Discover Sinai

Originally posted on June 11, 2014 Mt Sinai (Gebel Mousa) and Jebel Safsafa form one massif, with Safsafa towering above the town of St Katherine, while the peak of Mt Sinai is located at the other end, not visible from town. Most people climbing the mountain never realise how many beautiful secrets this range holds, just a few steps off the main tourist path. There are hidden little basins harbouring chapels and hermit cells, gardens, wells and reservoirs, gullies offering a view to different directions, and the stunning sight of Wadi Raha and the town of St Katherine from Ras Safsafa. Instead of the usual route, you could visit all these places in a long day, finishing at the peak of Mt Sinai for the sunset, then either return to town or spend the night up to see the sunrise too. The best route is from Wadi Arbain, just off from the Rasis area of town, passing Hajar Mousa (Rock of Moses) and the Monastery of the Fourty Martyrs (Deir el Arbain). From there head to Kinist el Hmar, and ...

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,...

Originally posted on February 22, 2015 How do you define the best mountain? The highest or the most famous? The toughest or the one with the best view? A mountain can be significant for various reasons, so it is difficult to choose the Top 10. The High Mountain Region – easy to guess – features many of the best mountains in the Sinai, but some of the highest peaks are actually found outside of this relatively small area contained within the circular dyke around St. Catherine. In fact, most of South Sinai is mountains, peak after peak. Called a jebel in Arabic, you could also argue what a mountain is… Is a big sandstone ridge a mountain? What about a plateau? Whatever the answer is, many of these geographical formations are very impressive. And any big hill or small mountain, or any elevated point in fact, provides a unique view. In this Top 10 only those mountains are listed that are relevant for visitors: some are right on the main tourist path, others are a bit off, but all these pl...