Hiking Guide of Jebel Shams in Oman (W4 Hike / Summit Trail)

Jebel Shams in Oman is unofficially tagged as the Grand Canyon of the Middle East and no one wants to disagree. And whether you just want to see the canyon or hike up to the summit, read this guide for useful information. This is a hiking guide of Jebel Shams’ Summit Trail (W4 Trail) but please feel free to read, you never know what you’ll find.

Disclaimer: We did the hike way back in December 2017. There might be some changes on the trail, the mountain itself, and regulations (if applicable).

LOGISTICS:

Before anything else, I would like to share some of the most important factor for your hike.

• No water source or food establishment/grocery anywhere along the trail. Pack your own and pack enough. Make sure to bring your trash down.
• There are no washroom/toilet facilities (to do number 1 or 2). Do it at your own style but make sure it is taken care of properly.
• While a sedan can push through, we highly suggest to bring a 4×4 for some off-road sections.

TWO (MAIN) HIKING TRAILS OF JEBEL SHAMS IN OMAN:

Just to clarify, there are two main trails in Jebel Shams. Of course, there are other sub-trails but I will not discuss that further. So in case you’re not sure yet which trail to take, check your options below.

1. W6 or Balcony Walk – An easy trail along the steep rim of the canyon walls towards the old abandoned village. There is another trail called ‘W6a’ which starts at the endpoint of the W6 trail. The trail then continues to the old village of Ghool/Ghul. These two trails (both W6 and W6a) offer stunning views of the canyon. If you don’t want to go to summit but fancy an amazing view of the canyon, this trail is for you.
2. W4 or Summit Trail – The North Summit (the true summit at 3,009 MASL) is restricted by the Military unfortunately. Only the South Summit with an elevation of 2,997 MASL is accessible to the hikers. In this trail, you will see the Military base a little close on your way to the South Summit. You may not be as close to the canyon as the W6 trail, but you will get to see an amazing view of the canyon from the South Summit side.

This hiking guide is about the backtrack trail of the W4 Trail towards the South Summit of Jebel Shams. While it is doable to do a day hike, it is a long hike and you have to start super early and fast. A 2-day and 1-night camp is what I recommend for you to be able to enjoy the magnificent views and the liberating beauty of the canyon.

HIKING TRAIL SIGNS GUIDE:

Compared to the hiking trails in UAE, the trail signs in Jebel Shams are surprisingly visible. The trail signs are close to one another (around 100- 200 meters away between one). There might be trail signs which were placed a little further but almost 80% are visible.

HIKING GUIDE – JEBEL SHAMS W4 TRAIL SECTIONS:

THE BASE CAMP

Now named Sama Heights Resort, this is where the jump off or the base camp of this W4 Hike towards the Summit. The resort is visible and accessible from Google Maps. A W4 signpost is visible from the resort if you just turn a slight right forward. Continue driving on the off-road section and cross a narrow wadi at the end. You can park your vehicle before or after the wadi (depending on the situation) as your base camp. The base camp is quite spacious and it can accommodate 6-7 vehicles (based on my estimate) so find your nook comfortably.

Be careful of your belongings, especially with your food as there are lots of mountain goats (I’m not surprised). Avoid feeding the goats too, because you know, they will start depending on humans diet which is not really good.

THE TRAIL

From the base camp, a short portion of flat land with few valleys will welcome you. There are plenty of small bushes along the way and a few shades though most section of the trail is exposed to the sun.

After the small valley, there will be a short assault until you reach a part of the rim of the canyon. Not long enough, you will be greeted by the views of the canyon. While I am not sure if this view is as amazing as the Balcony Walk view, I would still say go for it, stop, and spend a few minutes of your time enjoying it.

I mean look at that gorge! You don’t get to see this in your everyday life, isn’t it? This is Jebel Shams and it will not be tagged as the Grand Canyon of the Middle East for no reason!

When you continue hiking, the canyon should be behind you as you are now targeting to reach the Summit. If you look back, your view will be like this – the canyon, the lowly shrubs, and the occasional presence of Juniper Trees.

THE SUMMIT

To reach the summit, you will cross a few valleys where you will find abundant camping spots. Be careful when choosing your camping spot though as the wind is crazy at night, especially during the winter season.

You will be able to spot the Military Base but it is 100% off-limits to civilians so I DO NOT suggest going in that direction unless it is an emergency (between life and death). Continue your hike in the opposite direction and follow the trail signs accordingly.

In the picture above, the North Summit is on the left side (see the Military Base) while the South Summit is the LAST ridge at the far right. You will cross plateaus and wadis and you will go up and down multiple times. The last ridge has a short cliff (assault) but there is nothing to worry about as it is manageable and nothing technical. After that cliff is a flat rolling area and you finally reached the Jebel Shams South Summit!

This circular cairn marks the South Summit of Jebel Shams. There is also a tattered Omani Flag near the cairn. I heard that there is now a logbook where you can write your name as evidence that you reached the South Summit! How cool is that?

A few meters from the cairns where the Omani Flag is, you will get this amazing view of the canyon!

After enjoying the view, it’s time for you to go back where you come from. There’s only one way to go down and that is the same trail you took when you hiked up. Take the same trail as slow/fast as you can.

PERSONAL THOUGHTS ON HIKING JEBEL SHAMS IN OMAN:

As I always say, we all have different adventure appetite or what I call ‘#hikeppetite’ to begin with. So, a good trail for me might not be a good trail for you and vice versa. And that’s completely okay, we don’t need to agree with everyone all the time. Anyhow, here’s what I think about W4 Trail of Jebel Shams:

Pros:

• It is long trail but not steep nor technical which makes a good trail to test your endurance and stamina. If you’re looking for trails like these in the UAE, you may check my Wadi Naqab Loop Trail or Stairway to Heaven’s Full Loop Trail (the original Stairway trail and down to Wadi Litibah).
• You get to see the view of the canyon plus the summit in one push.

Cons:

• Not the best trail for a day hike. Consider the W6 Trail or the Balcony Walk instead.
• The location of the mountain range is completely remote. If you don’t have a vehicle (like me), going to the base camp alone is a struggle. There are ‘hiking tours’ you can book but most of them are on the W6 trail only. So take this in mind and plan ahead.

Overall, as remote, as it is, Jebel Shams in Oman is one of the best hikes I’ve ever done so far. The view is worth the endurance and the total distance is just right for my appetite. So if Jebel Shams is pretty much the adventure you’re looking for, use this hiking guide of Jebel Shams and take the W4 trail and start your adventure!

AND AS A GENTLE OUTDOOR ETHICS REMINDER:
LEAVE NO TRACE!