Page 18 - Wish Stream Year of 2017

With no escape from the sun we
started our trek up through the dif-
ficult rocky sections of the wadi.
Half way along the route there
was some technical scrambling
involved. Scaling to the top would
have required ropes and climbing
gear, so it was decided to take an alternate route around which we had to plan and navigate. It really tested us physically and mentally as some – if not most – of us had never had to exert our- selves in such heat. We were really put out of our comfort zone.
Although it was quite slow in the technical stages, it was physically demanding due to the intense heat and rocky landscape. Numerous water breaks were taken under whatever shade we could find, whether it was a fallen boulder or the side of a cliff face.
Once the day’s trekking was complete we were physically exhausted, and a rest was much needed. That night we stayed in the desert. In tents we changed from our sweaty clothes, and enjoyed another Jordanian dish: lamb slow cooked underground for four hours; another new experience for us all.
Day two in Wadi Rum was over. We made our way to the southern side of Jordan to the city of Petra. The city is famous for its rock-cut architecture and
water conduit system. It is a symbol of Jordan, and Jordan’s most-visited tourist attraction. Before trekking up Aarons Mountain and Wadi Musa, we enjoyed a guided tour to learn a mas- sive part of Jordan’s history. We found ourselves again enduring the scorch-
ing heat and trekking up Wadi Musa to Aarons Mountain, which is considered to be one of the holiest places in Jordan, venerated by Muslims as the final resting place of the prophet Haroun, the brother of Moses. The trek was challenging, as again there was no escape from the sun, having to, this time, scale the entire mountain.
At the top, we had the opportunity to have a rest and share some tea and bread cooked within a fire with some of the Bedouins. They live com- pletely off of the desert, so the fact they shared tea with us showed the amazing hospitality of not only the Jordanian people, but the ethnic Arabs of the Middle East. De-scaling Aarons Mountain, again, we found ourselves extremely fatigued. This was the longest and most difficult trek so far as it is exposed in the open desert, leaving very little escape from the sun. We needed to rest for the night before taking on the next chal- lenge Jordan had to offer.
On the last day, we found ourselves walking down to one of the largest waterfalls in Jordan, the Malaqi trail. Yet again the sun was beating
We were really put out of our comfort zone.
16 SANDHURST