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.
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.