Who said deserts and mountains in the summer are no fun? Mohamed El-Hebeishy overturned the taboo to end up with an unforgettable vacation When I first told my friends about spending the weekend in Sinai, many were excited because they thought I had Sharm or Dahab in mind. Once they figured out that Al-Karm is my destination, they changed their mind, though the only reason for the unanimous rejection was nothing but its location: in the heart of Sinai's mountains. Al-Karm is an ecolodge located a few kilometres from the main road leading to St Catherine. I packed my backpack and headed there in August, the core of Egypt's summer season. To my pleasant surprise, the blistering summer heat was greatly reduced by a delightful breeze. After all Al-Karm is situated at an altitude of 1,100m. Still, I needed shade, especially during the mid-day hours. At night, the weather was more than just fine; I actually needed a blanket as I slept outdoors. The idea of a mountain ecolodge was sparked in St Catherine National Park, where within its boundaries the retreat is located. It is an environment-friendly lodge operated and managed by the local Bedouins of the area. It is a means for sustainable tourism that opens new frontiers for tourists to discover, yet it maintains a balanced equilibrium when it comes to local inhabitants and fine ecological systems. Funded by the EU and supervised by the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency through St Catherine National Park, Al-Karm Ecolodge was built using natural resources and modelled in the same architectural style and techniques the local Bedouins employ for building their own edifices. Inaugurated in 2002, the mountainous retreat was built on the ruins of original Bedouin houses in Wadi Araba. It acquired its name "Al-Karm" meaning the "Grapes Garden" in Arabic, from the fact that this area was known for grape cultivation, but that was back in the heydays when rain was not as scarce as today. To reach the ecolodge, you need to follow the motorway leading to Sharm El-Sheikh, at Al-Tur junction, then turn left in the direction of St Catherine. Midway, you will reach a small local village called Al-Tarfah. From there Amm Gamil can manage transportation for you. Otherwise, if you are travelling in a 4W, you can either off-road Al-Tarfah dirt road or Wadi Sahab. The latter, located a few kilometres before Al-Tarfah Village, is a bit longer but a much easier path to trek. Al-Tarfah route is difficult with lots of rocky slopes, uphills and downhills. Amm Gamil, a local Bedouin who is in charge of Al-Karm, is a reverent man who literally radiates peace and serenity. He, as the majority of the Bedouins living in the area round St Catherine Monastery, is from the Gebeliya Tribe. One of between 11 and 13 major Bedouin tribes populating the peninsula, their name literally translates to "mountaineers" as they inhabit an area denoted by its mountainous nature. Unofficial census states 1,500 as the total number of its members. In contrast to the majority of Bedouin tribes of the Sinai and Negev deserts, the Gebeliya tribe is not descendent of Arab origin, but rather of, oddly enough, eastern European. It is believed that the Roman Emperor Justinian I, who ordered the building of St Catherine Monastery during the sixth century, had sent a hundred or so guards to protect and serve the monastery. They later intermarried with the locals and formed a separate tribe. Though they converted to Islam with the Arab conquest in the seventh century, the Gebeliya maintained a symbiotic relationship with the monastery's monks. No one can ascertain for sure the guards' origin. Some claim they were Romanian while others go for Macedonians or even Balkans. To recharge your batteries, relaxation and nature are the ultimate delights Al-Karm offers. To start with, its location is secluded, opened yet contained, meaning you are pretty much away from the nearest form of urban settlement. In addition, the place is not surrounded by any walls or fences, yet the natural form of the valley, where it is located with sky-high mountains, produces a feeling of security. A perfect day in Al-Karm may involve nothing more than reading a book, going for a sunset stroll or contemplating nature. Believe me, you won't need anything else. If you prefer more energy demanding activities, then I would highly recommend going for one of the numerous Al-Karm treks. One, two or three- day treks are available and if that is not enticing enough then a special trek can be tailored for you. From the many options available, Nakb Al-Hawa and Gabel Al-Banat are the most famous destinations for one-day treks, both offering exquisite natural scenery. On the other hand, two-day trips can take you to destinations like Gabel Tarboush, Kharzet Al-Shaq and Al-Galt Al-Azrak. The latter is known to be a natural pool of water amidst the mountains. It has never been recorded as dry despite the long and extensive periods of drought the area has endured. The three-day treks tackle the notorious Gabel Abbas which is the number one destination. Infamous for the palace built on its top, it belonged to Abbas Helmi Pasha, Mohamed Ali's grandson and Egypt's viceroy between 1849 and 1854. The palace was built as a health retreat and for Abbas Pasha to live a reclusive life. If you wish a less exerting hike, you can ask Amm Gamil to fetch a young guide to take you to the Nabatean Village, an archaeological site less than half an hour walk from Al-Karm. It is an easy trek with no mountaineering involved. Nabateans were clever merchants who exploited their position at the nexus of several trade routes though they didn't maintain clear-cut boundaries with their neighbours. Nabatea is believed to have occupied the border area between Syria and Saudi including current-day Jordan and which extended to cover the Sinai Peninsula. Trade routes and the origin of goods were considered a matter of national security; revealing any was an act of high treason. Along their secretive trade routes they maintained garrisons and stations to rest and replenish with food and water supplies, one of which is the archaeological site known as the "Nabatean Village". Nabatean civilisation reached its zenith with the carving of the elusive city of Petra (current-day Jordan) around the first century BC. But civilisations have all been characterised by rises and falls and Nabateans were no different. Roman Emperor Trajan waged a ruthless war that ended with annexing the Nabatean Kingdom as part of the greater Roman Empire. The splendorous city of Petra was reduced to the Roman province of Arabia Petraea. A walk in the mountains, reading a book while listening to the voiceless sound of nature, listening to Amm Gamil's traditional fairy tales or counting countless stars by night -- all are simple things that you can enjoy to the fullest in the mountain oasis of Al-Karm. For more information about Al-Karm Ecolodge visit http:// ecolodges.saharasafaris.org/alkarm. For reservation and prices, call Amm Gamil at +02 010 1324693.
