Jebel Dalal

Trek 24

The southernmost head of the Tih Plateau, standing above Wadi Zaranik. (Note: the Bedouin don’t consider it to be part of the Tih, they only call the western part of the plateau Jebel Tih.) To the west is a big desert plain stretching to Serabit el Khadim; to the east is Wadi Zalaqa running between the Tih and Guna plateaus to Ein Umm Ahmed; to the south the plain of Elu el Ajramiya lies, and beyond the village of Tarfa, St. Katherine and the High Mountains. It is an important cross-road between the different regions. A drivable dirt road even ascends the range, and there are several more options on foot, depending where you are coming from.

Other names/spellings: Jabal, Gebel, Gabal, Djebel, Djabal – el-Dalal, al-Dalal, ed-Dalal, ad-Dalal


  • Jebel Dalal: the tip of the central Sinai plateau (marked on maps as the Tih Plateau), a flat bastion of a mountain standing above a system of connecting plains and low wadis that are part of the sandy belt cutting across the peninsula from one coast to the other.
  • Naqb el Qattar: starting from an area known as Haraba in the eastern end of El Ramla, this is the main route from the west up to Jebel Dalal. Accessible only on foot.
  • El Ramla: a vast desert plain that runs below the Tih Plateau, connecting the west coast to Wadi Zalaqa and the east coast.
  • Naqb Ayana: a steep pass on the east side of Jebel Dalal, connecting to the upper end of Wadi Zalaqa. Accessible only on foot, although 4×4 can drive up amazingly high.
  • Wadi Zalaqa: a long and wide wadi that connects the Jebel Dalal area to Ein Umm Ahmed and then Wadi Watir in the east.
  • Naqb Dalal: a pass with a road accessible for vehicles leading up to the top from the plain of El Joofa in the south. There are several shorter routes accessible on foot and for camels.
  • El Joofa: a sandy plain with some rocky hills southwest of Jebel Dalal. A pumping station known as Bier Abu Wayed can provide fresh water.
  • Wadi Gharaba and Hashm el Gharaba: the routes from El Ramla to El Joofa, the first is the main 4×4 track, the later is accessible on foot only.
  • Zaranik: a plain with a maze of rocky hills southeast of Jebel Dalal, connecting El Joofa to Wadi Zalaqa. It includes the footpath via Zarnuq, and the 4×4 route via Matab Zalaqa.
  • Elu el Ajramiya: a big open plain south of El Joofa, extending to the main asphalt road at the settlement of Tarfa.

See: Trek 24 


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