A tour of Wadi Rum is an adventures’ dream and one of the top reasons to travel to Jordan. I once sat in a Bedouin tent with British mountaineers who have climbed around the world. “Wadi Rum is our favorite place to come back to,” one said.
Jabal Khazali
Jabal (Arabic for “mountain”) Khazali is one of the first stops on a jeep tour of the Wadi Rum desert. A beautiful slit in the mountain hides ancient Nabatean petroglyphs, dating back over 2000 years ago; an age before the Nabatean people settled in Wadi Musa and built Petra. A climb to the top (1420 m/4659 ft) and back down will take nearly a full day.
Jabal Um Adami
Climbing to the top of Wadi Rum’s Jabal Khazali may be only for a select few. If you want a great adventurous view but you’re not a climber try Jabal Um Adami, the highest peak in Jordan (1,854 m/6,083 ft). The ascent is actually much easier than Jabal Khazali and is more of a hike than a climb. Pictured below is Abu Mohammad looking out at the Saudi Arabia border.
Jabal Rum
Have you already climbed Jabal Khazali and want something more? Take a guided climb of Jabal Rum, the namesake of Wadi Rum. This climb will take around 5 to 6 hours. You will camp on the top of Rum mountain and rappel down the following morning. It is an adventure like no other. Previous rappelling experience is required.
For all climbs and hikes in Wadi Rum, a trained Bedouin guide is a must. There are many places in the sandstone cliffs that are easy to get onto, but nearly impossible to get down from. The local Bedouins have been climbing these mountains since they were children and know the area thoroughly.
