Trailblazer Guide Books

'Fantastically detailed and well-presented.'
 — Backpack magazine

 

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 (½ 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

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