Did the Snake canyon walk twice about 15 years ago. Where does the time go , yadda yadda yadda. Never progressed further so I was happy to go up to Bilad Seyt in Wadi Bani Awf last Friday.
Took off from the farm and took the Nakhl Rustaq loop. They're doing major road works just before Awabi (the main town for Wadi Bani Kharus) and they have pink traffic cones.. PINK!! I tell you good googlies to mowglies... with MATCHING PINK accessories, by that I mean lines with pink strands. I could say I'm gobsmacked which I am and that I can't say more, which I can but I won't. Say thank you! I'm still in a state of shock at not just pink but BARBIE PINK no less. I mean come on folks.. who is playing a joke here?
Met the second 4WD at the turn off for WBA which luckily still has not been tamed by tarmac road but no doubt its not far behind. That's mean of me, tarmac would make it so much easier for the local residents to travel in and out, but if one thought about it, the maintenance would be a killer. Through the main wadi with the villages tucked on either sides and terraces of lemon trees, date palms and alfalfa/ garlic etc, through narrower parts where the water was flowing well and managed to clean the tyres through several small crossings.
The sights you see along the route.... a flag of Oman painted on a rock and beyond that high on a mountain the rock has naturally sheered off and you see a Devil sign, index and small finger raised. A typical sign at a hard rock concert (no pun intended). 3 large blue signboards with various villages and distances and arrows marking the direction , set in the middle of nowhere. A graveyard with large shale rock showing the head and foot of the grave, in the middle of no where.. an abandoned rock house.. round rock tombs possibly pre islamic? Of course.. the ubiqutuous goat which in the Wadi looked healthy with shiny clean coats.
Come to a small hamlet with a single track between two houses which signals the start of the ascent. Normally for Snake Canyon this is where you would park one vehicle and then get into the other cars for the ride up to midway point which marks the start of the walk but thats another entry.
Put the Monster in 4Lo and off we took up the track. I waited for the lead 4WD to go ahead a bit as I didn't want to rear end it driving the Monster which had power to spare. It was a Nissan Armada v12? and there were only 4 of us in it. S. offered it when he knew his wife and daughter were going with us and it was a comfort knowing we had that power to spare. A narrow track with passing spaces meant total concentration, especially as at a couple of points that's all you had, a rock wall and a sheer drop! To break the monotony you had a couple of points where all you saw was sky ahead of you and no idea where the road was when you crested the apex. My companions were happy to be on the rock side.
We came across a set of signs for tourists (brown signboards) showing distances along the Jebel tracks. It would be a great weekend trip to follow the routes. I offered a ride to a young man waiting at the signposts who said he was going to Bilad Seyt, he declined saying he had called his brother to come and collect him and that it was not far from where we were. As we set off we saw his brother coming down the hill and to our
utter amazement and dismay he was driving with a baby in his arms!!! Insanity. 'Nuff said.
Bilad Seyt is all that I thought off.. rather like Misfat al Ibrayeen above al Hamra. Rows of houses on levels above a green palate of fields and date palms. Very picturesque and perfect for tourist shots .. or shots at tourists? Nope , its a safe country and no such things happen! We were not the only ones there but were lucky in bagging a good spot for our picnic. Besides a falaj, under a tree and obviously where the local ladies come to do their laundry judging by packets of laundry detergent left behind. At least we were in the shade and had a coolish breeze.
Return journey, passengers had enough of looking down at the chasm so sat towards the wall. Different experience going down as opposed to the ascent and praying we wouldn't meet a car coming up. Seemed quicker going down. Took time to exit the wadi, due to picture taking (both vehicles). Back to the farm on the same route and past my PINK traffic cones, in time to see the sunset while in my lovely relaxing hammock. All in all a very good day.
