Wadi Bih (UAE) to Jebel Tafif (Oman)

1) Village

You can access the village by coming off the new Wadi Bih road just before the roundabout that takes you to Jebel Jais or the Wadi Bih checkpoint. It is possible to access this with 2WD. The local villagers were very welcoming and several wanted to talk about my route once I had returned. I was even invited into a home to wash and offered food and water by an incredibly kind family.

2) Donkey Path I

Exit the village and take the path, which is clearly visible ahead of you. On the occasions I have used this route, donkeys carrying supplies from the village to the plateau above have been in convoy on this path!

3) Donkey Path II

Take your time as the trail starts to increase in gradient sharply.

4) Donkey Path III

5) Saddle I

After around 2km of climbing (~45mins), you will reach an intersection. Follow the path to the left. The path on the right leads down to Wadi Haqab on the other side (which is also a great starting point for other hikes in this area).

6) Viewpoint I

Don’t forget to look back down towards RAK behind you!

7) Plateau

At the 2.75km mark (~1hr), the path finally starts to level out and you can enjoy a much easier hike across the top of the plateau.

8) House

As the plateau ends, be mindful of the house. The trail continues to the left side and hugs the side of the peak ahead. Look out for the falaj water systems to your right as you pass the house.

9) Bend in Path

As you pass by this point, the view to the east across Musandam affords great views.

10) Fork

After 6km (~1:45), you will cross a gully and arrive at a fork. The new path appears to continue straight ahead. Take the route to right, however, making use of the series of stairways that rise to the plateau above. As of January 2021, the path ahead bypasses the villages on the plateau but is not yet complete. In the future, this may provide an alternative route around or to the villages of Ras and Magam.

11) Tree

The path up the stairway is mostly clear. If you do lose it, however, pause and look for the very obvious man-made features that mark the route.

12) Staircase

The final climb off the trail makes use of a clear staircase which navigates the rock face.

13) Entrance to Ras village

Once at the top of the climb, you will enter the village of Ras. Initially you will see only a few fields and old buildings, but as you continue the habits houses will come into sight.

14) Path through Ras

The path remains clear and obvious as you pass through Ras. Remember this is an active village and stick to the trail. If you do lose the path, pause and look for the worn down sections of earth. It mostly sticks to the right side of the village.

15) Tree II

16) Path out of Ras

The path leaving the village remains obvious.

17) Path above gully

Take care as the path joins a rock lip over the gully below. It is wide enough to allow you to pass safely but the drop below can be significant in parts.

18) Fork II

(Image looking back) The path will take you down to the gully where you will notice it continues to the right. This route goes up to a property in the village of Magam and ends. To pass around the village, take the steps up towards the structures to your right. You will arrive at a small field with a visible path continuing on ahead of you.

19) Field

At the top of the short climb you will arrive at the field. This is where the path starts to wane. Use your common sense as you proceed and be mindful of any properties you near.

20) Falaj Path

As you move past the village of Magam, the easiest route is following the falaj ahead of you.

21) Rock lip

If you followed the falaj, the ‘path’ will take you across this rock lip allowing faster progress up the wadi. Once off the rock lip at the far end, the continued ascent will be mostly self-determined.

22) Climb to saddle

Your goal is the centre of this U-shaped saddle ahead of you.

23) Saddle II

This point is a great resting spot. There is an incomplete path (as of January 2021) continuing ahead and a clearing with a comfortable spot for a picnic! At this point, it’s decision time #1. Do you continue up towards WP24 on this route, or deviate from this trail and attempt to summit Jebel Qada’a to your right using its eastern access route (see my other route for a GPS track of this.) https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/wadi-haqab-to-jebel-qadaa-eastern-ascent-62515160 If you are continuing up towards WP24 and beyond, take note of the rough recommended route marked on the second picture in red.

24) Small peak viewpoint

This point marks a convenient point to end your journey if you so choose. There are great views across the valleys from this spot. Jebel Tafif can be seen to the SE from here. If continuing with the route, you have two choices: 1) Follow the GPS track (applying common sense) and descend towards the stepped fields below. Note, this is a tricky descent and requires you to do a little bouldering to get down two rock skirts in the peak. 2) Follow the red track on the second attached picture. This is a rough path to get you down to the stepped fields below more easily (and safely?!). As mentioned in the overview, this red mark is not exact and should be used as a guide only. The areas to descend the two rock skirts are marked with cairns but may require a little search. Don’t take unnecessary risks and remember there are relatively safe points to descend if you look. Once you’ve passed the two tricky spots, you should aim for the stepped field visible in the bottom left of picture 1.

25) Skirt

This is the point I used to descend the first skirt, however it required a two-handed hold, dangle and drop! An easier and safer route can be found if you follow the aforementioned red route and search for the cairn.

26) View back towards saddle

You can opt to skip this WP and head straight towards the stepped field and continue on. I came here to explore the possibility of traversing the small peak from the saddle at WP23, which did not look particularly safe!

27) Grave and ruins

Take a deep breath and pat yourself on the back if you made it down to this old farm. I’m guessing if you made it here, you intend to carry on towards the summit of Jebel Tafif. As a general rule, try to stick to the ridge as best you can as you progress. Avoid losing too much altitude. My GPS track is a relatively efficient path, but I’m sure it could be improved slightly.

28) Path

An old path reveals itself and is a welcome part of this section allowing you to progress quickly. I imagine it used to connect this abandoned farm with the village of Tafif a little further ahead. Unfortunately, it does end a little further ahead at which point you should make your way to the ridge on your right.

29) Stone structures I

After leaving the path behind, you will find several stone structures dotted along the ridge. There are great views back down towards RAK from here. Shortly after this point, the route begins to flirt with the UAE/Oman border. As previously mentioned, maintain height as best you can here - it’s a long slog to the summit of Jebel Tafif.

30) Border post I

This is the first border post directly on the route. You can roughly trace the border by look long out for others in the distance.

32) Border post II

33) Stone structures II

Maintain height along the ridge. At various points, it may appear that you are ascending a small peak that will not allow you to continue. Have some faith in the GPS track as it shouldn’t leave you needing to back track.

34) Viewpoint II

This point can be somewhat demoralising as you will be telling yourself it is the summit you no doubt crave. Looking ahead at the final climb is daunting (YOU CAN DO IT!!) so take a moment to look back towards Jebel Qada’a!

35) Summit of Jebel Tafif

Congratulations! You have reached the summit of Jebel Tafif (~1,595m). This is no small accomplishment... you’ve earned that snack! On a clear day, you should be able to see RAK in the distance to the west, Jebel Qada’a to the north west and Jebel Qihwi to the north east. Compose yourself and get some energy back for the return hike - good luck!