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

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Around St. Katherine (the High Mountain Region)Featured trek:1. Mt. Sinai (Jebel Musa) and the Safsafa basinsAll connecting treks in the region: Jebel el Deir Mt. Sinai (Jebel Musa) and the Safsafa basins The Mt. Katharina range Wadi Mathar – Wadi Shaq – Wadi Zawatin Sid Daud - Wadi Tala - Wadi Itlah Jebel Abbas Basha via Farsh Abu Mahashur Wadi Jibal - Bab el Donya - Galt el Azraq - Abu Tuweita Wadi Tinya - Wadi Sagar - Kharazet el Shaq Jebel Naja Naqb el Hawa - Sheikh Awad Wadi Gharba - Sida Nugra - Jebel Banat - Bustan el Birka Wadi Sdud - El Frush - Blue Desert12
Famous for the Monastery of St. Katherine and Mt. Sinai, the town ofSt. Katherine is on the major tourist path – but the region, apart fromthese two sights, is very little visited. From Cairo there is a daily busservice to St. Katherine; from the resorts on the Red Sea coast it canbe reached by taxi or microbus. There are several camps and hotels intown, as well as restaurants, cafeterias, shops, bank with ATM,pharmacies and a hospital. The Sinai High Mountain Region, as thearea is known, is very unique geographically as well as culturally. Thetown itself is at 1600 metres above sea level, surrounded by dramaticranges with many peaks well above 2000 meters, including Mt.Katherina, the highest in Egypt. Most of the mountains are granite –this, along with a relatively wetter and cooler climate, makes possiblean orchard gardening tradition which has its root in Byzantinemonasticism. The traditional people of the area are the JabaleyaBedouin – the Mountain Bedouin – who have been guarding theMonastery for more than 1500 years. Unlike Bedouin groups in thedesert they have been practicing agriculture and most families owngardens in the mountains. It is an ideal trekking region where trekslasting up to 2 weeks can be organized, staying mostly at theseBedouin gardens along the way. The area is also perfect for a relaxingstay and there are different cultural activities and a few eco-lodges.The highlights of the region:The Monastery of St. Katherine and Mt. Sinai;Mt. Katherina, the highest peak in Egypt;the Palace of Abbas Basha;the peaks of Bab el Donya, Jebel Naja and Jebel Banat on theperimeter of the high mountains;the secluded basins of the Mt. Sinai - Ras Safsafa range andFarsh Abu Mahashur;the granite water pools of Galt el Azraq, Kharazet el Shaq andSidda Nogra;monasteries and Byzantine ruins in Wadi Arbain, Wadi Talla,Wadi Shaq and Bustan el Birka;the surreal scene at the Blue Desert.Locally you can organise a trek at the Sheikh Mousa camp, Fox Campor with individual guides. Guides and camels have to be from the tribalrotating system managed by Sheikh Mousa – either if you organize thetrek with the sheikhs or someone else. If you only climb Mt. Sinai youhave to take a guide from the Monastery guide cooperative, unless youalready have a guide from the sheikhs. The guides at the Monasteryguide cooperative usually do the summit climb only – if you want adifferent programme you have to be clear about it and agree on a price.13
Page 3 and 4: Table of contentsPrefaceThe Sinai t
Page 7 and 8: Organising your trekIn the Sinai, a
Page 9 and 10: • Basic accommodation in garden:
Page 11: Further informationTrekking resourc
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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