Climbing in Jordan’s Wadi Rum brings connection with the traditions of the Bedouin and reminders of the more ancient peoples that once roamed this region.
I COULD HEAR THE DESPERATION.
“Oh no! ” said Antoine, as he hung spectacularly, 15m above me. His right hand, rolled into a first, was jammed into a five centimetre-deep crack, together with his right foot. His full body weight dangled from those precarious holds, while with his left hand he was urgently trying to loosen a cam from the crack.
“I just moved it a few centimetres higher and now it’s stuck,” he tried to apologise.
A camelot , or cam for short , is a spring-loaded safety device that climbers squeeze into small cracks to protect against a fall. We only had a limited number with us and it was important we got this one free. It was also the only safety that currently protected Antoine from falling back down to our anchor and possibly down the entire route. From my own, more secure perch, I could see the desert floor several hundred metres below us.
“I guess there is not much we can do to help,” my wife Esther, sharing the anchor with me, said drily.
I could see the tension in her face but we both trusted in Antoine’s abilities. We had been climbing with him for more than two years. One of France’s most proficient alpinists, he has won the Piolet D'Or, mountaineering’s highest award and climbed remote peaks in Patagonia and Greenland. It had been his idea to join him on this trip, an exploration of the scrambling and climbing routes in Jordan’s famous Wadi Rum, a dramatic system of valleys in the Southern Desert of Jordan.
The minutes passed with the faint noise of French cursing continuing until we heard a loud, “Ah yes, got it out”. With a few dynamic moves he continued up the crack over the last remaining metres of wall and just a few moments later we joined him at the top.
This story is from the July - August 2018 edition of Action Asia.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July - August 2018 edition of Action Asia.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Policing Paradise
Palau’s President Tommy E. Remengesau Jr has established his country in the vanguard of global efforts on ocean conservation, in particular with the 2015 designation of much of its territorial waters as a marine reserve and no-take zone. Policing this vast area though remains immensely challenging.
The Not-So-Silent World
Human activities may be emitting levels of noise that harm marine life.
Once Were Warriors
A visit to the 2018 World Nomad Games in Kyrgyzstan is a surreal trip to a time and place where martial skills matter.
The Secret Life Of Pangolins
PALAWAN – IT’S 1AM AND MOST PEOPLE are safely in their beds. Instead I’m deep in the jungles of Palawan with an international team of researchers and a squad of Philippine Marines, searching for pangolins, the most illegally trafficked mammals on Earth.
Feast Your Senses
The Alta Via 1 is the classic Dolomite trail, bringing the peaks within arm’s reach as you hike between homely refugios and historic war-time fortifications.
China's Olympians Show The Way
WITH 40 RIDERS FROM 12 COUNTRIES, THE KTA made its second visit to the Desaru Coast in Malaysia with its Asia Pacific Hydrofoil Tour Series , which welcomes amateur and professional riders a like . Chinese Youth Olympians Haoran Zhang and Jingle Chen took first places in the Men’s and Women’s classes, while Korean veteran Soon Ho Kwon was crowned champion in the Masters.
China's Masses Warming To Snow
TWO YEARS AGO, CHINA opened the world’s largest indoor ski slope with two black runs, a blue run, snow play area and beginner slopes all served by chairlifts and magic carpets. Interestingly, it choose to build this behemoth in Harbin, where real snow piles high every winter and temperatures plunge low enough to host the annual International Ice and Snow Festival.
A Quieter, Cleaner Everest In Store?
FOLLOWING RECORD deaths during the Everest climbing season earlier this year, Nepal’s government and the climbing community are suggesting a new list of preconditions for any summit attempt.
A Life List Of Adventure
There’s a first time for everything. But some firsts matter more: experiences that are life-altering, that change perspective, build confidence and teach you about all you can do and all you can be.
Boracay To Reopen To Tourism
AFTER A SIX-MONTH closure for rehabilitation, the celebrated resort of Boracay in Aklan, Philippines is set to reopen to tourists on October 26, despite continuing confusion about what the closure has achieved and what the future holds.
