Jebel Misht, Oman / جبل مشط

Jebel Misht
Jebel Misht (جبل مشط) is a massive limestone mountain and one of three great monoliths of the Western Hajar together with Jebel Kawr and Jebel Misfah. Misht is Arabic for “comb.” When you look at its ridge you will easily notice its serrated teeth. It rises to a height of 2107 meters above sea level. It is roughly divided into two separate walls, the 800m South Face and 450m East Face, and a steep slope oriented North-West.

Trail
You can go to the top in different ways including the famous French pillar. In our case, we just hiked the north-western slope to the top. There is no trail. You will have to climb "off-road" 100% of the time. However, there are white and yellow markers that can help you to climb safely. They are much more visible from the top and it took some time for us to find them while ascending.

It does not matter will you start from the P-01 side or P-33, I only recommend crossing the gully at P-30 not at P-16. It is much safer. When we were climbing we missed a sign and crossed at P-16. It is a bit exposed. P-30 crossing is totally safe.

Difficulty
Technically it is a moderate hike. There is no technical climbing and exposed locations (avoid P-16). However, the hike is very demanding. It requires very good stamina. There is no flat area to walk at all, no trail, it is 100% "off-road" hiking and there is a LOT of scrambling. Do not attempt it alone, in summer, without hiking experience in the UAE/Oman/KSA, or if you are afraid of heights.

Parking and camping
We parked and camped here 23.282387, 56.998697. It is also possible to park at 23.276879, 56.981230 if you want to follow in reverse as described. Better to have 4x4.

Must-have gear
1) High-cut hiking shoes
2) 4 liters of water (winter), electrolytes, food
3) Sun-protective clothing
4) Gloves

Organized by Patrick 'Rainbow Hiker'. Thank you for this.

How I grade hikes
I grade all routes based on technical difficulty only. The stamina requirement is inferred from distance and elevation gain/loss information. Do not be surprised if you see a 25 km easy hike in my profile.
- "Easy". There is a well-defined trail. You know where to go.
- "Moderate". No trail. Lack of obvious path. You have to hike via rough rocky terrain. Expect boulder hopping and scrambling (use of hands), steep slopes, and scree. There are some exposed locations, but safe.
- "Difficult". There are exposed locations, really exposed.
- "Very difficult". Exposed and you need a rope. No abseiling. If abseiling is involved, I mark it as canyoneering, not hiking.
- "Experts only". I hope I will never do this kind of hike.