The usual route to Mt. Sinai (Gebel Musa) – night or day

Originally posted on June 3, 2014

Most people climb Mt Sinai (Gebel Mousa) at night, starting from the Monastery of St Catherine. The usual Mount Sinai hiking trail starts via the Camel Path, then, after sunrise people descend to Farsh Eliya (Elijah’s Basin) and back to the Monastery via the Stairs of Repentance. You could do the hike during the day as well, it is actually a much more peaceful experience, and the colours at sunset in my opinion are even more beautiful. If you start descending after the sun dipped behind the horizon – it’s still not proper sunset – you have enough time to get back to the Monastery before total darkness. If you do the climb during the day, it’s better to do the circuit the other way around, starting via the Stairs of Repentance and descending via the Camel Path. The big and oddly shaped steps are difficult on the knees and dangerous at dusk, while the Camel Path is easy even when the visibility is not perfect. You could start 2 – 2.5 hours before sunset, avoiding the strong mid-day heat and still having a bit of time to relax at the top. Alternatively you could start early in the morning and visit other hidden attractions in the massif’s secret basins… but that’s another post.







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