Hike over the Grand Canyon of Oman
The Rim Walk (Balcony Walk) tour, marked W6 in Oman, is one of the best tours in Oman. All the while, the path leads over the deep canyon of Wadi Nakhr, also called the Grand Oman of Oman. The destination is an abandoned village of As Sab with a cave and a pond.
The village of Al Khitaym
The hike begins in the village of Al Khitaym (1,860 m above sea level), located directly at the edge of the canyon, at the end of a long gravel road along the Jebel Shamu plateau. The place is also accessible by ordinary car with a little caution. The locals offer to buy precious stones found in the mountain massif. Parking is free, but you will not find any snacks here.
South view
Here, it is doubly true that the sooner you set out the better – it will not be so hot, you will not meet people and the landscape will not be so drowning in the local, so frequent haze. The opposite mountain massif can be seen to the south. Following the marked W6a road, you can walk calmly to the valley.
Balcony Rim Walk
And this way you will have a view practically all the way. The hike path leads 800 meters above the bottom of the canyon and about 100–200 below its top, so the views are absolutely great all the way.
Rock castle
Apart from the breathtaking views downwards, it is also worth watching the vertical walls of the rock castles above you
Road safety
Although in some photos this hike seems very dangerous, it is not. The trail is completely safe and you can easily avoid it here with tourists coming to meet you. However, a large supply of water and a head covering are needed, because it is sunny and there is practically no piece of shadow anywhere.
Canyon wall
From a distance, it always seems almost impossible that a viable path leads here.
Looking up
The rocks of the canyon are wrinkled with small notches created by water, but feasible as much as possible for climbers. You will definitely not find any shortcut to the edge of the canyon here
Amazing views
The views are breathtaking all the way, especially in places where the road seems to break and a new view opens up for you.
Views of the canyon
From the viewpoints you can see the 800 meters to the bottom of the canyon, nothing for those who do not like heights.
The village of An Nakhur
The last village in the An Nakhur valley can also be seen nicely
Rock amphitheater
The most beautiful view is until the end of this tour, when you have a view of the rock amphitheater surrounding the deserted village of As Sab.
The village in an impregnable tactical location
The village is still in an absolutely ideal location. Directly above it is a depression where during storms and in the spring water flows from the plateau below Jabel Sham to the lake. The terraced fields were directly above the gigantic rock overhang
Rock overhang
The only place where there is sometimes a little shade on this whole hike
Retrospect
Even though you don't like it that much, you practically descend the whole way, about 200 altitude meters on those 4 kilometers. So reckon that the return is harder and more tiring.
Just before the village of As Sab
The approaching abandoned terraces will indicate that you are almost at the end of this tour. In the vicinity of the village of As Sab there are a few places that are also worth a visit – a lake and caves, so not only the road is a destination.
Jebel Ash Sham
On the way back, it was a little better to see the top of Jebel Ash Sham with military radar, thanks to the shifting sun in the sky.
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