Mt. Sinai (Jebel Musa) and the Safsafa basins - Discover Sinai

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tips are accepted by all providing services – it is not necessary, butappreciated, especially if you were happy with their work. Useful itemswhich are difficult to get locally, such as pocket knifes, torches,sandals, boots and other trekking equipment are also a good idea togive. Please respect local culture and do not make photos of women.When to comeIf you look at South Sinai as a whole, it is easy to organize treks allyear round. When it gets cold in the high mountains, it is still warmer inthe desert – when it is too hot in the desert, it is still more pleasant inthe mountains. Probably the best times are spring and autumn in bothregions, although any time is possible; there are small stone huts andcaves which can provide shelters in winter and the hot mid-day siestasare spent in shady places in summer.Dangers and annoyancesEgypt, despite the post-revolution upheaval, is generally a safe country.Demonstration which can turn violent do happen, but only in certaincities and certain parts of those cities. In tourist destinations, apart fromdowntown Cairo, there hasn’t been a single violent act. The Sinai andthe Bedouin are getting a lot of negative media coverage these days,but the media tends to blow things out of proportion and usually fails topoint out these events are concentrated in one small pocket of thepeninsula, near El Arish, Raffa and the Gaza border, hundreds of milesfrom tourist destination. In fact, there is probably no safer area in Egyptthan the Sinai desert and mountains. Violent crimes are still very rare,and petty crimes, though on the rise, are still not a real issue in Egypt.Dangerous animals do exist in the Sinai, especially a couple of snakespecies, but they keep away from humans. Along treks the more likelythreats are dehydration, sun stroke and cold. There are dangerous anddifficult paths, but the guide should understand what you want to andcan do. The guides are generally safety-conscious and innovative, buta first-aid kit is usually not available. Have some important basicmedication and supplies. You should arrange travel insurance beforeyour trip – check carefully what they offer. When on treks, yourpassport or a copy of your passport and visa might have to stay withthe operator. Leave also your insurance details and other relevantinformation, in case of emergency.One annoying thing which often happens is not sticking to plans/route.Sometimes it is necessary to change the trek for various reasons, butthere are guides who are simply lazy and want to cut corners. That’sone of the reasons why this guide is needed. Always make sure thatthe route and timing are understood by both parties before setting off.10
Further informationTrekking resources: Discover Sinai – a guide to the natural, cultural and historicalfaces of South SinaiAvailable as a free pdf publication, it lists all the important sights inthe region with photos and description. It also has a comprehensivesection on nature and a dictionary based on the local dialect. A walk in Sinai: St. Katherine to Al Galt Al-Azraq, by Zalat S. &Gilbert F.The little book describes a popular 3-4-day trek in the High MountainRegion, as well as gives information on flora and fauna. Walking Trail Guides, by National Parks of Egypt ProtectoratesDevelopment ProgrammesFour booklets, each describing an easy-moderate 1-day walk in theHigh Mountain Region. Lonely Planet Country Guide to Egypt has a small High MountainRegion trek inset and the Rough Guide to Egypt names a fewtrekking destinations in the broader region.Maps:Locally there is only one usablemap (pictured). It is based on anIsraeli map and is available frommost bookshops in the Sinai orCairo. Quality is very low but theHigh Mountain Region inset isreally useful. Some camps canmake a photocopy of it. In this book we based the geographical namesmostly on this map. The Royal Geographic Society’s map of Sinai,coming in many separate sheets, is better for the whole region, but notfor the High Mountain Region.Useful websites:About St. Katherine and the High Mountains: http://st-katherine.netAbout South Sinai: http://discoversinai.netTransport in Sinai: http://bedouinbus.com11
Page 3 and 4: Table of contentsPrefaceThe Sinai t
Page 7 and 8: Organising your trekIn the Sinai, a
Page 9: • Basic accommodation in garden:
Page 13 and 14: Famous for the Monastery of St. Kat
Page 15 and 16: The Mt. Sinai - Safsafa range from
Page 17 and 18: The TrekEl Rasis area, St. Katherin
Page 19 and 20: The path from Wadi Farah becomes st
Page 21 and 22: around the top end of the garden. T
Page 23 and 24: The path from Farsh Loza connects t
Page 25 and 26: Trek in imagesThe Rock of Moses (Ha
Page 27 and 28: Between St. Katherine, Dahab and Nu
Page 29 and 30: Ein Khudra oasis and the White Cany
Page 31 and 32: The TrekCafeteria Joma Rock of Ins
Page 33 and 34: To the south-east of the gardens of
Page 35 and 36: After a short walk the paths starts
Page 37 and 38: Bedouin-Arabic phrasebookNote that
Page 39 and 40: RelationsTribe gabiilaقبيله Fa
Page 41 and 42: Hot بارد sokhnساخن Coldbard
Page 43 and 44: Fine sandburqa' برقه Sand dune
Page 45 and 46: Rest and eatingShadow dalظل Rock
Page 47 and 48: Mosquito namuusa, ba’uudaنامو
Page 49: Trekking in South Sinai: the highli

Mt. Sinai (Jebel Musa) and the Safsafa basins - Discover Sinai

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