Jabal Soudah - Al-Qaroon Trail

 The Al-Qaroon (Al-Qarun, Alquroun) Trail ranks among the most stunning hikes in Saudi Arabia, offering a picturesque scenery unexpected in this part of the world. The trail cuts through dense Juniper tree forests, grasslands, bushlands, and cactus fields, spanning from the highest point in Saudi Arabia to terraced agricultural fields on the slopes of the foothills – or the other way around. The views are stunning all along the hike, either you look down on the descending ridges, or up to the rim of the imposing high plateau. The trail is also known as Shawkan (Shokan) trail as one end is near the village of that name. The walk itself takes about 4 hours, but considering travel time, it’s a full day outing. 

We follow the trail downhill, but you can obviously do it the other way around. The trail itself is 6.5 kilometres, but it’s another 5 kilometres on a minor asphalt road to the busier Rijal Almaa road. You could also walk all the way to Rijal Almaa, as did Wiciloc user Gianluca Baratti, but even if descending, 22 kilometres is a long way. 

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




































































































































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" 

Popular posts from this blog

Welcome / مرحباً

Image
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia recently opened its doors to Western visitors and began developing its tourism industry in every field. One of these is hiking, and several new trails have been established, few of which are described in our guidebook . The potential is enormous, as the country is huge and the landscapes are surprisingly diverse. Most people think of Saudi Arabia as merely a land of endless deserts of sand and rock. While there certainly is plenty of that, the kingdom boasts a wealth of diverse terrains and climates beyond these stereotypical images, ranging from stunning desert landscapes to thick Juniper tree forests and wadis that you can swim in. The country's historic landscape is also varied. Saudi Arabia is, of course, the birthplace of Islam, but earlier cultures, as well as the Ottomans in later times, also left their mark. This is a new beginning for the KSA, for the international hiking community, and for this project that aims to present some of the best avai
Read more

Saudi hospitality

Image
The Saudis are welcoming and friendly in general, and then sometimes you meet people who go out their way to show their true tradition of hospitality. Mohamed Abu Khaled from the Bin Attiya tribe in Wadi al-Deesah is such a man. He was heading home with family members and friends after a day out when I met him. He invited me for dinner and said I can stay overnight at his nearby farm. I was hesitant briefly, for logistical reasons, as I planned to visit the wadi early the next day, but then accepted the invitation. It turned out to be one of my most beautiful evenings in Saudi Arabia, with the familiar sense of a Bedouin dinner in the majlis , the communal area. Thank you Mohamed, and thanks to all the nice people I met during my Saudi trip! As for those who are considering a visit; just go, you will have a wonderful time and meet great people. 
Read more

Renting a car in Saudi Arabia

Image
  The most convenient and cheapest way, and often the only way, to visit places outside of the cities is to rent a car. However, it is not always that easy. Many car rental companies demand that you have a Saudi driver's license, others want you to have a credit card. But you can rent a car without a Saudi license or credit card, you just have to find the right place. Here, I present such car rental offices in 5 cities.  Riyadh: Abu Diyab Rent A Car  Located opposite the King Fahad National Library on Olaya Street, the Abu Diyab office is one of several rent a car companies next to each other. But only they rent a car without asking for a Saudi license and/or a credit card. The cost of a small car with insurance starts at around SAR 140. See location on Google Maps .  Abha: Abu Diyab Rent A Car  You find several car rental companies at the airport. Since I rented from Abu Diyab before, I went to them. The first person I talked to asked for a Saudi license, and I had to insist that
Read more