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Related account: Descent into Majlis Al Jin

Walk up to Selma from Umq

By Vance Stevens

Oman, January 18-19, 2001

Walk made with Patrick Van Daele, Erik Kleiss, and Dave Butcher

Patrick Van Daele Jan 2001

Erik and I spent the night at Patrick's in Muscat. Dave came by in the morning, and we left a little after 7 a.m. as I recall, reaching Umq via Quriyat and Fins on the coast by around 11 or noon. We started walking up through the town and out the back up the wadi. Not far up the slope, the view looked like this:

Patrick Van Daele Jan 2001

And looking up the wadi, it looked like this:

Patrick Van Daele Jan 2001

The going was precipitous at the outset. Dave tackles a steep one, at right ...

Patrick Van Daele Jan 2001

We eventually worked out that the route had to be up this kilometer-long scree slope. It wasn't exactly pleasant, but someone had to do it ...

Patrick Van Daele Jan 2001

We camped at the top. At the morning we walked to the entrance to the famous Majlis al Jin. Dave has his finger in the bolt hole, below. For accounts of our trips into Majlis al Jin, click here. We met Sobha Rashid, at left, who lives there.

Vance Stevens Jan 2001

Sobha Rashid accompanied us to the edge where the panorama shows the coastline at Fins. Earlier, we had met Sobha Rashid's son, whose name was Ali I believe. Ali told us his father walked with him down to Fins in time for school on Saturdays and returned either for him or with him on Wednesdays.

Patrick Van Daele Jan 2001

The day before, we had also met a couple of casual walkers out on a day trip up from Fins, a couple of Arabs wearing sandals and having no camping gear whatsoever. We met them in the evening, so where they were planning to sleep we had no idea. They said they had left their car along the road that led up from Fins.

Vance Stevens Jan 2001

Our way down would begin with a traverse of this escarpment ...

Patrick Van Daele Jan 2001

Sobha Rashid explains the way ...

Patrick Van Daele Jan 2001

Vance Stevens Jan 2001

We start down. The way is not clear, but we determine to head out the most pointed ridge. We stop along the way ...

Vance Stevens Jan 2001

After a break we saddle up. That's Patrick in the foreground. The wadi is far below ...

Vance Stevens Jan 2001

Here's a view of Umq from the cliff tops:

Vance Stevens Jan 2001

Once we've found the trail, it's an obvious one. Umq draws near in the wadi below:

Patrick Van Daele Jan 2001

I believe Umq should be at the end of the wadi poking inland from Ra's ash Shajar - correction or corroboration anyone?