Ramthah Loop

Ramthah Loop

The Ramthah Loop is a round-trip mountain hike that begins and ends in the mountain oasis of Ramthah. The hike covers more than 11km and provides a contrast of two wadi systems, Wadi Ramthah and Wadi Khadrah.

Ramthah is a much small oasis community reflecting the smaller scale of the catchment area and the smaller of the two wadi beds. The main wadi is about 10m wide and seldom more than 10m deep.

Khadrah is a large crescent-shaped oasis located on a sweeping curve of the wadi. The main wadi bed upstream from the oasis is up to 20m deep and, though there are narrow 'rock gorges' where the wadi cuts through solid roack, the main channel is often 30 or more meters across.

There are several sites along the route and many 'placed stone' structures of unknown purpose or use.

Leaving the active farms at Ramthah	Looking across the wadi to remains of 'bait khaimah'	The pass in the distance	Starting out on the falaj
The wadi bed, the abandoned oasis in the distance	The wadi bed, the abandoned oasis in the distance	New, cement falaj above remains of sarooj falaj	Detail of old sarooj falaj
The reservoir at the head of the falaj in the abandoned date garden	Track leading through the abandoned oasis	Dead date palms in the abandoned oasis	Goat track leading to the first pass
View back towards Ramthah	Approaching first pass	Approaching first pass	Remains of placed stones on track
View from top of first pass back towards Ramthah	View towards Wadi Khadrah (distance) with one of the tributaries of Wadi Ramthah in foreground	View up from wadi bed, path visible just right of center	Cut (center) is lower pass to Wadi Khadrah
Upper pass to Wadi Khadrah is beyond mountain on the left	Wadi bed of this tributary of Wadi Khadrah	Stone 'brdige' (foreground) on one of the several routes around gorges	Sidr in the wadi bed
One of the stone cairns -- with white rock on top -- marking change of direction	Narrow track up the slope	View back	Goat track visible
Small 'shelter' beside the track	Moringa peregrina	Moringa peregrina	Dyerophytum indicum
Magnificent sidr in middle of wadi bed	Sidr looking downstream	Retaining wall for this section of track from bottom of wadi to top of conglomerate	Detail of retaining wall
Placed stone, function unknown	First glimpse of upper pass	Upper pass	Upper pass
Approaching upper pass	Several gazelle latrines as you approach the upper pass	Well-worn track used by goats and donkeys	Moringa peregrina surviving in a narrow crack in this rock near the upper pass
Moringa peregrina	Moringa peregrina	View from upper pass down into Wadi Khadrah	Approaching Wadi Khadrah
White stone markers used to mark trail	White stone marker (left) used to mark trail	Distance between mountrain ridges for Wadi Khadrah several times that for Wadi Ramthah	First glimpse down into Wadi Khadrah
Looking upstream Wadi Khadrah	Looking downstream Wadi Khadrah	Last ridge to cross before 'football house'	View downstream Wadi Khadrah
View downstream Wadi Khadrah	'Football house', 'hunting camp', 'campsite' and 'chimneys' all in the distance	Curious geological features: large stones with desert varnish right but fine gravel left	One the access points down into Wadi Khadrah (lower left)
Placed stones	Remains of a majlis, perhaps	Goat/donkey trail to 'football house'	Goat/donkey trail to 'football house'
Short section of wall	Placed stones	Narrow track over rought ground	One of the crescent structures at 'football house'
Largest structure at 'football house'	Barasti, clothing, tin cans, bottles all found at 'football house'	Gazelle latrine not far from crescent-shaped structures	One of the tributaries of Wadi Khadrah
Track on route back to Ramthah	Animals have kicked stones to the sides to create obvious track	Rough ground near lower pass	Looking back towards Wadi Khadrah
Approaching lower pass	Ramthah in distance (right)	Lower pass	Lower pass
Members following the falaj	Leaving Ramthah, approaching abandoned oasis	Lower pass visible left	Scree slope
Members negotiating the scree slope	Members negotiating the scree slope	Profile of ascent to the upper pass and then descent to lower pass	Track when overlaid on Google Earth