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| Sinai's barren landscape |
Copper and turquoise were the treasures Pharaohs sought in Sinai’s desert, however the peninsular was more than just a mine. In ancient times, Sinai was crossed by major trading and pilgrimage routes. It has seen Roman Legionnaires, Nabataean camel caravans, refugees, Christian monks, Crusaders and Mecca bound pilgrims. The Suez is a strategic modern day facility that replicates this same utility. The Bedouins are the original inhabitants of this harsh desert area. Their traditional nomadic life has declined with the rise of tourism so villages like Dhahab are spreading. However, the area still remains an uncompromising landscape, harsh and barren.
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| Warming up with pre-walk drinks in a Tea House along the Route |
We however had come to climb the holy mountain of Sinai where Moses received the Ten Commandments. And to be there for sunrise! We were to climb (in 3 hours and in the dark) a very high mountain, at 2285m, on the Sinai Peninsula. We oldies had a plan. Slow and steady was the pace – no stopping at tea houses for refreshments, just a goodly paced slog. The youngies dallied about, socialising at the teashops. We counted stairs. The unfit and unwell resorted to a camel ride, but they still had a few stairs to climb to the top. We set out, after a 2.30am rise, on the ancient path of 3700 steps.
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| We were there...and made it to the top for first light |
We made it to the top to be greeted with blankets and cushions (a nice touch in the cold) to wait for the sunrise. We should not have been surprised to see a small chapel built in 1943, over the remains of a 5 th century church.
We perched on a ledge overlooking the east and recovered. The sunrise was stunning and the view across the mountains worth the climb.
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| How ever did they carry up the building materials?? |
The early morning sun a cast strong golden light and it picked out the red & purplish colours in the mountains. We walked slowly back following Sikket el-Basha (the Pasha’s path), outpaced by some very tired camels.
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| We really climbed up that?? |
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| Going Down Sir.... |
