Harithi Escarpment - A distant view of Mecca
On a clear day, you can catch sight of the Clock Tower of Mecca from the Harithi escarpment near Taif. However, if this is your primary reason for embarking on this hike you might end up disappointed. The weather is often hazy, sometimes quite considerably. However, as long as it is not completely hidden in fog or clouds, the view of the distant foothills and plains is stunning. You are standing on a granite mountain on the perimeter of the plateau; there is a big drop on one side and rolling green hills of the highland on the other. It is a moderate hike with some scrambling and routefinding at the end, as the trail near the peak is not always visible. The full walk takes around 3 hours. Other points of the same range also provide similar views; one such viewpoint is marked on our Google Maps as a waypoint, based on information from British travel vlogger, Jason Billam.
The hike in Google Maps
Open the menu to turn waypoints on and off.
Hikes around Riyadh: Edge of the World | Camel Trail | Graffiti Rock ; Abha: Jabal Soudah | Wadi Lajab | Jabal Ferwa ; Najran: Raoum ; Bisha: White Mountain ; Taif: Kara Heritage Trail | Harithi Escarpment | Al-Waba Crater ; Medina: Mount Sela | Mount Uhud ; Al-Ula: Wadi al-Naam | Mahash Viewpoint | Dadan Trail ; Tabuk: Wadi al-Deesah | Jabal Shayban | Wadi al-Aqlah | "Real Mount Sinai"
The hike in photos