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The beginning of Autumn has brought to Oman lower temperatures, with the weather being more amenable for outdoor activities. As such, I took the opportunity to camp in one of my favorite spots in the Jebel Akhdar mountains, Sharaf Al Alamein. As I described in a previous post (see link below) it is possible to reach this location via a black top road, approaching from the village of Hamra. However, if you want to experience true off-road driving along one of the most scenic roads in the Middle East, I recommend you take the road along Wadi Bani Awf. It is a spectacular one, with some final few km of steep ascent. 

In the Heart of the Mountains

There are many interesting spots along Wadi Bani Awf: cool narrow gorges cut into the rock with slow flowing water and some pools, picturesque mountain villages and farms. All of these were not new to me, as I have taken this road many times in the past. However, surprises can still happen, this time in the form a wonderful waterfall hitherto unknown to me. By a fortunate coincidence, I found it near the place where I had stopped for a picnic lunch. I heard the water and made my way through the rocks until I found the waterfall. 

Depending on how many stops you make along the way, it can take between 5 to 6 hours to drive from Muscat to Sharaf Al Alamein, so take you time and enjoy the views. After setting up camp, I went for a walk near the edge of the mountain, which affords fantastic views over Wadi Bani Awf, Wadi Sahtan, and even Oman’s highest mountain (Jebel Shams, at 3,000 m above sea – level). I took some good photos just before and during sunset. At night the temperature drops considerably, so make sure you pack warm clothing; I also recommend bringing some firewood to make a nice campfire.  

That night it was new moon, so I carried out a photo session for star trails, framing a familiar tree against Polaris. This location is not as dark as it was in the past; the light pollution from Nizwa and Hamra is quite visible, but it still is a nice for night photography. After a good night’s sleep, I woke up to a gorgeous sunrise; it was wonderful to sit on the edge of the cliffs and see how the first light of the morning progressively illuminated the landscape, starting with the peaks of Jebel Shams to the northwest. This is a trip I have always enjoyed doing, and this time it was no exception. 

Photos were taken with Fujifilm X-T5 camera and Fujinon 33mm f/1.4 and Viltrox 13mm f/1.4 lenses.

One of these past weekends I found myself once again in the beautiful village of Wakan, in the Oman mountains. My last visit had been in the spring, when the fruit trees were in bloom. This time, in the autumn, I wanted to check the pomegranate season; Wakan has a good number of pomegranate trees, distributed in the cultivated terraces. Together with other fruits and vegetables, they are an important source of income for the local people. 

Every time I visit Wakan, I walk the nearby trail, which snakes up from the village to the top of the mountain. This is a difficult trek, because the terrain is rough, with some loose rocks and narrow passages overlooking precipitous cliffs. Still, it affords fantastic views over the Gubrah bowl and Wadi Mistal, a few hundred meters below. 

After parking the car (you need a 4WD), I wandered about the cultivated terraces, enjoying the sound of the water running along the several falaj, and the shade under the green trees. Leaving the village behind me, I walked along the trail for about 3 hours, before resting near the top. When I had arrived in the morning, the weather had been sunny, with a nice blue sky all around. However, as the day progressed, clouds had been piling up, leading to some heavy rain showers and strong winds at sunset. 

By then, I had already returned to the village, where I enjoyed a nice cup of tea in the local coffee shop. I made a few stops between Wakan and the exit of Wadi Mistal, to photograph the developing storm, which was featuring impressive clouds. The day ended with a nice colorful sunset over the Jebel Akhdar. 

During this trek I carried my two Fujifilm X-T5 cameras, with the Viltrox 13mm f/1.4 and Fujifilm 70-300 f/4 – f/5.6 lenses. 

You know when people say that you don’t need to go far from home to make interesting photos? They are right, of course. In my case, the photos I am sharing today were taken in two different days, but at the same time of the day, sunset. I am lucky that my flat has a balcony facing north and the Arabian sea, so I have privileged views of the sunset over Muscat’s shoreline.  

Sunset becomes more interesting when there are clouds, which was the case. I simply grabbed my camera and telephoto zoom lens, and took the photos as the sun was going down. In one the days, the humidity was high, so when I moved from the air-conditioned environment inside the house to the exterior, condensation formed in the lens. I noticed it upon inspecting the first shots in the camera screen; there was this nice ring around the sun, which gave the photos a different character. Hence, I shot a few more like this before cleaning the lens. 

The second session happened a couple of days after we had some rain, so there were still some broody cloud formations over the city. These made an interesting background to the colorful sunset conditions. 

Final note: I started this blog 10 years ago, in September 2014. Time flies, but I have enjoyed sharing my photography here. Hope you have enjoyed it too!

I wrote about this area of Jebel Akhdar in a previous article, which you can find here:

The Green Mountain

I finished that article with the following sentence: “I plan to return during springtime, when the roses will be in bloom”. Between March and May, the indigenous abundant pink damask roses burst into full bloom, coloring the terraced gardens, and filling the air with a wonderful perfume. During this season, the harvested petals are distilled according to ancestral traditions, to extract varieties of pure rose water and oil. In mid-April I was able to return for a couple of days to experience the rose season.

I drove from Muscat to the town of Birkat Al Mawz, which is the entry gate into the Green Mountain. From there, the road climbs until it reaches the Sayq plateau, at an altitude of around 2,200m above sea-level. My plan was to camp in the Juniper Woods, a preserved area where very old trees grow; besides junipers (Juniperus seravschanica), these woodlands also harbor other species, like native wild olives. The junipers are high altitude trees, hardy and evergreen, but extremely slow growing. Some of the trees are about 3,000 years old, which is impressive. Driving along a gravel road, I traverse a sparse woodland, and after a few kilometers I find a nice camping spot in level terrain, surrounded by hills and large trees. I am at the northern edge of the plateau, where the mountains descend into deeply cut valleys; in the far distance, I can see the rugged peaks of the Gubrah bowl, where Wakan is located. Wakan is another favorite place of mine, as you can see for example here:

Blossoms in Wakan

At this higher altitude, the cooler temperature and the relatively higher amount of rainfall have created the conditions for these beautiful trees to grow. Their trunks are twisted into themselves, and their roots are very long, often penetrating along the layers of rock. In recent years, the junipers have been threatened by climate change, human activity (their wood was normally used as firewood and medicine), and grazing (goats and donkeys). Hence, the creation of special preserved areas such as this one. I walk around the area until sunset, admiring the beautiful landscape, and taking lots of photos. For this trip I carried my usual Fujifilm X system kit, which consists of the 10-24mm f/4 and 50-140mm f/2.8 zoom lenses. These were supplemented by my “night sky lens”, the TTArtisans 10mm f/2.

The sky is covered by clouds with the occasional sunshine break, so I am hoping that it will clear later at night, allowing me to have a good photo opportunity for star trails. This is a dark site, and it is close to new moon, so conditions are perfect. When I retired to my tent to have some sleep, the sky was still cloudy, but it cleared out around 3 am, allowing me to make a star trail for 75 minutes. The Milky Way was also prominent in the sky.

I did not have much more sleep, because I was up before dawn to photograph the sunrise. This is always a magical time in the mountains, with the first color appearing in the east. Soon the thin clouds turn pink and orange.

Taking advantage of the early morning light, I proceeded to photograph a few more trees and the surrounding landscape.

After breakfast I pack up and head for the village Al Ain to literally smell the roses. It is still early, 8 am, but the small car park is busy. Clearly, it is a popular time to visit the hanging terraces and rose gardens. The damask roses have been used to produce rose water and oil since pre-Roman times, and it is easy to understand why. They fill the terraces with their rich pink color and the air is alive with their scent. After walking along some of the gardens, I visit a local museum, where a traditional working distillery can be seen. This was a great way to end the trip, surrounded by the natural beauty of the Green Mountain, where each season offers something unique and different.

A couple of months ago I visited the village of Wakan, I the Jebel Akhdar mountains. I wrote about that visit here:

The Misty Mountains of Wakan

I have recently returned for another visit, to see the fruit trees in blossom. Typically, this occurs during February, and makes for a different experience in Oman, as the surrounding hills and gardens become alive with the white patches of flowering trees. My plan was to spend some time walking in the village and the fields, and then hike up the mountain following the well-marked trail. I have done this many times before, but once you gain altitude, the views are amazing; so, it is well worth the effort.

Last time I visited the weather was cool and cloudy, but this time it was warmer and there was plenty of sunshine. There were also lots of visitors, which created some traffic jams not only in the narrow gravel road that leads to the village, but also in the (small) parking lot. But, with a little bit of patience, all is well. People come to admire the Spring blossoms, mostly from the peach trees.

For this trip, I had with me a new lens, the TTArtisan 10mm f/2; my idea is to use this lens in astronomy trips, for general night sky photography, such as star trails, and Milky Way. It is quite challenging to use such a wide lens effectively, but I wanted to give it a try. Despite a few shortcomings (mostly lens flares), for the low price it carries and robust construction, the lens is quite interesting and useful. As a complement, I also carried the Voigtlaender 35mm f/1.2 lens, for more general photography.

I walked around the village and the fields for about 1 hour, framing some interesting shots of Wakan against the mountainous backdrop and the “bowl” down below. The surrounding mountains are bare of vegetation, apart from small bushes; their peaks are characterized by jagged edges, well defined against the crisp blue sky. I am used to the beauty of fruit tree blossoms, as we have many areas in Portugal where they occur; but here in Oman the setting is different, because of the geography and climate.

As the visitors and tourists walk about admiring the views, the locals try to carry on with their daily chores. Life in this, and other more isolated, villages, is still hard; it is necessary to take care of the small parcels of planted land, of the trees, and the goats that roam the hills. Once you leave the village behind and enter the rocky trail that leads up to the top, you will hardly see anybody else. In one of the viewpoints a group of youngsters asks me to take a picture of them using my camera, not a phone. I suppose cameras look cool these days, especially the Fujifilm ones with their retro design! We exchange contacts so that I can send them the photos later.

I stop a few times along the trail to take some photos, and to eat a picnic lunch, before negotiating a tricky section of the path. This is where the trail hugs the base of a huge vertical wall above, and one needs to follow along the bedding planes of the rocky outcrops. Even though it is noon, this area is in the shade, and some drops of water fall from the rocks above, creating small stalactites and stalagmites as it dissolves the limestone. After that, it is an easy walk again, and the views are remarkable. After a while, it is time to head back to Wakan, which I reach after meeting a few more goats on the way.

On my way out of the Gubrah bowl I stopped in the valley plain to take more photos. The sun is approaching the crest of the mountains, and the quality of the light is getting better, so I frame some of the thorny bushes against the stark surroundings. At the exit of Wadi Mistal, I stop again, waiting for the sunset, and for the full moon rising in the East. I never get tired of visiting these mountains and experiencing their beauty.

Raining in Oman is a rare event, especially in large amounts. On average, the amount of yearly rain in Muscat is 100 millimetres, mostly during wintertime. A few days ago, a depression hit the northern part of the country, including the capital city, with heavy rainfall and strong winds affecting the region. Muscat is located in a narrow area between the mountains and the sea, so the rain very quickly travels between them; in large amounts, it fills the wadis and carries the danger of floods. In such circumstances, people are encouraged to stay home, to avoid driving under such conditions.

I am fortunate to live in an apartment that faces the sea, so during the day of the storm, I had the opportunity to take several photos from my balcony. In between the rainy periods, there would be brief spells where the sky cleared up a little bit; this resulted in interesting compositions with dark and dramatic clouds sweeping over the coast. From the early morning until sunset, I kept an eye on the developing weather; whenever a dramatic cloud formation appeared, I would pick up my camera to photograph it. It was interesting to see how the clouds varied during the day, from large dark masses coming in from the ocean to smaller banks passing by the horizon.

It turned out that staying at home due to bad weather resulted in a collection of nice photos. I have used my 3 lenses for this set, that is, 16mm, 35mm, and 56mm. Each one provided a different approach, depending on composing wide for the sky and clouds, or framing a bit more tight.

This article is about a recent trip of the local astronomy group to a dark observation site, located south of the town of Adam, about a 2.5-hour drive from Muscat. During my first stay in Oman, I used to be part of the astronomy club, so I was glad to learn that it was still active. Every month, the group goes to a dark site during the weekend closest to the new moon, for some great night sky observation. There are some good experts in the group, with new telescopes and imaging gear, that can produce some stunning images of planets and deep sky objects; in my case, I simply enjoy looking through the telescopes, and take some photos to stack later, using trailing or accumulation options.

After an uneventful drive, we arrived at the site, which is in a flat gravel desert area that extends in every direction until the horizon. Most of the interior of Oman is like this, vast areas of flat landscape, where only a few shrubs appear here and there. As you can see on the following map, the light pollution levels are very low, which makes for excellent observation conditions.

The wind had been quite strong during the day, kicking dust into the air, and we were concerned that might affect our viewing conditions. During the sunset, rather than abating, the wind picked up even more, bringing more dust with it. I walked around the campsite taking some photos and noticing potentially interesting compositions. The scarce shrubs provided interesting foreground subjects while framing the photos against the featureless landscape.

Fortunately, the dust cleared around 9 pm, but the wind continued to blow strongly. We were able to see some interesting objects, like Jupiter and a few double clusters; the highlight was the Orion nebula, with its dust and gas clouds clearly visible around the stars. Due to the wind, the telescopes were shaking a bit, so it was not possible to take images. Despite the strong wind, I decided to set up my Fujifilm XT-5 camera with the Fujinon 16mm f/1,4 lens on the tripod, and shot about 120 images at 30 seconds each, which resulted in 1 hour of total time. I framed a tree in the foreground, to provide a focal point against the night sky. After finishing the images for the star trail, I then mounted the XT-4 with the Voigtlaender X 35mm f/1.2 lens and took 10 photos of the Orion constellation. I used Sequator to stack both sets of images, the first one as a star trail, and the second one as accumulation.

The following morning, before sunrise, the wind had died, and there was an eerie quietness due to the prevailing silence. A few crows were flying overhead. I walked around taking photos of the small trees and shrubs. There was still a lot of dust in the air, so when the sun came up, the light was diffused; I used this to shoot some photos of the trees against the rising sun, to good effect. Even with the wind and the dust, it was a nice trip, it is always good to go out in the field and spend the night under the stars.