Day 11 January 11 2009

Omran/Zahara team reaches remote location of largest sand mountain in Oman

Camp location 19.18.797 N 053.02.465 E

Whilst we have lived in the sands for several days with no aim other than trying to absorb desert life, for the last two days we have had a specific target – Oman’s highest mountain of sand. Thanks to the efforts of friends at the mapping department at PDO in Muscat, we have what we think is the location of arguably the three largest dunes in Oman. It all depends on how you define the largest dune; if you simply use height above sea level, then we will visit the highest dune close to Umm As Samim in about 14 days time. However, if you define the largest dune as that with the greatest vertical distance from base to peak, we are currently camped at the base of the largest dune in Oman.

After our long drive, we reached our current vantage point mid afternoon, and struggled against the wind to erect our Bedouin tent to give us some shade from the sun. As we have moved west across the Empty Quarter the vegetation has become more luxuriant, a very green carpet of sedge and grass at ground level providing ample fodder for a herd of more than sixty free roaming camels we came across mid morning.

The dune we are camped at the base of has a height of 350 metres above sea level, and the white, salt crusted valley at its base weighs in at 170 metres above sea level, making the mountain of sand 180 metres high. Our plan is to spend the last hour of daylight doing some photography around camp before lighting the fire early and baking some bread before settling into our bags for an early night. Tonight, the moon is full, so we plan to rise at 0400 hrs and use the cool of the night, and the light of the moon, to make the 4 km journey to the summit of the dune to enjoy what should be a spectacular sunrise, before heading down for a well deserved breakfast.

Day 12 January 12 2009

Omran/Zahara team reaches summit of largest sand mountain in Oman

Camp location 18.28.572 N 053.03.975 E

We are not sure what the weather is like up in Muscat, but down here the last two days have been quite windy, with easterly winds seeing a dramatic rise in temperatures. Three or four days ago it dropped to 2.5 degrees at night, but last night it did not go below 12 degrees, meaning that we were hot in our sleeping bags; this, coupled with the wind moving the Bedouin tent around all night resulted in a fitful sleep for us both. We were quite relieved when the alarm went off at 0430 hrs, although not looking forward to the slog up the dune having had such a disrupted night. Packing water, warm clothes, cameras, lenses and tripods we set off across the dunes towards our mountain. So strong was the light of the full moon that we had no need for torches, and using the natural contours of the dune we were able to reach the summit within two hours of leaving camp, following beautiful curved knife edge ridges all the way to the top. Kicking steps in the sand is very similar to climbing a virgin snow slope up a mountain; the feeling that you are treading where perhaps no footsteps have ever been before.

Once on the top we were grateful for the recent rise in temperatures; the wind on the summit was strong, resulting in a noticeable wind chill factor that cooled us rapidly as we waited for the sun to rise and the moon to set. Had it been similar temperatures to four nights ago we probably would not have stayed on the top for as long as we did, as the wind chill would have been well below freezing. As it was, we were on the summit for nearly an hour, watching the sun rise out of the dunes in the east and light up the extraordinary sea of sand around us. We felt incredibly privileged to be able to visit this far flung part of Oman, and to have got to and finally climbed this remote mountain of sand.

Two hundred and forty images later, we descended, much faster than we went up, grateful to get out of the wind, shed some of the several layers of clothes we had pulled on, and get back to camp to get the stove on for a hard earned breakfast, five hours after we had left.

We took down the Bedouin tent, loaded the vehicles and set off in a southerly direction as we need to refuel and take on more water supplies. En route we went up and over numerous dunes, passed large wide plains full of flint that made us pause and look for arrowheads, and several areas with numerous, circular geodes sitting on top of the gravel bed. Our fuel calculations enabled us to reach our current location, tucked into some dunes close to Al Hashman on the southern edge of the sands by late afternoon. It is now only 70 km on an easy graded track to Shisr tomorrow, where we can refuel and restock ready for our return into the sands.

Day 13 January 13 2009

Omran/Zahara team explores southern edge of Empty Quarter

Camp location 18.27.712 N 053.29.033 E

Because we have been back in civilization, and within microwave coverage, we have received various calls warning us about a weather front approaching Muscat and northern Oman; the approach of this front will explain the rapid rise in temperatures in the last 48 hours here in the sands (last night it only dropped to 12 degrees), and today a high layer of cirrostratus cloud, whilst shielding us from the worst of the sun, was indicative of change in the air. We have been able to plot the southerly movement of the front via various phone calls today from people in Doha (where it rained yesterday) and an interview with a newspaper in Dubai (where it has rained today). Whilst it is unlikely that any rain will reach this far south, being in the sands when it does rain is an amazing experience; muddy brown rivers appear from nowhere, and wadi beds spring to life, bringing out the local residents by the dozen to witness something special. I was lucky enough to see this in Saudi Arabia on a number of occasions, and whilst the sand sticks to everything, and makes packing up camp a pretty messy affair, it is impressive to see how resilient desert life can be, with seeds that have lain dormant for years under the sand springing to life within days of a moderate shower.

The importance of water for life was driven home to us this morning as we packed up camp and paid a quick visit to the oasis settlement of Al Hashman, a small government built community right on the edge of the Empty Quarter. Just outside the compact settlement lies a small oasis, where the greenery of a clump of date palms and phragmites reeds contrasts beautifully against the backdrop of the sand dunes. Not only did the colour grab our attention, but we were also driven to comment on the sound of bird song coming out of the depths of the trees, something we have not heard at all apart from our daily visit from the Ravens in the heart and silence of the sands. Today there were countless doves calling, at least four small warblers called chiff-chaffs, and numerous others we couldn’t identify. Huddled together on the gravel plain around the oasis were small clusters of sand grouse, totaling several hundred strong, that had no doubt flown in for their early morning drink.

Being deprived of the sense of sound, and, to a certain degree, smell, is part and parcel of life spent in desert environments. One of the biggest deserts in the world (the most common definition of a desert is a place with less than 250 mm of rainfall per year) is Greenland. In 1994 myself and fellow British explorer Nigel Harling spent almost one month living on the ice in Greenland, hauling 110 kg sledges from east coast to west following the route taken by Norwegian Explorer Fridtjof Nansen in 1888. Our route took us 530 km, from sea level, up to 10,000 feet then back down to sea level again, using parachutes as sails to haul us on our skis for three of the days. For 24 days we saw nothing that was not white, we did not see darkness due the 24 hour daylight, and we did not smell anything (other than each other), because ice and snow have no smell. Stand in the middle of the Greenland Ice cap in summer and do a 360 degree revolution and all you see is a flat white line meeting a blue sky. When we finally spotted land on the horizon on day 22 it was with a combination of great relief, and a sense of real achievement. So hard were the last three days (we each lost 12kg in weight during our crossing) that stepping off the ice onto terra firma saw us break down in tears of relief, and I recall us both lying down against a rock, amazed at the strong scent of rocks, earth, and the green tundra beneath our feet, something we no longer take for granted.

Day 14 January 14 2009

Omran/Zahara team meet local sheikh in Shisr during visit to the lost city of Ubar

Camp location 18.27.712 N 053.29.033 E

Shisr may be a long drive from Muscat, but is only between two and three hours north of Salalah, and with weekly, direct flights coming in from Sweden for some winter sunshine there are growing numbers of visitors keen to venture beyond the confines of their hotel, explore the local area and sample desert culture. Just as the highlight of many Muscat based tourists stay will be the night they spend at 1000 nights camp in the Sharqiya sands, so the Salalah visitor will be tempted to spend a night or two on the edge of the Empty Quarter, and in response to this Sheikh Mabrook has set up a tourist camp, called Empty Quarter camp, on the edge of the sands some 30 km north west of Shisr. Here the tourists can spend a night under the desert sky, eat camel meat and ride off into the dunes, so bringing some seasonal income and employment to the local people.

Their night at the camp can be combined with a visit to the ruins of Ubar, the reputed ‘Atlantis of the Sands’, an ancient city on the edge of the Empty Quarter that history says came to a cataclysmic end. Believe the legend of Ubar or not, there is no disputing that the excavated ruins at Shisr represent what was once a significant settlement. To the frankincense caravans of old, which were reputedly thousands of camels strong, the present day settlement of Shisr (the word means cleft or crack in English) represented one of the last reliable watering holes with sweet water prior to entering the formidable barrier that was the Empty Quarter. Modern day explorers and archaeologists have gathered evidence to suggest that Shisr was indeed the location of Ubar, a multi-towered walled city of great opulence that, according to the Quran, came to a cataclysmic end in retribution for the immoralities and decadent lifestyles of its citizens. The greek Geographer Ptolemy referred to it on his early maps of Arabia, as ‘Omanum Emporium’ (the Oman marketplace), yet it took NASA satellite technology to pinpoint the location in 1992. On visiting the site today, evidence of its demise is obvious, not perhaps because of the behavior of its residents, but because the roof of the underground cavern/sinkhole that it was built upon has clearly collapsed, probably due to reduced water levels.

A small museum, which last year had 250 visitors, tells the tale of recent excavations, and how sand penetrating images were taken by re-routed satellites in search of the compressed sand tracks observed by explorer Bertram Thomas in 1932, that his bedu companions claimed led to Ubar. Wilfred Thesiger also made reference to Ubar in his book Arabian Sands, noting that the ruins at Shisr had been built by Badr Ibn Tuwariq, a famous sheikh in the 1500’s.

Today the remains of the site itself require some imagination to visualize the reputed splendours of the past, but in the face of the sceptics, the recent excavations (on which Sheikh Mabrook worked), led by British Explorer Ran Fiennes put forward several arguments to support their convictions that this was indeed the site of the fabled city. Firstly, age. What they found at Shisr was ancient, far older than the 1500s, dating back to 900 BC or earlier, representing the oldest of Arabia’s trading caravansaries. Secondly, Shisr, like the stories of old, was indeed a walled settlement with eight or more towers, and, as indicated by the ming plates and chess pieces from China discovered in the sand, the inhabitants lived well. Roman and Greek pottery found in abundance suggested a prosperous trade route to the north via Jabrin in Saudi Arabia, upon which Shisr was a major centre. Finally, the demise of Ubar, in both myth and reality, was indeed cataclysmic - it seemed that Ubar was in reality ‘swallowed into the earth’.

Whatever your personal thoughts, to visit Shisr/Ubar today is a worthwhile diversion if you are in southern Oman, especially if you combine it with a visit to the Empty Quarter, and Sumhuram, the archaeological site at Khor Rori east of Salalah, where the story of the frankincense trade begins to fall into place. Drive slowly north out of Salalah to the edge of the sands and you can start to feel just how people must have looked forward to reaching the trading post of Shisr, guarding the southern entrance to the Empty Quarter, but remember that what takes you three hours will have taken those on foot a week. ‘Shisr tomorrow’ wrote Thomas in 1932. ‘No wonder it looms so large in the Arab mind, for it is the first water hole we meet for five days, and after leaving it there will be none for a further seven or eight days’. ‘An approach to a water hole is made with much caution, for if an enemy is already in possession there is a choice between hasty retreat and fear of pursuit, or a fight for possession.’

Day 15 January 15 2009

Omran/Zahara team continue on the trail of Thomas and Thesiger and arrive in Wadi Mughsin

Camp Location 19.27.222 N 54.37.230 E

Both John and I have visited this site before. Standing out in the brown landscape from several kilometers away, Muntasar is an oasis of greenery on the edge of Ramlat Mugshin, with permanent, sulphorous water fed by an underground spring. The water is channeled into two large concrete troughs, but in places it escapes these and flows onto the sand. As a result, a large stand of reeds, date palms and other vegetation has grown around the troughs, and a number of small abandoned farms are evident around the oasis. For a tired, migrating bird, thirsty after a long flight across hundreds of kilometers of sand and gravel plains, the sight of Muntasar oasis must be especially welcome. Four hundred and ninety five species of birds have been recorded in Oman to date, partly explained by the diversity of habitats, and partly by the geographic position of Arabia between the continents of Africa, Asia and Europe. Muntasar is one of the top bird-watching sites in the sultanate. Until recently, the biggest attraction has been the hundreds of sand grouse that fly in each morning from the surrounding desert for a drink, creating quite a spectacle. Sadly, it seems those numbers have dwindled in recent years, for reasons not fully understood. We plan to camp here at the oasis tonight, wind and flying sand willing, and wait to see what arrives tomorrow morning.

British explorers Bertram Thomas and Wilfred Thesiger, moving from waterhole to waterhole, both passed through this area many years ago. Thesiger’s passport to Arabia was a job for the Middle East Anti-Locust Unit, by whom he was charged to try to find the breeding grounds of the devastating swarms of locusts that were causing widespread damage to crops in East Africa; this was the excuse he was looking for to explore the sands. Whilst the recent rains here in Oman cause problems on the roads, they also bring mixed blessings to local farmers. In August 2008, whilst driving through the Sharqiya sands en route back from Masirah with fellow desert enthusiasts Otto and Tess Fenton, we noticed large numbers of locusts taking to the air as our cars moved through small bushes between the dunes. On getting out to inspect, we found that our radiator grills had trapped a good number of them, enabling us to take a few photographs. On return to Muscat, I surfed the internet to try and identify what it was we had seen, and discovered that the UN has a dedicated Anti Locust unit, based in Rome. I emailed information of what we had seen, and attached a photograph. Minutes later I received a reply from Rome, quickly followed by a phone-call from Oman’s own Anti –Locust unit based in Al Khoud. What we had discovered had arrived in Oman undetected, carried on the south westerly monsoon winds, and was the advance guard of potentially enormous numbers of locusts that were spreading east with the winds following a very successful breeding season in the Hadhramaut valley in Yemen, where heavy rains had provided ample foliage for the locusts to multiply. The fear was not only for farmers in Oman, but should the locusts continue north east across the sea into the Indus valley, the resulting crop devastation could affect large numbers of people.

As it was, most of them probably never made it due to the combined actions of the Oman anti-locust team, and the local Bedouin in the Sharqiya sands. Locusts are quite a delicacy; drive out into the sands at night, turn your headlights on and they will come to you. A few delicious locust recipes; remove wings and legs, place ten locusts onto a skewer, barbecue slowly whilst turning continuously until golden brown, then eat (consider several skewers for one person). Alternatively, remove wings and legs, boil in water until soft, (add salt if desired), add a little fat, and shallow fry until golden brown-best served with a fresh salad. Finally, on the subject of food, a few thank-you’s are in order to a team of people who have worked hard to get some food and equipment down to us today from the UK; firstly, to Master Robin Turner at the British School Muscat, (who is already showing signs of becoming a budding adventurer himself) who kindly carried the box from London to Muscat for us, geography teacher extraordinaire Jason Reeves who sat on the box for a week, and to Harsh Abrol and Arun at Zahara Tours in Muscat (who along with Omran are supporting our Empty Quarter journey) who got the supplies to us today. Thanks to all of you for your efforts.