Page 9 - 1996 AMA Autumn

Tony Rudall Major (Ret’d)
C C 'T 'h e hills drew together until only two miles A divided them: and then, towering gradually till their parallel parapets must have been a thousand feet above us, ran forward in an avenue for miles” T.E.
Lawrence
The mountains in Wadi Rumm are higher and even more spectacular than Lawrence described.
I took seven pupils from my school in Limmasol there during Easter 1996. We had only 10 days. Tony Howard of Troll Wall Norway and Troll Equipment fame had been going to Jordan for ten years and still not explored all Rumm’s possibilities. We met him there as he was about to try yet another route to the summit ofJebel Rumm, following the intricate routes first explored by the Bedouin, as they hunted the illu­ sive Ibex.
Our team were not equipped for anything so ambi­
tious yet, we followed our Bedouin guide up some
wonderful scrambles. Our agile youngsters - fit from
“Cyprus Horseshoe Hike” - reached the “Burdah
Bridge” in record time. This rock bridge is becoming a major des­ tination for visitors to Rumm. The Bedouin drive parties to the foot of the Burdah mountain and then lead the way up to this exposed span of rock with stunning views back across the flat desert sands to the towering vertical cliffs ofJebel Rumm and Jebel Um Ishrin.
We trekked and climbed through Rakabat Canyon and scrambled to the summit of Jebel Mayeen which is just north of the village.
Also close to the village is Lawrence’s Well, a spring in the rocks which reputedly appeared as Lawrence passed by. Above are a series of Siqs (canyons) which lead onto many routes to the sum­ mit plateau. The plateau itself sounds like a strange “Lost World” sort of place. A future visit?
‘Burdah Bridge ’ Ex Magnilicent Rumm
To find out more about this wonderful place, a region a well trav­ elled friend described as the most beautiful place in the world, buy Tony Howards book, “Climbs and Treks in the Wadi Rumm”. Build into your itinerary a visit to Petra and the Royal Jordanian Diving Centre at Aqaba. One of our kids described her day in the “Rose Red City” as the best in her life. Snorkelling above the coral reef at Aqaba was one of the experiences of my lifetime.
Please drop me a line if you’d like to know more about our trip, I’ll send you a copy of our report if you like. I’d like to hear from any old friends who have been on trips with me or from anyone who’d like to know more about the mountaineering possibilities in Equador, Czechoslovakia, Morocco, Turkey, Nepal, Mexico. If anyone has a climbing guide to Cyprus I’d love to hear from them!
ARMY MOUNTAINEER
Expedition
MAGNIFICENT RUM
WAINWRIGHT MAPS OF THE LAKELAND FELLS: MAP FOUR - THE SOUTHERN FELLS. ISBN 0-9526530-0-1
MAP SIX - THE NORTH WESTERN FELLS. ISBN 0-9526530-1-X Published by Cordee at £3.99 each.
Most readers will be familiar with the seven Wainwright Guides to the Lake District. Idiosyncratic they may but fascinat­ ing for their presentation and the gems of information they contain. The many page size maps have now being collected and reproduced in normal folded map format (roughly 25”x30”) and the result is much more impressive as one might expect. Rightly, since the maps have not been updated from when they were first drawn for the guides, they should not be treated as a substitute for the normal Ordnance Survey map but as piecesWoafinwright memorabilia they are fasci­ nating and of interest to those of us for whom a good map is as absorbing as a good book.
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