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| Main places: 1. Town of St. Katherine;
2. Monastery of St. Katherine; 3. Mt. Sinai (Gebel Musa); 4. Gebel Katherina; 5. Gebel Abbas Pasha; 6. Bab el Donya; 7. Galt el Azraq; 8. Gebel Naga; 9. Kharazet el Shaq – Wadi Sagar; 10. Bustan el Birka; 11. Gebel Banat – Sida Nugra; 12. Sheikh Awad. |
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| The High Mountain Region, home to the Jabaleya Bedouin, is located around the town of St. Katherine. The town itself lies at around 1600 meters from sea level, and many of the mountains around it are above 2000 meters, with Mt. Katherine the tallest at 2642 meters. The most famous attractions are the Monastery of St. Katherine and Mt. Sinai due to their religious and historical significance, but the larger area, little known for most Westerners, is a unique trekkers' paradise. Because of its elevation the area receives more precipitation than the rest of the Sinai peninsula and, despite the drought, is still relatively wet - it is a desert ecosystem, but there are hundreds of Bedouin orchards and a couple of permanent natural waterpools in which you can swim. The area is mostly granite with the characteristic smooth red domes and hidden basins, although about 20% is newer volcanic rock, black-colored and covered with broken, loose gravel. The two rock types often combine, with half a mountain belonging to one and the other to the other rock type. There are many dykes, dark stripes of volcanic rock intrusions, cutting through the red granite. The whole region stands above the rest of the peninsula, and from its perimeter you can see down to the plains or smaller ranges surrounding it. The climate is cooler than the rest of Egypt's, making possible a unique flora and a wide variety of domesticated fruit species. In winter there might be snow and the temperatures can drop far below zero at higher elevations, although the days are usually still pleasantly warm. The area is full of attractions, all very different in nature, and interesting treks are possible. To see a good variety of landscapes and places of interest, a minimum of 5 days is recommended, although even 2 days can give a good glimpse. To cover most of the area would take up to two weeks. The Jabaleya have a tribal monopoly over treks in the region and everybody, individuals or operators, must organize treks through Sheikh Mousa's office. Guides are allocated according a rotating system providing work for the whole community - they are generally good and will lead you the way, make tea and food, but communication is often limited. If you want a guide of your choice you still have to pay a guide whose turn it is, which makes treks more expensive for individuals or small groups. Either way, treks to the high mountains are highly recommended as it is indeed a very unique area. |
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Wadi el Deir – The Monastery of St. Katherine
Wadi el Deir,
apart from the Monastery of St. Katherine, is home to other sights, including the Chapel of Aaron, the Golden Calf, the Maqafa garden and Gebel Muneiga. It is worth starting a visit to the Monastery from the very informative Visitors Centre. |
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Gebel Musa (Mt. Sinai)
Although Mt. Sinai is one of the main
attractions in St. Katherine, most visitors
do not realize how much more even this
single mountain has to offer. It has a
complex system of mountain-top basins
with ancient churches and ruins of
monastic life, from which gullies offer
unique views to surrounding wadis, the
Monastery and parts of the town. |
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Wadi el Arbain
Wadi el Arbain provides an alternative
to head for Gebel Musa (Mt. Sinai) from
the town of St. Katherine, and is also on
the route to Gebel Katharina. It is also
home to the Monastery of the Forty
Martyrs and the Rock of Moses. |
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Gebel Katharina
Gebel Katharina is the highest mountain
in Egypt at 2642 meters, with a small
Orthodox church on the summit.
According to tradition this is the place
where monks, after a dream, found the
missing body of the martyred St.
Katherina. Gebel Musa (Mt. Sinai) is
below, and the views onto it and the
whole high mountain area are stunning. |
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Abu Giffa (Abu Jeefa) – Wadi Tubug
Abu Giffa (Abu Jeefa) is one of the
main gateways to the high mountains,
with the steep and zigzag path starting
in the town of St. Katherine at Ein
Tufaha. There are beautiful views from
the top. On the other side it leads to
Wadi Tubug, the start of the complex
high-mountain wadi system. |
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Wadi Quweiz – El Freish – Wadi Tilah (Wadi Itlah)
Another common way to the region is
via Wadi Itlah, starting at St. Katherine
town as Wadi Quweiz. It is a long and
green valley, with many date palms,
gardens and an Orthodox chapel,
running towards distant lowlands. At the
beginning there is the secluded basin of
El Freish with an ancient garden. The
short but spectacular canyon of Naqb
Abu Sila at the lower end connects to a
settlement and back to town. |
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Wadi Tilah (Wadi Talla) – Sid Daud
There are beautiful gardens and an
ancient monastery in Wadi Talla, which
connects higher and lower wadis via
the adventurous Sid Daud gully. It can
very easily be reached from town via
other ways as well and can be part of a
shorter circuit, either with the gully
scrambling or without it. |
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Wadi Shagg – Wadi Mathar
Wadi Shagg is a short, narrow wadi
branching off Wadi Tubug, but the
name is often used for a larger area,
including Wadi Mathar. There are
beautiful Bedouin gardens, Byzantine
ruins, a small canyon with seasonal
water pools and a mulberry tree in the
area. |
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Wadi Zuweitin (Wadi Zawatin)
The name Wadi Zuweitin is used for a
number of adjoining locations, and it is
a major junction with many beautiful
gardens under the smooth granite
massif of Gebel Abu Mahshur. Wadi
Zuweitin has its name after the many
ancient olive trees found here. There
are nice views to Gebel Katharina all
along. |
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Gebel Abbas Pasha
Located in the centre of the high
mountains with stunning views all
around, to the high mountains, the
lowlands and to the town of St.
Katherine with Gebel Musa (Mt. Sinai)
towering above it. The unfinished
palace of Abbas Pasha is on top.
Hidden down from the summit is the
basin of Farsh Abu Mahshur. |
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Wadi Gibal
Wadi Gibal is the name frequently used
by local Bedouins to include the whole
High Mountain region. The wadi itself,
one of the longest, runs from Rehebit
Nada all the way to Farsh Rummana.
Along the way there are many beautiful
gardens and the opportunity to explore
Wadi Buleia and climb Gebel Umm Loz. |
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Bab el Dunya – Gebel Bab – Ein Nagila
Bab el Dunya and Gebel Bab are two
peaks of a longer range, on the
perimeter of the high mountains. To the
east there are spectacular views of
lower ranges running towards the Gulf
of Suez and in clear weather you can
see across the sea. The spring of Ein
Nagila is below the peaks. There are
several look-out points atop the range. |
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Wadi Talla Kibira – Galt el Azraq
Wadi Talla Kibira is a long, steep and
green valley, starting at Farsh
Rummana and leading from the high
mountains to lower wadis. Galt el Azraq,
halfway down, is the biggest permanent
pool in the region. After rainfall a creek
runs along the wadi filling other pools as
well. Sid Abu Hbeig is a lush area above
boulders forming a natural dam, and
the Berry Canyon, next to it, is another
beautiful site. |
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Wadi Abu Tuweita
Wadi Abu Tweita consists of a flat,
sandy upper part, located above Wadi
Tinya, with several Bedouin gardens,
and a long, steep and narrow gully. The
later part of the wadi, called Naqb Abu
Tuweita, is rarely visited, although there
is a seasonal water fall and granite
pools at the top and beautiful views
towards the lowlands. |
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Wadi Tinya – Wadi Sagar – Gebel Naga
Wadi Tinya is a long wadi, wide at the
beginning then getting narrower, which
leads down from the pass below Abbas
Pasha and ends before the pools of
Kharazet el Shaq. Abu Tuweita can be
reached via a pass from the upper part
of the wadi, while the canyon of Wadi
Sagar, a dramatic sight, connects to the
lower part. Gebel Naga, a half-day
detour, literally stands above the
lowlands. |
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Wadi Shagg Tinya – Kharazet el Shagg
Wadi Shagg Tinya is a long and steep
gully connecting high-mountain wadis
to lower Wadi Itlah. The whole Wadi
Tinya area, including part of Gebel
Abbas Basha, drains through this single
gully. There are overflowing granite
pools at the very top, with one of them
big enough for a dip. The gully itself is a
good 1.5 hours steep descent or ascent. |
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Wadi Ginab – Sheikh Ahmad – Wadi Madman (Wadi Madaman)
The final stretches of two long wadis
coming from the high mountains meet
at the tomb of Sheikh Ahmad and lead
onto the hilly lowlands a little further
down. There are many palms along the
way, and the last bit, draining a large
part of the whole mountain region, is for
the most part a dry river bed. |
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Wadi Raha – Naqb el Hawa – Sheikh Awad
This area represents the old pilgrims'
route to St. Katherine's Monastery. The
wide and sandy plain of Wadi Raha,
starting in town, leads to the settlement
of Sheikh Awad via the long and steep
pass of Naqb el Hawa. Sheikh Awad is
located where the plains and the high
mountains massif meet. |
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Wadi Gharba – Sida Nugra – Gebel Banat
Around the area of Sheikh Awad are
several very interesting and beautiful
points that can all easily be reached
from Al Karm ecolodge. Wadi Gharba
leads to Sida Nugra, where a high
waterfall can flow after rainfall. There
are small pools at the top. The peak of
Gebel Banat, towering over the wadis,
offers superb views of the whole high
mountains region on one side and the
lowlands on the other. |
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Farsh Faria (Wadi Freah) – Bustan el Birka – Wadi Abu Zaituna
Bustan el Birka, forming one area with
Farsh Faria (Wadi Freah) and Wadi Abu
Zaituna, is a large open basin
surrounded by distant ranges. There are
many Byzantine ruins in the area. Gebel
Sana is a long climb, but there are nice
views of the Monastery, Gebel Musa
(Mt. Sinai) and town. |
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Wadi Isbaiya – Wadi Sdud
On the opposite side of Mt Sinai to the
town of St Katherine lies Wadi Isbayiya,
a long wadi running from the main
road, with unique views of Gebel Musa
(Mt. Sinai). It is an ancient route to El Tur,
and also offers a gateway to the area of
the Ulad Said Bedouin that includes the
Blue Desert and Umm Shaumar areas. |
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