Sultanate

You probably didn't know it, but Oman is a fantastic place for rock climbing. There are some challenges with the heat, but the rock is fantastic, and the climbing community is even better. Strap on your climbing shoes we are going to the crag.

I met up with local rock climber and professional life coach Read Macadam to give us an insight into the climbing community and the ongoing development here in the Sultanate. We talk about some of the places to climb like Hadash, Khubrah Canyon, Wadi Dayqah, Umq Bir, Jebal Misht, and Bandar Jissah. In these places alone you will find world class bouldering, sport climbing, trad-climbing, multi-pitches, and deep water soloing.

Read also made a film called Valley of the Giants which features himself, Philippe Ribière and Dan Bates. In it the trio explore a remote wadi that features giant limestone boulders. The film really gives you a good flavor of rock climbing in Oman. You can view the film here.

So, come along as we go rock climbing in Oman with Read Macadam.

Finally, click over to this episode post at www.beyondtheroute.com to view the map with all the locations Read and I discuss.

• Read Macadam's Website
• Read Macadam's Instagram
• Climbing in Oman Facebook Page
• 27 Crags - Sport Climbing Guide Website
• rakkup - Smartphone Guide (I highly recommend, and special discount!)
• Oman Adventure Sports Guides (these are dated, so please use caution)
• Climbing in Oman by Jakob Oberhauser via panico.de
• Climbing in Oman by Jakob Oberhauser via amazon

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Wishing you all a wonderful National Day celebration in Oman. New episodes on the 5th of every month.

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When we travel and experience new places and cultures, inevitably we compare what is in front of us to what we know. Some things we easily understand, some we disagree with, other thing we even find funny. Being exposed to different ideas and experiences ultimately makes us better humans.

Today, after six years of residency in Oman, I am still finding new and exciting observations in this wonderful place. During this episode of the Sultanate I take you on an audio tour and share with you "Nine Things You didn't Know About Oman." I teach you about honey wagons, construction, religion, mushkak, car horns, backwards water faucets, afalaj, the ocean, and of course, the weather.

So, come along and join me as we search for the interesting things in the sultanate.

• Sultanate Ep 001: Introduction to Oman

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I always wanted to try out a via ferrata, and it finally happened with a visit to Oman's newest via ferrata at the Alila Jabal Akhdar hotel. A via ferrata is a protected climbing route, and Jebal Akhdar is one of the most beautiful places in Oman. Mix the two together to make a memorable adventure in the mountains.

In this episode of the Sultanate, Jonty and I take you along the via ferrata course at Alila Jabal Akhdar with the help of our guides Majid and Rob. Along the way Majid points out the variety of plants growing on the mountain, and how they are used by the locals. We also learn about the history of the surrounding area before we muscle up the challenging section of the course to take in the spectacular view.

• Cost for hotel guests: 35++ OMR per guest for 2 Hours
• Cost for outside guests: TBA by management once this service approved
• Reservations: email: [email protected] OR call: +968 2534 4200 / +968 9910 4204

• Alila Jabal Akhdar

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Alila Jabal Akhdar hotel did not pay me to write or speak about the hotel. This episode and blog post is not an endorsement, just my opinions and experience. If this activity is terrible, I will tell you it is terrible.

There are so many opportunities for adventure travel in Oman. Rock climbing, abseiling, caving, canyoning, via ferrata, hiking, and off-road driving are just a few adventurous activities practiced in the sultanate. One man, who has been to all of the great places, is Justin Halls.

Justin Halls is a Senior Instructor with Muscat Adventure Center, and basically he takes clients to wonderfully beautiful places in Oman that you can not access without special knowledge, training, or equipment. He's the man when it comes to adventure travel in Oman.

In this episode of the Sultanate, I sit down with Justin to discuss the places that are currently open to adventure travel in Oman, including what we can expect from Oman in the future. We discuss canyoning in Wadi Tab and Snake Canyon; caving in the 7th Hole Cave and al Hoota Cave; abseiling off Jebal Shams; and climbing the Jebal Shams via ferrata.

I finish the conversation by asking Justin to share with us his idea of the best way to see Oman, using his ten years of experience traveling around the sultanate. So, join Justin and I as we travel beyond the tourist route to see Oman's hidden beauty.

There are a few words used in this episode that not all listeners will understand, and that's okay, because I have a handy glossary right here:

• Abseil - (v) to descend a steep slope or vertical drop using a rope secured from above - sometimes called rappel in North America.
• Khareef - (n) the name of the wet monsoonal flow that affects the Dhofar region of Oman.
• Via ferrata - (n) a protected climbing route that often includes a cable secured to the rock every 1-10 meters and allows safe climbing without the use of a rope.

• Muscat Adventure Center (website)
• Muscat Adventure Center Facebook Page
• Oman Adventure Facebook Public Group

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With its narrow alleyways and tiny shops, Muttrah Souq offers shoppers a taste of traditional Omani life. Muttrah Souq quietly rivals other historical marketplaces around the world in terms of authenticity, but little was known about this important souq, until now.

Meet Maxine Burden, the Australian author and expat in Oman, who literally wrote the book on the history of Muttrah Souq with her book Throw Down the Anchor: The Story of Muttrah Souq. She spent years gathering stories and photos from local merchants, residents, and shoppers to bring this history to life.

In this episode of the Sultanate Maxine takes us on a tour of Oman's main shopping center to show us what she finds unique. She also gives us a great overview on the history hidden behind the souq's modern improvements.

So, join Maxine Burden and myself as we go on-location to one of the worlds last remaining traditional arabian souqs. Grab your headphones, sit back, and relax!

• Centre for Omani Dress
• Bait al Zubair

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One of the qualities I like most about Oman is the small population. You can be 20 minutes outside of Muscat and find yourself, seemingly, the only person for miles. This seclusion gives you the feeling of owning a piece of Oman for yourself, even if it's just for an afternoon. One such place that makes me the sultan of my own kingdom is As Sifah Secret Beach.

I took Lady M to As Sifah Secret Beach for a nice afternoon swim, not once; but twice during our travels recently. And in this episode of the Sultanate we discuss the exceptional qualities that make As Sifah Secret Beach our favorite place to have a private, peaceful swim in the greater Muscat area.

Lady M is probably better known as Emma France to most. The two of us met at a friend's wedding in the Summer of 2015 in the Allgäu area of Germany. Lady M works for a children's book publisher and lives in sunny London. (Currently we are touring my home town of San Clemente, where there are no secret beaches at all!)

After our discussion of As Sifah Secret Beach, Lady M also gives us a first hand report on the new Omani eVisa system, and how it can be best utilized on your travels to Oman. She concludes by giving us a great tip to employ when entering our details into the online eVisa system.

So, join Lady M and myself for this episode of the Sultanate as we share with you our private beach.

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Be sure to tell a friend and tell me what you like in the comments at www.beyondtheroute.com. You can also leave the show a rating on iTunes. Thank you, and I look forward to hearing from you.

The Sharqiya Sands is one of my most favorite place in Oman. It has everything you could want; beauty, emptiness, mystery, easy access, and uniqueness. Whether you are into off-road sand driving, or you just enjoy the peace and quiet, the Sharqiya Sands is a must see in Oman.

In this episode of the Sultanate I sit down with David, a geologist here in Oman, to discuss in-depth, what created the amazing Sharqiya Sands. Because of David's position in the oil industry, he has access to a wealth of research which he shares with us to give us a better insight and appreciation of the vast sand dunes. Before wrapping up we examine: the environmental impact recreational sand driving has on the Sharqiya, David suggests a few camps to stay at if you are not keep to tent camp, and why this location is sometimes confusingly called the Wahiba Sands as well as the Sharqiya Sands.

Before speaking to David, I head out on a two day, off-road, trip through the Sharqiya with three of my mates: Goos (also featured on episode 3 of the Sultanate), Kif, and Paul. Together, we complete a test of the proposed route for next year's Wahiba Challenge off-road rally in order to help the Off Road Adventure Club gather valuable information on the conditions.

During this trip we found the conditions challenging due to the direction of travel and especially the soft sand, forcing an unusual number of stuck and bogged vehicles in the team. In the end we survived unscathed, just a little sandy. But most of all we had a blast.

So, join me on my journey as I the traverse the Sharqiya Sands with the boys, and get filled in on the desert geology with David.

• 1000 Nights
• Al Raha
• Al Areesh
• Nomadic Desert Camp
• Salma al Wasil

• Off Road Adventure Club
• Sultanate Ep 003: What to Wear as a Visitor to Oman and Cultural Respect
• D's Top 13 Sand Driving Tips

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The Rub' al Khali (الربعالخالي) literally means Empty Quarter in Arabic, and is the world's largest contiguous sand desert covering about 650,000 square km of land. To put that into perspective, the Rub' al Khali covers most of the southern third of the Arabian Peninsula with potions existing in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, and of course, Oman.

During the winter my mates Jonty and David joined me on the most epic off-road journey I have every embarked on. Destination: The Rub' al Khali. It's not the off-road conditions that make this journey epic, although they were challenging. But by no means extreme. It was the amazing views that stratified this journey for me. Pictures, words, or sounds cannot describe the feelings during this trip, but I'll try my best.

We started off our Rub' al Khali journey in Muscat and drove all morning to petrol station one in Shib al Muqayrida where we filled up our tanks, grabbed some cool drinks, and started the GPS track recording. From here to the dunes is Oman's main oil area. The town of Fahud is the main camp, and it's clear you are in oil country. Oil operations began here in 1954, but commercial quantities didn't get discovered until 1964. I believe Fahud contributes to a majority of Oman's output, but I struggle to find current datainthe open source. But anyway, this place is super important for Oman.

Out last interaction with parties outside our group was at our second petrol stop at Jibal. I carry about 130 liters of petrol onboard my magic carpeted ride, between the main and sub-tank. So, this stop isn't 100% necessary, but the jeeps don't carry as much, so we topped off as a precaution. The Jibal station is on private oil company land, and operates limited hours, closing for the typical early afternoon siesta, so don't rely on this station 100%.

From here we go off-road and cross the salt plain basin of Umm as Samim (Mother of Poisons).The tracks are well used by the army and oil companies, so as long as you stayon the tracks you should avoid sinking below the dangerous crust. Take care if there is standing water after any rains. This place is a huge drainage basin where water collects from the Hajar Mountains. Makes you wonder if this is the reason why somuch oil and gas is found belowyourfeet. Satellite images illustrate the geography well.

The sand dunes of the Rub'al Khali start just south of here, of which the largest are located just a few kilometers from the Saudi-Omani border. The third highest dune in Oman is located in this area, and is the focus of our journey. Our GPS measured it as 130m tall!

On its own 130m doesn't sound very tall,but when you think about the fact that it's created by sand and wind alone, 130m truly comes into focus.

This episode of the Sultanate covers our journey through the Rub' al Khali. The GPS track and important waypoints are located at www.beyondtheroute.com. We did this journey over the course of three days, and two nights. There aren't any campsites listed because this is the Empty Quarter after all, there's nobody around to bother you. Just pick what you like.

• Bring a 4x4 in good working order.
• Bring safety and recovery equipment (shovel, kinetic rope, shackles first aid kit, fire extinguisher).
• Bring tools.
• Be clear on your route and navigation (GPS).
• Never go alone, minimum two vehicles.
• File your plan with a friend.
• Pack enough water (5 liters/person/day) + emergency water.

Finally I'd like to add that the two nights spent in the Rub'al Khali were some of the darkest, most light pollution free nights I have ever had. Stargazing was off the charts! This Rub' al Khali journey is definitely beyond the route.

So, come along and join us as we travel through the Sultanate.

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Be sure to tell a friend and tell me what you like in the comments at www.beyondtheroute.com. You can also leave the show a rating on iTunes. Thank you, and I look forward to hearing from you.

In this episode of the Sultanate I chat with two of the most adventurous people I know, Goos and Agnes, about cultural respect as visitors to Oman, as well as clothing choices you need to make when planning a trip to the Sultanate. Goos and Agnes are a Dutch couple I met here in Muscat shortly after I arrived in 2011, and they bring to the table a wealth of knowledge from a lifetime of travel, including living and raising children abroad in some very exotic countries. Goos works in the oil industry which has taken him and his family to live in places like Pakistan, Scotland, Nigeria, Australia, and Oman. Currently Goos and Agnes are on their second posting in Muscat and can tell you some great stories about what it was like here on their first posting in the 1980s.

We discuss the topics of: what to wear and what not to wear from both the men's and women's perspective, how to respect the Omani culture, how to project your marital status as an unmarried couple, how to stay cool when it is hot, handshaking, and I throw in a few stories for good measure.

Head over to Beyond the Route to catch my recomendations on what to wear in Oman for both men and women.

So, come along and join us as we travel through the Sultanate.

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Be sure to tell a friend and tell me what you like in the comments below. You can also leave the show a rating on iTunes. Thank you, and I look forward to hearing from you.