Arabian Peninsula

Socotra, Oman and the United Arab Emirates – March 2023

Donette and Todd spent March, 2023 on the Arabian Peninsula. They flew to Dubai and after doing a tour of the city, transferred to Abu Dhabi for a flight to Socotra, an island off the coast of Yemen. The Socotra portion of the trip didn’t quite go as planned; when they arrived on the island, the tour guide they had partnered with to develop climbing was in jail! Consequently, the trip was shortened. In addition to sampling the sights of the island, five new routes were done on a cliff overlooking the ocean to the north of Hadiboh.

Todd and Donette flew back to Abu Dhabi and did a tour of the city before returning to Dubai. They then flew to Muscat, Oman, rented a car and spent a week climbing and exploring the country. Highlights were staying at the Bait AlSabah Heritage Inn amid an abandoned village, seeing Jebel Mischt and climbing in Kubra Canyon (to include doing a new route). 

It was then back to Dubai to rent another vehicle and go north to Ras Al-Khaimah. They went to the large climbing area of Stardust, spending time with the local guidebook author and also climbed near Jebel Jais, doing one new route.