Sinai Trekking Guide: 74 Large-Scale Maps and Route Guides to the Best of Egypt’s Mountain and Desert Treks

Hiking guide to Egypt's Sinai region with 74 large-scale maps, route descriptions and GPS points. Practical information on getting to Egypt, planning your trek plus town guides to Sinai beach resorts.

INTRODUCTION 7 PART 1: PLANNING YOUR TRIP With a group or on your own? 8 Getting to the Sinai 13 Visas and entry 16 Budgeting 18 When to go 19 Route options 20 What to take 24 Health preparations 33 PART 2: EGYPT Facts about the country Geography 35 - Historical outline 35 Politics 37 - People 39 - Religion 39 - Economy 39 Practical information for the visitor Getting around 40 - Language 41 - Opening Hours 42 - Holidays & festivals 42 - Time 45 - Embassies & consulates 45 Electricity 46 - Money 46 - Weights & measures 49 - Post & telecommunications 49 Media 51 - Toilets 51 - Health care 51 - Where to stay 51 - Food 52 - Drink 55 What to buy 56 - Crime & the police 56 - Sexual harassment 56 Homosexuality 57 - Terrorism & security 57 PART 3: THE SINAI Geography 59 The environment 61 A brief history 65 People of the peninsula 70 The Sinai and religious legends 75 PART 4: MINIMUM IMPACT TREKKING & SAFETY ON THE TRAIL Minimum impact trekking 78 Health & safety on the trail Heat acclimatisation 86 - Dehydration 86 Diarrhoea 89 - Other potential health problems 89 - Altitude problems 90 Hazards 91 - Basic safety precautions 94 PART 5: GATEWAY TOWNS Sharm el Sheikh 95 Dahab 109 Taba 116 El Tur (Tur Sina) 119 PART 6: TRAIL GUIDES AND MAPS Using this guide 122 High Mountain Region Tribes and trekking 124 - St Katherine 125 Northern Peaks Circuit (2-3 days) Practicalities 131, Kharazeen to Jebel el Ojar 131,Jebel el Ojar/Farsh Suna to Wadi Abu Zeituna 132, Wadi Abu Zeituna to Jebel Banat 136, Jebel Banat to Al Karm Ecolodge 137, Al Karm Ecolodge to Naqb Abu Seila 137, Naqb Abu Seila to St Katherine 140 Galt el Azraq (3-4 days) Practicalities 142, Abu Seila to Kharazat Shagg 142, Kharazat Shagg to Wadi Abu Tuweita 142, Wadi Abu Tuweita to Galt el Azraq 144, Galt el Azraq to Farsh Rummana 146, Farsh Rummana to Ein Najila 146, Jebel Bab el Dunya: the ascent 148, Ein Najila to Naqb Umm Siha 150, Naqb Umm Siha to Wadi Zawatin 150, Wadi Zawatin to St Katherine 153 Jebel Katherina & Abbas Basha (2-3 days) Practicalities 153, St Katherine to Wadi Tubug 154, Wadi Tubug to Wadi Zawatin 156, Wadi Zawatin to Jebel Abbas Basha 156 High Mountain Region (cont'd from p5) Jebel Abbas Basha to Wadi Ahmar 158, Wadi Ahmar to Farsh Umm Sila 159, Jebel Katherina: the ascent 160, Farsh Umm Sila to St Katherine 162 Mount Sinai/Jebel Musa (1-2 days) Practicalities 162, St Katherine to Deir el Arbain 164, Deir el Arbain to Jebel Safsafa chapel 164, Jebel Safsafa chapel to Farsh Elias 166, Farsh Elias to Mt Sinai 168, Farsh Elias to the Monastery of St Katherine 168 Jebel el Deir (1-2 days) Practicalities 169, Monastery of St Katherine to Farsh Jamaam 169, Farsh Jamaam to the summit of Jebel el Deir 170, Jebel el Deir to the Monastery of St Galaktion & St Episteme 170, Back to the Monastery of St Katherine 172 Jebel Umm Shomer (3 days) Practicalities 172, Zeituna to Jebel Abu Shajara 173, Jebel Umm Shomer: the ascent 173, Jebel Umm Shomer to Deir Rimhan 177, Deir Rimhan to Wadi Isleh 177, Wadi Isleh to Wadi Muwajid 180, Wadi Muwajid to the Plain of Qa 180 Wadi Feiran Tribes and trekking 184, Wadi Feiran 184 Jebel Serbal Circuit (3-4 days) Practicalities 186, Seil Aleyat to Naqb Shahrani 187, Naqb Shahrani to Farsh Loza 190, Farsh Loza to Jebel Serbal 190, Farsh Loza to Hajar Imbardia 192, Hajar Imbardia to Wadi Rimm 192, Wadi Rimm to Wadi Sigillia 194, Wadi Sigillia to Sed Sigillia 196, Wadi Mileihim to Wadi Ajela 196, Wadi Ajela to Wadi Feiran 200 Jebel Salla (1/2 day) Practicalities 200, Wadi Feiran to Hajar Salla 201, Hajar Salla to Jebel Salla 201 Wadi Feiran to Serabit el Khadem (3 days) Practicalities 203, Wadi Mukattab to Seih Sidreh 203, Seih Sidreh to Wadi Maghara 206, Wadi Iqne to Wadi Amran 208, Wadi Amran to Sheikh Saadan 210, Sheikh Saadan to Wadi Lahian 214, Wadi Lahian to Wadi Bala 214, Serabit el Khadem 216, Abu Zenima 221, Abu Rudeis 221 The Desert Tribes and trekking 222, Nuweiba 222, Ras Shaitan 228, Ein Hudera 229, Other desert trailheads 230 Ras Shaitan to Ein Hudera (3-4 days) Practicalities 230, Ras Shaitan to Wadi Wishwashi 231, Wishwashi Canyon 231, Wadi Melha to Moiyet Melha 231, Moiyet Melha to Farsh Fureh 231, Naqb Fureh to Wadi Melha Atshana 234, Wadi Melha Atshana to the Coloured Canyon 234, The Coloured Canyon to Ein Furtaga 238, Ein Furtaga to Wadi Hudera 238, Wadi Hudera to Ein Hudera 239, Finishing from Ein Hudera 244 Haduda Dune (2 days) Practicalities 246, Nawamis village to the tombs 246, The tombs to Jebel Mutamir 248, Jebel Mutamir to Jebel Ikri 248, Jebel Ikri to Jebel Barqa 248, Jebel Barqa to Jebel Mahroom 252, Jebel Mahroom to Haduda Dune 252 Desert Traverse (5-6 days) Practicalities 254, Wadi Arada to Arada Canyon 254, Arada Canyon to Farsh Abbeya 254, Farsh Abbeya to Wadi Umm Hamata 258, Wadi Umm Hamata to Wadi Ghlim 258, Wadi Ghlim to the Berqa Plain 259, Onwards to Jebel Berqa 262, Jebel Berqa to Naqb Moehis 264, Naqb Moehis to Wadi Hudera 268, Wadi Hudera to the Closed Canyon 268, Onwards to Ein Hudera 268, The White Canyon 270, The White Canyon to Jebel Mileihis 270, Jebel Mileihis to Canyon Salema 274, Canyon Salema to Ras Wadi Ghazala 274 APPENDICES A Glossary 275 B Survival Arabic 276 C GPS waypoints 279 INDEX