rugged terrain of Jabal Akhdar.

The traveller can do a great many things on the Arabian Peninsula, that bony thumb that points accusingly across the Strait of Hormuz to Iran. These days, the territory is variously divided between emirates belonging to the UAE and governorates of Oman, but together they represent part of wider, ancient Arabia.

Between those countries, a person could choose to go swim in the Gulf, or the Indian Ocean. They could visit the world's tallest building, or a mega mosque. They could pay too much for a beer, or go dune-bashing in near infinite red sands of the Empty Quarter, the colossal desert that stretches through time and notions of nationhood.

Of the many things they might choose to do, it's unlikely the traveller would plan to go trekking – that, to a first-time visitor, would seem as logical as planning to work on the tan in Scotland, snowboard in Brazil or be a medical tourist in the US.

 Alila Jabal Akhdar.

Alila Jabal Akhdar.

But just on the Omani side, right in the centre of the thumb-like vast geological knuckle, there lies the Hajar mountain range, home to the mighty Jebel Shams (3009 metres) and the green summits of Jebel Akhdar.

Despite their size and importance to the region – and while Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Muscat all welcome foreigners in their millions – this huge range of canyons and mountains has only recently opened to outsiders. Almost as soon as it did, luxury hotel brands such as Alila started applying to the Omani government for licences to build high-end properties.

The first, Alila Jabal Akhdar, debuted three years ago with a protracted soft-opening and more than a few hiccups. I was first there in those opening weeks, when there was no alcohol and lights wouldn't turn off in the rooms. Some of the staff were already complaining that they felt a little cut off and openly wondered how long they'd be able to tolerate staying.

The sun sinks behind the peaks of Jabal Akhdar.

The sun sinks behind the peaks of Jabal Akhdar.

Thankfully, three years is a long time in hospitality. And anyway, despite its foibles, I couldn't forget the views from the edge of the property, which stretched to the dusty horizon over nameless gorges layer-caked with every warm colour on the palette.

Advertisement

As well as finding the right staff, fixing the lights and gaining the ability to sell booze, Alila has also really started to push the merits of its unlikely location, on top of a mountain in the middle of a desert. This time round, I had come to hike.

Part of the appeal, aside from the stupendous views, is the mild temperature. Being well over 2000 metres above sea level translates as almost 20C cooler than Muscat, which is to say that in winter it is genuinely cold (hail and even traces of snow fall up here) but in summer, while the Omani capital endures spirit-sapping, bone-crushing temperatures of 50-plus degrees, those in the mountains will have hot but bearable afternoons.

The tastefully decorated interior.

The tastefully decorated interior.

The day I set out with my guide Malik for a trek to an abandoned village, it's a perfect 22 degrees. Jebel Akhdar means Green Mountain but it is not actually green. Similarly, although being born in a village up here, Malik's eyes are not brown but almost a feline orange. As we follow a path up a dry wadi (creek), those eyes see things mine do not. An olive tree older than the nation of Australia; an arthritic acacia. As we make our way further along the trail, we're joined by the clip-clopping noise of itinerant goats out for breakfast. Every now and then we come to clear pools fringed by reeds, the dominion of dozens of frogs, unseen until Malik waves his hand overhead, making them all ribbit and hop into safer water. In fact the frogs have little to worry about – natural springs keep their lagoons full all year, and up here there are few predators, save for the odd opportunistic fox.

The year-round water supply fuels an industry growing walnuts and pomegranates, roses and juniper. I'm halfway garbling a joke about using the last of these to make the world's hippest hipster gin when Malik tells me that no, they don't do that – and besides if you want a drink around here, you'd be more likely to find some of the local date wine at the bottom of the mountain.

Islam is the dominant religion across this part of the world and so alcohol is, of course, supposed to be forbidden. But the religion was founded only in the seventh century, and to go trekking across Jebel Akhdar feels like following a path forged long before that. There are traces of people living up here dating back 6000 years – for millennia, farmers and traders drove caravans of donkeys up and down the unwelcoming slopes to reach its verdant peaks and vital crops.

Trekking on Jebel Akhdar offers an insight into a way of life dating back thousands of years.

Trekking on Jebel Akhdar offers an insight into a way of life dating back thousands of years. Credit: Jamie Lafferty

If the Bedouin are Arabia's wanderers, the mountain folk of this region are a lot more settled. After hiking through a small valley for an hour or so we reach a small reservoir. On one side of the crevasse lies the ruins of Sarak, the winter village; just above us, Fegs, the summer residence.

The great desert explorer and writer Wilfred Thesiger, who climbed Jebel Akhdar in 1950, wrote: "The harder the life, the finer the person." If that is true, the people eking out a life on these arid slopes must have been absolutely wonderful.

Looking inside the crumbling remains of their homes, there's little hint that their way of life would have been much different in biblical times. The overhang above the primitive structures is charred black from long-extinguished fires. There is a discarded rusty place and dried juniper logs. The roofs are low, the entrance ways tiny. Man and beast would have shared spaces in winter for warmth. Outside, the mountain provided them with just enough sustenance to get by, then, in spring, the mountain would erupt in blooms of roses and juniper and rosemary. Then, as now, farmers would harvest as much as they could, then head down the mountain to trade with the date-and-goat farmers below. Today, all that lives in this particular settlement are weeds, the bright yellow fruit of which is so inedible even the goats leave it alone.

Alia Jabal Akhdar, offers sweeping views.

Alia Jabal Akhdar, offers sweeping views.

Change happens slowly up here, but it does happen. The 1950s saw perhaps its most dramatic period, when a local sheikh decided to stage a rebellion in a bid to secede Jebel Akhdar from wider Oman. The Sultan was not amused, nor were the British who administered the region and controlled its nascent oil industry. They sent two SAS squadrons, backed by 750 Omani troops, up Jebel Akhdar to wrest control from the rebel leader Suleiman. When the blood had soaked into the dust, the Omani government decided not to take any more chances and sealed off the 66 villages dotted across the 122 square kilometres atop Jebel Akhdar. Checkpoints were placed on the roads and life on the mountain disappeared into the clouds.

There are still checkpoints on the road at the base of the mountain, but mostly to ensure visitors have a 4WD with sufficient horsepower to get up and back down again. (Alila offers transfers to guests who can't make it in their own vehicle.)

For much of the trekking, however, such modern advantages seem a world away. Everything does. When the wind drops and the goats stop bleating, the silence up here is profound – as is the darkness in the evenings. While some people choose to cycle around the mountaintop (the main roads are runway smooth) to me there seems something purer about hiking the uneven ground. Alila's guides can take people on all-day treks, or out for just a couple of hours, and there's talk of a new trek that will take guests to visit an old cave where there are signs of life from far longer ago than in the abandoned villages.

Locals near Al Hamra.

Locals near Al Hamra.Credit: Shutterstock

Several hours later, I'm back at the hotel, very much grateful for the enjoying the modern comforts of an expensive massage. The trekking wasn't too much of a slog, but I still feel as though I've earned it. By the time the expert therapist moves round to my head, I'm having deep thoughts about the passing of time, what is truly ancient and important. I think about the inky black of the unpolluted desert sky, and then there are grey-purple stars which way to a silvery sheen, then darkness and zzzzzz …

TRIP NOTES

traveller.com.au/oman

Mosque on Saiq Plateau in Oman.

Mosque on Saiq Plateau in Oman.Credit: Shutterstock

alilahotels.com

FLY

Malaysia Airlines and Oman Air offer a combined flight from Sydney and Melbourne, via Kuala Lumpur, to Muscat. Alternatively, fly to Dubai or Abu Dhabi with Emirates or Etihad and make the short connection to the Omani capital. See malaysiaairlines.com; emirates.com; etihad.com

Ruins Wadi Bani Habib.

Ruins Wadi Bani Habib.Credit: Shutterstock

STAY

Alila Jabal Akhdar was the first luxury accommodation to open on the mountain and today is one of the finest properties in the region. Trekking is one of the many activities they offer on-site, with each walk tailored to the interests and capabilities of the guests. Doubles (with room for two children under 12) start from $898 on a half board basis. alilahotels.com

Jamie Lafferty travelled as a guest of Alila Hotels.

Sign up for the Traveller Deals newsletter

Get exclusive travel deals delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up now.

Most viewed on Traveller

Loading