Wadi Khub al Shamzi and the Hidden Staircase

A route I had heard mention of over the years, but never got around to doing, 'the hidden staircase'. What was supposed to be day on jebel qihwi turned out to be a day in wadi khabb al shamsi, hunting down the mysterious hidden staircase route, that I had heard mention of in the old books but never seemed to notice on my visits to the wadi.

The reason for the change in plan was the weather. The track had been washed away, stopping progress up the wadi at the start point of this route. Therefore it was a case of turning around or making the most of the situation.

Going with the later, we had around a 2 and half hour walk in to get to the staircase. Although it wasn't the plan, the wadi was as stunning as ever, and the distruction of the track from the rains was astonishing. I had a hard time convincing others that there was once a track there, with one section having absolutely no trace of it for around 30 mins of walking, with nothing but bolders lining the wadi basin. A serious reminder of the force the water has when it's talking business.

So it was around a 2:30 walk in and likewise walk out. The remaining hour was spent on the hidden staircase and village at the top.

The staircase is tricky to spot as it's a stone path built in the stony scree, however once on it it is very clear, and very well maintained. At the top is an active village, lived in by people of who (some) have lived there their entire lives.

Generally a short easy route, with little commitment, and on most occasions easy access/transport in and out.

Not the biggest of routes out there, but I'm certainly glad to have this one ticked off, and it was a nice spot to visit. The route potentially has potential as an access route to the plateau area north of the wadi, which opens up a lot of potential opportunities heading in that direction.