Wadi Shawka Full Loop with three summits, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE
near Sharīyah, Raʼs al Khaymah (United Arab Emirates)
Viewed 16934 times, downloaded 864 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
It is a classic wadi Shawka full loop route with a small deviation. It is a clean route since you can see a well-defined trail the whole way. There are many trails and intersections around, but this GPS track is absolutely enough to find the way.
Difficulty.
I mark it as "easy". The trail is well laid, easy to follow and has shaded places to take a break. There is no bouldering, rope business, technical climbing, scrambling, exposed cliffs etc. Only a short part has loose rocks which can be avoided (see below). As a result it can be done easily by anyone who exercises, runs or hikes regularly.
Track parts:
1) P-01 - P-07. The trail starts after several steps on the right of a manmade staircase at P-02. It is a relatively flat part.
2) P-07 - P-15. Three summits. After a shelter at P-07, you will start the first summit which is the main one. After the descent, after P-14 you will see an intersection. If you go left you will start your third summit which leads to the observation deck. However, you can turn right and finish the hike in an easier way. You will return to this GPS track after some time. If you stick to my way you will enjoy an amazing view from the top of the third summit (observation deck).
3) P-15 - P-21. After the observation deck return to the trail at P-16. There is no defined trail at P-15 - P-16, but it is an easy descent. After that just finish the route walking on the trail.
Alternatives.
The trail can be done both clockwise and counterclockwise. It is an amazing trail for trail running. The trail running option in Shawka can be found here
https://www.wikiloc.com/trail-running-trails/mountain-trail-running-wadi-shawka-mother-hump-and-pools-ras-al-khaimah-uae-130015404
Must-have gear:
1) Hiking shoes
2) 3 liters of water, electrolytes, enough food
3) Sun protective clothing (most of the track does not have shade at all)
Parking location coordinates are 25.104359, 56.042174 (there is a restroom here). Alternative - 25.103934, 56.039139. There is a good road, so you do not need 4x4.
Difficulty.
I mark it as "easy". The trail is well laid, easy to follow and has shaded places to take a break. There is no bouldering, rope business, technical climbing, scrambling, exposed cliffs etc. Only a short part has loose rocks which can be avoided (see below). As a result it can be done easily by anyone who exercises, runs or hikes regularly.
Track parts:
1) P-01 - P-07. The trail starts after several steps on the right of a manmade staircase at P-02. It is a relatively flat part.
2) P-07 - P-15. Three summits. After a shelter at P-07, you will start the first summit which is the main one. After the descent, after P-14 you will see an intersection. If you go left you will start your third summit which leads to the observation deck. However, you can turn right and finish the hike in an easier way. You will return to this GPS track after some time. If you stick to my way you will enjoy an amazing view from the top of the third summit (observation deck).
3) P-15 - P-21. After the observation deck return to the trail at P-16. There is no defined trail at P-15 - P-16, but it is an easy descent. After that just finish the route walking on the trail.
Alternatives.
The trail can be done both clockwise and counterclockwise. It is an amazing trail for trail running. The trail running option in Shawka can be found here
https://www.wikiloc.com/trail-running-trails/mountain-trail-running-wadi-shawka-mother-hump-and-pools-ras-al-khaimah-uae-130015404
Must-have gear:
1) Hiking shoes
2) 3 liters of water, electrolytes, enough food
3) Sun protective clothing (most of the track does not have shade at all)
Parking location coordinates are 25.104359, 56.042174 (there is a restroom here). Alternative - 25.103934, 56.039139. There is a good road, so you do not need 4x4.
Waypoints
Comments (20)
You can add a comment or review this trail
I have followed this trail View more
Information
Easy to follow
Scenery
Easy
Easy to follow
I have followed this trail verified View more
Information
Easy to follow
Scenery
Moderate
Did most of this but in reverse - started by walking up all the steps. Really well-marked trail and nice views from the top.
hello is it suitable for children? are dogs allowed here? Thx
the path is well defined, no bouldering, I believe teenagers can definitely go. I did not see any restrictions for dogs there
I have followed this trail verified View more
Information
Easy to follow
Scenery
Moderate
All were perfect til i reached to the stairs , couldn’t know the way to reach the trail
I have followed this trail verified View more
Information
Easy to follow
Scenery
Easy
Fun, rewarding hike. One thing is that you need to make sure you don't miss the turn to start the actual trail at the stairs to the flag. The begenning is a bit tricky the rest is fun just requiring a little endurance as it's quite long.
Im new to hiking and wikiloc. Is there a trail not using the stairs?
I have followed this trail View more
Information
Easy to follow
Scenery
Moderate
I followed your trail and it was great. Thank you.
Hey Anton - Is it a marked trail?
Hi vibhav_prabhud, when I was there, it was not an officially marked trail, but it is very clear and there are many people since it is very popular. Some people cannot easily find the start next to the steps, but I did not have this problem at all.
I have followed this trail View more
Information
Easy to follow
Scenery
Easy
As mentioned easy to follow trail, nice scenery 👍🏽
Hey !
Did you reach the pools by following this trail?
Hi Jess, no this route does not go through the pools
I have followed this trail View more
Information
Easy to follow
Scenery
Moderate
Great trail, take more water
Nice, do you think this train can be done on a mountain bike?
Hi lilcrow, no idea, i have never tried mtb. But i think one slope is too steep for mtb
I see. Thank you!
I have followed this trail. It was easy to follow and not too crowded. It is defiantly not for mountain bike. It has a few options to extend the trail needed.
Thank you lilcrow!
I have done this trail.