The turnoff for Wadi Bani Awf just north of Al Awabi |
Bald Sait is a good destination |
Another jeep approaches along the dusty wadi |
Florian |
The Wadi Bani Awf road leads to a crossing of the Western Hajar to Al Hamra |
Range Rover in Wadi Bani Awf, Oman |
Wadi Bani Awf |
Wadi Bani Awf, Western Hajar Mountains, Oman |
Wadi Bani Awf |
Wadi Bani Awf |
Ruins of a watch tower, Wadi Bani Awf |
Ruins of a watch tower, Al Fara |
Wadi Bani Awf |
Palm oasis, Wadi Bani Awf |
Wadi Bani Awf |
Traditional style house, Wadi Bani Awf |
Wadi Bani Awf |
Florian would like to climb up there... |
Wadi Bani Awf |
Wadi Bani Awf |
Wadi Bani Awf |
Water in Wadi Bani Awf after December rains |
Wet wadi |
Wadi Bani Awf |
We had to drive through quite a bit of standing water |
Wadi Bani Awf |
Wadi Bani Awf |
Wadi Bani Awf |
Wadi Bani Awf |
Wadi Bani Awf |
Still an unusual site, water in Arabia |
Palms and water, Wadi Bani Awf, Oman |
Palms and water |
Wadi Bani Awf |
Wadi Bani Awf |
Wadi Bani Awf |
High peaks of the Western Hajar above Wadi Bani Awf |
Wadi Bani Awf |
A'Teekhah |
Hospital?, A'Teekhah |
Past A'Teekhah the wadi widens |
Left to continue along Wadi Bani Awf, right to Wadi As Sahtan |
Western Hajar Mountains, Oman |
The road starts climbing out of the Wadi towards |
Range Rover advertisement |
Range Rover (maintenance intensive) |
Side road |
Left turnoff from main route |
Ruin |
Ruin along the Wadi Bani Awf route, unknown age |
Me |
Wannabe mountain goat |
King of the Mountain |
Western Hajar Mountains |
Oasis of Al Zammah, where the road begins the final climb to Balad Seyt |
Interesting veins in one of the Hajar peaks |
Fields of Al Zammah |
Looking down at Al Zammah |
Al Zammah, Western Hajar Mountains, Oman |
Al Zammah, Oman |
Western Hajar Mountains |
Wadi Bimmah - Snake Canyon |
The road between Az-Zammah and Balad Sayed |
Wadi Bimmah - Snake Canyon |
Wadi Bimmah - Snake Canyon |
Road to Balad Sayed |
Deep canyon |
The road loops around the access to Snake Canyon |
The road to Bilad Sayt is down to the left |
The right fork leads to a high road which is off my map |
Trees make for good campsites |
Western Hajar Mountains seen from the road to Balad Sayed above Snake Canyon |
Western Hajar Mountains |
Wadi Bimmah - Snake Canyon |
Wadi Bimmah - Snake Canyon |
Wadi Bimmah - Snake Canyon |
Wadi Bimmah - Snake Canyon |
Looking back across the canyon to the road we came on |
Road to Balad Sayt |
Western Hajar Mountains above Wadi Bimmah - Snake Canyon |
Road signs at the intersection for the last 2.5 km to Balad Sayt |
Football pitch with the road to Al Hamra passing through it seen from the road to Balad Sayt |
Football pitch with the road to Al Hamra passing through it seen from the road to Balad Sayt |
Western Hajar Mountains |
Wadi Bani Awf route |
Road high above the canyon |
Western Hajar Mountains |
Omani mountain village of Bilad Sayt (on some maps Balad Sayt) |
Omani mountain village |
Parked above Balad Sayt |
Balad Sayt, Oman |
Fields of Balad Sayt |
The Western Hajar trekking path W8 starts at Balad Sayt |
The village gets cast in shadow in the afternoon, this is 3 pm in December |
Palm oasis, Balad Sayt |
OmanDec06 609.jpg |
Balad Sayt |
Balad Sayt |
Old Toyota Land Cruiser, Balad Sayt |
Old Toyota Land Cruiser, Balad Sayt |
Balad Sayt |
Balad Sayt |
Balad Sayt |
Watch tower, Balad Sayt |
Balad Sayt |
Canyon, Western Hajar Mountains, Oman |
Heading back down the road from Balad Sayt |
Right at the fork to complete the crossing of the Western Hajar Moutains to Al Hamra |
Road to Al Hamra |
Narrow canyon could be interesting to explore |
Steep Ascent - Engage 4WD (and they mean it) |
Bad road |
4WD required past the Balad Sayed intersection to the Hajar summit enroute to Al Hamra |
4WD track to the summit of the Western Hajars |
4WD track |
A Saudi tourist on the same track |
The road continues to climb |
Another deep canyon |
Tiny, remote village, Sharaf Al Almayn |
Nearing the road's summit between the coastal and interior Oman |
Mountain peaks |
Prominent outcropping |
View from near the summit |
Florian likes the sunroof :) |
Summit |
Summit |
Summit |
Past the summit, the road improves significantly down the western slope towards Al Hamra |
Road contruction for the road to Al Hamra, which is being paved |
Birkat Al Sharaf, Oman |
Birkat Al Sharaf |
A wide paved road has replaced the old 4WD track to Al Hamra |
Road sign with Al Hoota Cave as a landmark |
Part of the old 4WD track visible |
Goat |
Goat |
The new road to Al Hamra |
Descending along the new road to Al Hamra late afternoon |
Late afternoon |
Western slope of the Hajar Mountains |