Diving, snorkelling and desert safaris might top the list of attractions in South Sinai, but Mohamed El-Hebeishy discovered a more adventurous activity Mountains retain a defensive posture, a silent resistance in the face of time. Their beauty inspires us and evokes the challenger within. With the mountainous nature of South Sinai, what is known as the Sinai Massif contains some of the oldest rocks on the globe, with 80 per cent ageing 600 million years. Egypt's highest summit is part of the bigger massif, with St Catherine Mountain rising to an elevation of 2,624 metres above sea level. Following in the ranking is a number of peaks and summits found mostly in what is known as Sinai High Mountains region, among which is Abbas Mountain. The idea of ascending mountains intriguing, I researched all the options, and though Abbas Mountain is not the highest, I could not resist the call. Abbas was my challenge. Several reasons are behind my choice -- the story of a palace built atop of it, and the fact that there are two different routes leading to it. That is of course in addition to the history and importance of the remarkable sceneries and sights one passes by on the way to the summit. Mohamed Ali El-Kebir, Egypt's modernisation pioneer, had grandson Abbas, Abbas I, as he is sometimes referred to, who ascended the throne in 1848 and thereafter ruled the country for six years. He had led a reclusive life; partly it was a personal preference and partly because of his fragile health. Abbas suffered tuberculosis and doctors recommended clean dry air so he can recuperate. Sinai was the ultimate choice. There are two stories of how Abbas Mountain came to be the spot for the pasha's new desert palace. It is believed that pieces of fresh meat were put on the top of some of the highest peaks in the area. The site where the last piece rotted was on top of a 2,383-metre mountain, then called Mountain Tiinya. This is one version of the story. Another tells of monks who recommended that Abbas choose Mountain Katherine as a location for his palace. After all it is Egypt's highest peak. Having said so, they recommended Mountain Tiinya. Whether this or that, work kicked off in 1853. Unfortunately, one year down the road the whole project came to a halt. On 14 July 1854 Abbas I was assassinated. Work was never resumed and the palace has been lying in ruins ever since. Building a palace on top of a mountain is by all means not an easy job. The 45-metre-square edifice was originally designed to be two storeys high with a wall thickness of between one to two metres. As for the building material, some were extracted on site and from the surrounding area. Unused blocks can still be seen today left scattered in its vicinity. As for the rest of the necessary material, they were brought in from Egypt's mainland. The area locals tell of how the Egyptian soldiers used to queue all the way up the mountain handing the building materials from one person to the next until they reached the top. A luxurious mountain lodge was not Abbas's best achievement. Being the conservative leader he was, he actually undid some of his grandfather's modernisation schemes. He is best remembered for the Cairo-Alexandria railroad. When the railway was the latest invention, Egypt was the third country worldwide, after Britain and India, to build and function a railway connection. After signing a contract with the British stating that Egypt will pay on instalments the sum of LE56,000, work began in 1851. The project was finished in 1856, two years after Abbas Pasha's death. The railway has exponential economic impacts, not to mention the ease of the journey. What used to take up to 42 hours was only a seven-hour train journey. Mountaineering has been around since the beginning of time. As an adventure sport, it undertook a series of evolutions to reach its current status. People started ascending mountains for a handful of reasons: building an altar, scientific research, or for the mere joy of contemplating nature. It was not before the mid-18th century when Genevese scientist Horace-Bénédict de Saussure offered a prize for the first to climb Mont Blanc (one of Europe's highest peaks and standing at 4,807 metres, it is part of the Alps, lying on the French-Italian border and extends into Switzerland). More than 25 years later the prize money was finally claimed by Michel-Gabriel Paccard, a doctor from the French town of Chamonix. Bit by bit, the newly introduced idea evolved into an adventurous sport attracting more adrenaline addicts and more peaks to conquer. One of the most famous as well as toughest competitions that tickle the dreams of every mountaineer is the "Seven Summits". With the goal of ascending each continent's highest summit, climbers are required to climb Africa's Kilimanjaro (Tanzania), Australia's Kosciuszko, Antarctica's Vinson Massif, South America's Aconcagua (Argentina), North America's Mount McKinley (US), Europe's Elbrus (Russia) and the world's tallest 8,848m Everest. Of course not all mountaineers are first-class adventurers. Some are very ordinary people who seek some effort- exerting challenge without going full throttle. To reach the summit of Abbas Mountain, there are two main routes to choose from. Though both can be graded as Class One, the easiest on a scale of five, according to the Yosemite Decimal System used for rating mountain climb difficulty, one route is harder and longer. I opted for it. My base was Al-Karm, an ecolodge amidst the vigorous mountains of South Sinai. Though arriving at Al-Karm requires a four-wheeler, the dirt road leading to it, branching off midway from St Catherine's main motor road, is quite short and easily manageable. I made sure to start my hiking fresh so I arrived the night before. After all Al-Karm is about a five- to six-hour drive from Cairo. It was around nine o'clock in the morning when all was ready, especially my stuff -- water, food, some equipment and of course my photography gear. I headed with my guide, a camel and its attendant, for the first day hike, one that lasted for about five hours. We ventured through Nakeb Hawa, a beautiful uphill that leads from the village of Abu Awad to that of Abu Sila. We crossed the latter, zigzagged through Wadi Telah and settled at the foothill of Kharazet Al-Shaq. After almost a full day of hiking, it was time to make campfire and start cooking our outdoor dinner. We started quite early the second day. Lying ahead of us was the treacherous ascent of Kharazet Al-Shaq, an almost perpendicular rocky slope. This part of the hike can be easily upgraded to Class Two. Though it is short in terms of distance it is by all means the toughest part of the whole trip. Nonetheless, once you reach the top of Kharazet Al-Shaq you will be rewarded with the splendid view of a naturally formed water pond amid the hard shaped rocks. Getting over this obstacle leaves you with an easy hike through the beautiful Wadi Tiinya which is fairly vegetated in comparison to other wadi of the area with different trees and shrubs. It was about an hour or so when my guide and I reached the foothill of Abbas Mountain. From there it was easy mountaineering, a clear trail that we followed all the way to the palace. The way back was much easier as we were descending most of the time. In less than half the original time, we were back to the campsite. The morning after, we trekked back to Al-Karm, but this time we took a different route, hiking Wadi Telaah instead of trekking Kharazet Al-Shaq. We passed beautiful landscapes and scenery before paying Al-Sheikh Awad a visit at his shrine. Sheikh Awad is a revered holy man whom in his honor the village closest to Al-Karm is named. The alternative route takes you to St Katherine. It is a much shorter hike as it takes only one full day to go and come back. The hike starts off at Al-Milgah, the main Bedouin village of St Katherine. Shortly after, you go through Abu Geefa Path, considered the main gateway to the mountainous area from St Katherine. It was originally built by Abbas Pasha, using it to transfer building material all the way to the construction site. Currently, the maintenance of this important passageway is handled by the local Gebeliya tribe. Living in the mountainous area around St Katherine, the Gebeliya are one of Sinai's main Bedouin tribes though they differ when it comes to their origin. The famous Roman Emperor Justinian I ordered the construction of St Katherine Monastery, and for guarding and serving it he brought 100 of his guards, all from Eastern Europe. Oral history as told by elder Gebeliya tells of only one guard of the whole lot, Bekheet, who survived. Bekheet had three sons -- Wahib, Hamed and Salama who form the ancestral roots of the current Gebeliya tribe. Leaving Abu Geefa Pass, you start to hike Wadi Toboug. At its first few metres lies what Bedouins call Nosret Al-Nemr or The Leopard Trap. The Sinai leopard, or panthera pardus jarvisi, also known as the Judean desert leopard, is a subspecies of leopard, much smaller than its African cousin. Its diet consists mainly of birds, mice, hyrax and livestock. Though the Sinai leopard will occasionally hunt goats, it is not considered dangerous to humans. Nonetheless, it has been persecuted at large. It is among the rarest species on the planet, and whether it still exists in Sinai is debatable. Only sporadic and unconfirmed sightings have been recorded. Continuing the delightful trek in Wadi Toboug with all the beautiful surrounding landscape, one reaches an ancient mulberry tree towards the end of the wadi which is believed to date as far back as the Byzantine era, around the seventh century. Seven such trees are found in St Katherine and they are protected by the authority of St Katherine National Park which within its boundaries Abbas Mountain is located. They are also protected by the tribal law of the local Bedouins. Once you reach the site of the indigenous mulberry tree, turn right to Wadi Zawatiin. Shortly the ascension of Abbas Mountain will start. From there it is the same path as the Al-Karam route. Whatever mountain, mountaineering in Sinai is a must-do experience at least once in a lifetime. Once you climb your first mountain, the addiction to try another will slip smoothly into your veins. For reservations, costs and hiking arrangements out of Al-Karm, call Amm Gamil at +02 010 132 4693. As there is no mobile network in Al-Karm, your call to the above number will be automatically diverted to a voice mail. Leave a message with all the details and Amm Gamil will get back to you. Don't worry; his replies are prompt. For reservations, costs and hiking arrangements out of St Katherine, please call +02 010 641 3575. Seven golden tips Before embarking on a mountaineering expedition, one should consider the following tips: 1) Your feet will do most of the work so make sure to wear a comfy hiking shoe. 2) Desert nights in general are cold, so bring an extra jacket or two. 3) If you are under any special medication, it is strongly advisable to have an extra supply just in case. 4) If there is a possibility you will be camping close to a lake, marsh or pond, grab your mosquito repellent before leaving home. 5) Can't go on? Be proactive and bring some energy bars... lots of them. 6) It may turn out to be a moonless night, good for star gazing, but around the camp you won't be able see a thing unless you have your flashlight. 7) Make sure toilet paper is the very first thing that goes into your backpack.
