Wadi An Nakhur Hike

Wadi An Nakhur had been on my list of must-do adventures for two years and the two previous attempts at it were not successful. My research led me to believe that it would be an exciting offroad adventure in my 4×4. However, trying to get past several of the large boulders with a 4×4 proved impossible. So I made the decision that I would not attempt it again unless I was on foot; I was not going to strike out for a third time.

After spending the previous two days hiking up and camping on Jebal Shams’ W4 path with Adventure Emarat and Adventure Oman, a small team was eager at the prospects of spending another afternoon hiking through a mountain gorge, which would reward us with fantastic views dropped in a lush oasis. We were able to drive the first two kilometers from the main road into Wadi Ghul. The rocky, wadi path wound its way around small houses and plantations before we turned up into a small hillside village nestled adjacent to the wadi. After a few polite greetings from the local villagers and purchasing a couple of key rings made from goat and sheep hair we continued on our path back into the wadi for our final few meters in the car. Our journey would be on foot from this point forward as we hiked five kilometers to reach the end of the wadi and the mysterious abandoned village. We were not alone as there were a few other hikers coming and going in the wadi and there were several local farmers tending to their crops along the wadi’s edges. It was a very peaceful and relaxing hike with a comfortable backdrop throughout; the canyon walls towered hundred even thousands of meters above us, minimal sunlight hit us as the narrow canyon walls protected us, a cool breeze continuously blew through the air, and the ubiquitous flow of fresh streams into deep pools created a melodious rhythm.

Wadi An Nakhur is a hiker’s playground. The elevation is negligible – about 200 meters over the span of five kilometers – and it is replete with large boulders, pools, and streams all settled on a pebble-filled bed. We ran, jumped, and climbed our way through the wadi ever-determined to reach the end. We took a small break half way through the hike but other than this we kept the throttle forward and worked our way quickly through the winding gorge. At approximately four kilometers into the hike we came across the first signs of the village. The plantation fields were as green as can be and stepped up along the wadi’s edge. There were small huts that were used to store the harvested crops and the machinery and equipment that laid around let us know that these plantations are actively farmed. There was no one in sight but it was clear that someone had an interest in this area. We were careful not to disturb anything and then carried on further into the wadi to see what other treasures may be in store.

Within another 600 meters we came across the various small houses, rooms, majlises, and even as small mosque. This was the abandoned village that we had set out to see. To our surprise however, there were plantation fields still growing with fresh crops and water flowing through their intricate falaj systems. The five of us quickly and quietly scattered about checking out the various relics and treasures that had been left behind. We gently explored each of the rooms and pathways as to be sure not to disturb anything. Much to our surprise, we found several of the rooms with shiny new locks on them. This let us know that these rooms were in fact still in use and not completely abandoned; even one of the rooms had a satellite dish on it. After spending about 20 minutes roaming the ancient village-ways we decided to re-group start the five klick trek out of the gorge.

It was just before 3:30 pm when we started hiking out. The gorge was blanketed in shade as the sun had made its passing overhead. The cool, mountain-wadi air was briskly flowing through, which offered a dose spook and mystery. We had all taken plenty of pictures, explored all of the nooks and crannies, and now had our sights set on getting back to the car. Irrespective of the fact we had spent the last two days hiking and camping all over Jebal Shams and had just spent the last 3 hours climbing all through Wadi An Nakhur, we were all able to muster up the last bits of stamina in our tanks to B-line it out of the wadi in record time. We covered the five-plus kilometer hike out in one hour; half the time it took us to hike into the wadi. Once we reached back to the car, we took a few minutes to change, freshen up, and have some small chit-chat with a local villager, which was a great interaction. Despite my broken Arabic and his broken English, he was able to explain to me the history of the village, its former inhabitants, and its use today. This history definitely adds to the charm of the whole area.    

We saddled up in the car and began our five-hour drive back to Dubai. It was a very nice exploration hike to finish off a great weekend on Jebal Shams; a mountain, which has so much to offer and continues giving us great experiences and memories.