Trekking
It’s easy for anyone of moderate ability to embark on
half- or full-day country walks from most towns – as the modest local enthusiast site
w WalkingJordan.com attests. What you can’t expect is any kind of trail support: no signposts, no refreshment facilities and often no trail markers; there are also virtually no maps useful for walkers available. In recompense, you’ll generally be walking alone in pristine countryside. For greater insight, and a full range of detailed route descriptions, your best bet is to get hold of almost the only book on the subject –
Jordan: Walks, Treks, Caves, Climbs and Canyons by Di Taylor and Tony Howard.
Trekking is in its infancy in Jordan, other than in the unique mountains and deserts of Wadi Rum, where it plays an important role in the local economy. As at Petra, trekking services at Rum are offered by local people who still proudly consider themselves bedouin. Plenty of the best routes in and around Rum – as well as ancient caravan trails around Petra – are known only to the locals.
Elsewhere, only a handful of individuals and the RSCN (Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature) understand the theory and practice of trekking. Through its “Wild Jordan” office, the RSCN offers carefully controlled access to the country’s nature reserves – environmentally fragile, protected landscapes that are largely off-limits to visitors: the RSCN allows trekking only on designated trails with qualified RSCN nature guides. On no account should you enter the reserves without permission, or stray off-trail.
Outside these places, in the rugged mountains near Aqaba or the green hills of the far north, for example, there are no marked trails and very few guides. Indeed, it is highly unlikely that while walking you’ll come across anyone other than locals, some of whom may be happy to guide you – and all of whom will welcome you with the full warmth of Jordanian hospitality. Offers of tea and refreshment are likely to flow thick and fast as you pass through rural villages.
Terrain
Jordan’s
terrain is spectacularly varied. Anyone expecting a desert country will be astonished by the alpine-style meadows of north Jordan, which are carpeted in flowers in springtime, when warm breezes carry the aromas of herbs and pine. The hills of
Ajloun in April are simply captivating – a gentle terrain, with no real hazards other than the lack of water. The RSCN’s forest reserves at Ajloun and Dibbeen offer access into the area, as does the locally developed Al-Ayoun Trail.
The Dead Sea hills, also dubbed the “Mountains of Moab”, offer a more savage prospect, gashed by wild canyons which flash-flood after rains. They require respectful treatment. Their northern reaches fall within the boundaries of the RSCN’s Wadi Mujib reserve, where you can tackle the spectacular descent of the Mujib gorge, though independent adventure guides also offer access to similar exploration of neighbouring canyons outside the reserve such as Wadi Zarqa Ma’in or Wadi Mukheiris.
The southern part of the Moab hills around Karak, with excellent trekking and canyoning, is also outside the Mujib reserve. Hiking here, alongside water in the midst of harsh desert terrain, is always a pleasure. This part of the country is still very much off the beaten track, but you may be able to find a company or a specialist guide organizing trips to the beautiful and varied canyon of Wadi ibn Hammad.
Further south is the RSCN reserve at Dana, its ancient village perched like an eyrie above the wild Wadi Dana. This is, understandably, the pride of the RSCN, who organize some excellent treks past oases and ancient copper mines down to the Feynan Ecolodge in the Wadi Araba desert, as well as other routes in far-flung parts of these hills, including around their remote Rummana campsite.
The fabulous ancient city of Petra is concealed beyond the next range of hills to the south. While you could spend days hiking around this remarkable site, most walkers will feel the urge to explore further. Navigating paths through this craggy range of mountains is, however, extremely complex, and waterholes are few: until you gain confidence in the area, you should take a local guide. Independent guides offer a superb four-night wilderness trek from Feynan all the way to Petra, and local companies in Wadi Musa can set up excellent week-long camel- or horseriding treks from Petra to Rum.
At Wadi Rum, don’t let the multitudes of tour buses deter you. Out in the desert, away from the very few, well-travelled safari routes taken by day-trippers, all is solitude. The rock climbing in Rum is world-famous, but for the walker there is also much to offer, both dramatic canyon scrambles and delightful desert valleys. Again, be sure of your abilities if you go without a guide: bedouin camps are rare and only those intimate with Rum will find water. Far better is to get to know the local bedouin and hire a guide: a real desert experience is just as much about the people as the place. The rigorous ascent of the mighty Jabal Rum by a bedouin hunting route – well known to qualified guides – or the relatively easy scramble to the summit of Jabal Umm ad-Daami, Jordan’s highest mountain, is a world-class experience open to any fit and confident person.
Clothing, equipment and preparation
You should take a minimalist approach to
clothing and
equipment. Heavy boots aren’t necessary; good, supportive trainers or very lightweight boots are adequate. Quality
socks are important and should be washed or changed frequently to keep the sand out and minimize blisters. Clothing, too, should be lightweight and cotton or similar:
long trousers and
long-sleeved tops will limit dehydration and are essential on grounds of modesty when passing through villages or visiting bedouin camps. A sunhat, proper protective sunglasses and high-factor sunblock are also essential, as are a light windproof top and fleece. Basic trip preparation also includes carrying a mobile phone (bear in mind that coverage can be patchy, particularly on mountains and in canyons), a watch, a medical kit and a compass, and knowing how to use them all. You should carry a minimum of
three litres of water per day for an easy walk, perhaps six or eight litres per day for tough treks. On
toilet procedures, if you’re caught short in the wilds, make sure that you squat far away from trails and water supplies, and bury the result deeply. Toilet paper is both unsightly and unhygienic (goats will eat anything!); the best way to clean yourself is with water, but if you must use paper, either burn it or store it in a plastic bag and dispose of it correctly when you get back to a town.
Part of your preparation for trekking in Jordan must involve familiarizing yourself with the dangers of flash floods, most pertinently if you intend walking in narrow valleys and canyons, even in the desert: deluges are life-threatening.
There are no official search and rescue organizations. However straightforward your hike may seem, you must always tell someone responsible (such as a reliable friend or the tourist police) where you are going. You must then follow or stick close to your stated route, and check in when you return or reach your destination.
Hiring trekking/adventure guides
Fees for trekking guides can vary. In Rum, you should reckon on roughly JD40–60 per person for a high-quality full-day jeep tour with a knowledgeable English-speaking guide in a vehicle seating four to six people (per-person prices drop the more of you there are), including dinner, overnight desert camping with everything provided, and breakfast. (Cheaper deals are widely available – but you get what you pay for.) Guiding on scrambles and climbs that require ropes for safety costs considerably more, in the order of JD150–200 a day, and rightly so: it’s a responsible job. To be guided on a private one-day adventure trek – for instance through a gorge such as Wadi bin Hammad near Karak, Wadi Ghweir near Dana or one of the canyons above the Dead Sea – expect to pay in the order of JD100–120, less if it’s on easier terrain (and less if you join a scheduled group trip, such as through one of the operators we’ve listed in this section). The RSCN sets its own rates within each of the reserves, publicised on its website. Whatever you’re planning, it’s always best to book ahead.
If you’ve enjoyed your trip, tipping your guide is entirely appropriate. Ten percent would be fine, but you may want to give more – or perhaps a gift of a useful item of clothing or equipment. RSCN guides working in the reserves are not allowed to accept tips.
