2015 Traversing the Mushrooms of Jordan

Traversing the Mushrooms of Jordan

Jordan is a ‘safe’ heaven amidst the surrounding turmoil of today’s world, it is considered to be the safest country in the Middle East and also the safest Arab country. Its wonderful climate, natural beauty and very hospitable people make this a ‘must visit’ destination on any adventure traveller’s itinerary. Jordan offers everything from world-class trekking routes and World Heritage historical and cultural sites to modern entertainment in urban cosmopolitan towns, most notably in Amman. 

However, my reason for visiting Jordan was not to be part of the modern entertainment circuit, I’ll leave that for another time! My visit was as a result of a joint tourism initiative between ‘Visit Jordan’ and the Union of International Alpine Associations (UIAA), and I went as part of a team to help train and assess trek leaders, along with ‘the Boss’ Steve Long and Hannah Burrows-Smith. 

A night flight from Kathmandu saw me land in Amman in the early hours, a quick transfer to the Airport Hotel, a couple of hours sleep followed by a three hour drive down the King's Road and I was in Shoubak. 

Shoubak is situated on the eastern side of the Arabah, the desolate and dry area situated between Israel to the west and the rest of Jordan to the east. In biblical times this area was the centre of copper production, even King Solomon is believed to have had mines in the area and the Nabataean people, who built Petra, were residents of the lands just to the east of Shoubak. 

My introduction as to what Jordan has to offer came head-on during the first day of our program. At the moment Jordan does not have trekking maps, in fact it appears maps of any sort are virtually impossible to come by. Some information can be found on Google Maps but the area is so complex that they are of little use to navigate by. Tony Howard has produced a guide book to the area but I would suggest you purchase a copy well before your intended visit as the area is difficult to orientate yourself with.
 

Your only option, that’s if you actually want to reach your trek destination within any reasonable length of time, is to hire a local trek guide.

 
So what did our first day throw at us .. a big surprise that’s what! After a gentle trek across a fairly arid landscape we entered ‘the Badlands’ an area of limestone/sandstone layers which over the course of millions of years has been eroded into a complex landscape of magnificent limestone ‘mushrooms’ and giant deep canyons, nearly all difficult to either enter or to escape from, almost impossible to cross without local knowledge and disastrous to be caught in when there is a chance of rain. If there is heavy precipitation anywhere in distant localities these the canyons form the easiest route for the water to escape from the hills by and flash floods occur instantly, your first inkling is, in more cases than not, the sound of rushing water. These canyons are certainly not the place to be trekking in during the wet seasons. 

Our route took us into the heart of this wild terrain. The trek was going well and navigation straight forward until we were stopped by a gorge that was at least 100m deep with sheer limestone walls on both sides and probably 60m wide. Although our local lads did not have detailed knowledge of the area they did understand the Bedouins and their ability to find a safe, even if adventurous, passage through the almost Luna landscape. Sure enough in places where our route moved off the limestone slabs we found traces of small trails or donkey droppings that gave us encouragement that we were at least going along the right ledges and terraces as used by the Bedouins. Steep shale banks were crossed using a light weight rope for safety, all above drops that were hidden from sight, limestone pillars were circumnavigated via exposed trails and steep holdless slabs were padded up, in some cases with the assistance of a Bedouin Staircase, small piles of rocks stacked on top of one and other. Passing round the source of the gorge and climbing back onto the ridge we immediately descended into another deep gorge. Applying the previously practiced techniques our guides under assessment found a safe passage and after nearly five hours we eventually reached the other-side of our traverse literally only 3 kilometres further on.

The definition of adventure is not knowing the outcome and to be honest this was the first real ‘adventure’ I’ve had for many a year. With no maps you definitely need to not only survive off your skills as a mountaineer but also understand the ways of the Bedouins. What started out as a short ‘before lunch’ introduction to the course developed into a full blown adventure which ended at tea time! However, this was exactly the right route to reinforce to the local guides why they need to develop and become proficient with the various skills required to be a safe Jordanian trek leader.

Shoubak is ideally situated as a base for a stay in the Dana region of Jordan, not only does the locality offer a wide variety of treks of all standards but it is also rich in historical terms. Situated on a conical hill opposite the Montreal Hotel is the Crusader Castle ‘Shoubak’ meaning ruins. Built in 1115 the castle was originally called ‘Krak de Montreal’ or ‘Mons Regalis’ in recognition of the King’s contribution to its construction. As with many similar constructions this castle allowed Baldwin 1^st of Jerusalem, who had captured the area in1116, to control the trade routes and also to collect the taxes from the traders.

 
Raynald of Châtillon, from the second crusade eventually used the castle as a base from which he would send out parties to raid the rich caravans that had previously been allowed to pass through the region unharmed. This situation was unacceptable to the Ayyubid sultan Saladin, who in 1187 laid siege to the castle. Because the castle was built on a hill the Sultan was unable to use siege engines and so he cut off all supplies to the knights and families that remained inside. After almost two years Saladin’s soldiers over came the resistance and the castle fell in 1189. Part of the infrastructure that allowed the castle to withstand the Sultan's attacks for so long was a tunnel that had been carved deep into the hill on which the castle sits. This tunnel descends to a well and its spring water via a stairway of over 350 steps that were cut into the limestone. Today it is possible to descend these steps with the use of a torch and maybe a rope just in case members in the group are a little insecure on the slippery and steep passage that emerges at the bottom of the hill outside the castle wall,s in what would, at that time, have been a rich forest of wild fruit trees and other indigenous scrubs.

In a bid to encourage new activities that can be completed from the Montreal Hotel course members explored a small gorge to the north east of the castle and produced a route map and guide. This short trek together with a visit to the castle and then exiting via the ‘steep slippery steps’ provides a good short but adventurous day out for visitors. 

During the intervening days course members practiced navigation and rope skills. As with all well organised courses our program ended with an Expedition and as with all tourism organisations they wanted to show off the country's crown jewels to foreign visitors. ‘Visit Jordan’ certainly did us proud in that department; our expedition spent the middle expedition night in a Bedouin Camp. After sleeping off the effects of a splended meal cooked in a traditional Bedouin oven we awoke to a minor sand storm, althought the wind had managed to filter the dust through the tent and cover everything in a fine silt like layer it did not prevent us from continuing towards Petra. As we left camp aiming for Little Petra the wind wiped the sand up and it became rather like walking into a blizzard, the sand stinging any exposed parts of the body. There was no other option other than to  try to beg, borrow or steal a 'Keffiyeh', a Jordanian headscarf, in the end I purchased one from a local shop, from then on, the storm was not a problem! From Little Petra we trekked through more limestone terrain to finish in the sandstone area of the ancient carved dwellings of Petra.

Petra, or the Rose City, so called because of the colour of the rock, has been inhabited since prehistoric times, possible being established as early as 312BC. The Nabataea rock-cut architecture created a city situated between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea which catered for the large, often a 1000 strong camel caravans that used to pass through the area. This was the important crossroads between Arabia, Egypt and Syria-Phoenicia and as such secured great wealth for the region. Petra is half-built and half-carved into the rock and is surrounded by mountains riddled with passages and gorges. The main structure of the dwellings and tombs are carved out of solid rock but many of the decorative pillars were carved separately and then put in place to appear to be supporting maybe, a lintel. On the 18th and 19th May 363 two severe earthquakes hit the area and Petra was damaged to such an extent that it losts its position in regional power, however many of the  tombs and dwellings carved out of the solid rock survived.

The site remained hidden from the west until 1812, when the Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt 'introduced' it to the world. It is one of the world's most famous archaeological sites, where ancient Eastern traditions blend with Hellenistic architecture and is described by UNESCO as 'one of the most precious cultural properties of man's cultural heritage.' Smithsonian Magazine rated it as 'one of the 28 places to see before you die!'

As with nearly all good adventures the ‘good times’ come to a periodic halt. Within the following 48 hours I was caught up in the chaos of Abi Dhabi airport caused by the fuel crisis in Nepal.

Jordan..I will be back!

The first hour of our first day gave away no secretes as to what was in store, the gentle approach route soon became an adventure amongst the 'mushrooms'

Navigation in the desert is a finely tuned skills, there are no specific landmarks, it is all based very much on reading the terrain and micro navigation

The boys from the Wadi Rum were very much at home on the smooth sandstone features very similar to those of their own tribal landscape

Travel fast, travel light! Returning from the local Castle Gorge trek

When you find a significant landmark..hang onto it, our route traversed the fine ridge

Probably the most reliable and economic form of desert transport

Nedal, a young and enthusistic new breed of Jordanian trekking guides

A Sinai Agama, the blue lizard, very much at home amongst the heat and desert rocks

The smooth white limestone slabs give away little when it comes to following a Bedouin trail and the surprises are awesome!

The landscape certainly gives a feeling of remoteness, probably because it is

A Sinai Rosefinch seeking the cool air of a rock gorge, Little Petra

A fine ceiling fresco in a carved out room in a cave dwelling, Little Petra

The ancient Nabataean settlers carved steps into the soft sandstone to enable them to increase their 'real estate and to create water channels!'

Another horizon and another gorge

Not only skill in finding the correct line but also sure footedness is required to ensure a safe passage around some of the sandstone pillars

The Deir, the biggest structure in Petra, carved from the solid rock, probably as a mausoleum for a king

Descending from the Deir the trail winds down through the gorge but every now and then there are glimpses of Petra with a complete cliff of carved dwellings

Camels are still the preferred method of transport, not only for the Bedouin but also for the desert police, camels are purpose designed for the desert envionment

One of the many deep gorges that allow access to or exit from the centre of Petra

Every tourist attraction has its young lads with their customised taxis!

Entering Petra from the hills

Every cliff has been used, carved and maybe lived in, in its hay-day Petra must have been a magnificent sight with the many camel caravans literally passing down this road

The two people in this image gives perspective to the size of the architecture

The 'rose red' stone from which Petra gets its other name 'Rose City'

Always on the look-out for someone who will try to feed them!

Today the camels in Petra are part of the tourist attraction offering rides to those who feel the need. But imagine it in its hay-day, it must have been a magnificent sight with literally hundreds of camels all tightly packed into the main square

The famous Petra World Heritage site and the Treasury

The sides of the main gorges are lined with carved tombs which must have been for the wealthy traders

As one moves away from ancient Petra the gorge slowly widens out, however it retains its height right to the very end