Penthouse.In the morning, after enjoying a nice breakfast spread and a cup of good coffee (Misha’s specialty), we hiked down a valley to the next climb on the list. On the way we passed some more old, backcountry churches including one where some dude name Moses apparently hit a rock with a stick and got some water out of it – I don’t know but Misha and Shirley apparently are both in the Old Testament fan club. Anyway, after heading up the first pitch of the climb on Jebel Fara I found a chimney blocked by some hollow sounding rubble. Having had our share of close calls – most of which involved shit dislodged from chimneys – I downclimbed and we bailed on that climb. Sorry Misha. Instead, we hiked 10 minutes along the cliff base and climbed a parallel line called Penthouse (7ish pitches & V+ ish). The highlight of this was a 10-meter-long tunnel somewhere midway up. Once again, Misha met us on the top and we scrambled down and hiked back to Fox Camp in time for Christmas Eve supper at the camp.
Photos
Our camp in the village the following morning (Dec. 2020).Racking up for the climb. Photo by Misha (Dec. 2020).Breakfast spread. Photo by Misha (Dec. 2020).Misha, Shirley, Mr. Ramadan (sitting) and our Bedouin guide (forgot his name) at breakfast (Dec. 2020).Misha brewing up some coffee (Dec. 2020).Shirley with some company (Dec. 2020).Misha giving a cam demo (Dec. 2020).Blue TCU vs. some stonework (Dec. 2020).Wankers ready to go. Photo by Misha (Dec. 2020).Setting off from the village towards our climbing objective for the day (Dec. 2020).In the village (Dec. 2020).Some residents of the village seeing us off (Dec. 2020).Another backcountry monastery (Dec. 2020).As approaches go, this one was pretty unique and interesting (Dec. 2020).More of the approach (Dec. 2020).Checking out a well (Dec. 2020).Photo by Misha (Dec. 2020).Something to do with traditional marriage (Dec. 2020).Check out the church in the distance (Dec. 2020).This church (Dec. 2020).Apparently the church was built at the site where Moses struck a rock with a staff to get some water out of it (Dec. 2020).Almost there (Dec. 2020).Racking up at the base. Photo by Misha (Dec. 2020).With Shirley belaying. Photo by Misha (Dec. 2020).Leading the route we had originally planned on climbing that day. Photo by Misha (Dec. 2020).I did not like the sound of the blocks above me and we bailed. Photo by Misha (Dec. 2020).Instead, starting up pitch 1 of Penthouse (Dec. 2020).View down the long, slabby pitch 1. Shirley is low on the pitch (Dec. 2020).Shirley on pitch 1 (Dec. 2020).Views down valley from low on Penthouse. Note the walled off monastery (Dec. 2020).Pitch 2 (Dec. 2020).Shirley topping out on pitch 2 (Dec. 2020).Pitch 3 of Penthouse – an awkward squeeze chimney behind this “nose” feature followed by a delicate dihedral (Dec. 2020).Shirley topping out on pitch 3 (Dec. 2020).Leading pitch 4 of Penthouse. Above is the tunnel which makes this route memorable (Dec. 2020).Looking up at the entrance to the tunnel on pitch 4 of Penthouse (Dec. 2020).View down from inside the ~10 meter tunnel (Dec. 2020).Shirley emerging from the tunnel (Dec. 2020).Views up valley from the belay (Dec. 2020).Born again (Dec. 2020).Leading pitch 5 (Dec. 2020).Leading pitch 6 (Dec. 2020).Higher on pitch 6 (Dec. 2020).Views of a monastery from the pitch 6 belay (Dec. 2020).Shirley topping out on pitch 6 (Dec. 2020).Views towards St. Catherine village (Dec. 2020).Views up valley towards the place we had just overnighted (Dec. 2020).Shirley topping out on pitch 7 (Dec. 2020).Topping out on Penthouse. Photo by Misha (Dec. 2020).Shirley topping out on Penthouse (Dec. 2020).Shirley and Misha atop the Penthouse route (Dec. 2020).Views of Jebel Musa aka Mount Sinai with a church and mosque on its summit (Dec. 2020).A closer look (Dec. 2020).Misha and Shirley on our hike down from Jebel Fara (Dec. 2020).Looking towards Fox Camp from our hike down (Dec. 2020).One short abseil on the descent (Dec. 2020).Look at that crazy granite (Dec. 2020).Back down in the valley (Dec. 2020).Getting closer to camp (Dec. 2020).Views of St. Catherine. Click photo for a short video of Misha ordering our dinner in Arabic – most impressed especially after we found the dinner had in fact been prepared (Dec. 2020).Shirley and Misha in Fox Camp (Dec. 2020).Misha boiling up some tea (Dec. 2020).Christmas Eve supper back at Fox Camp: Tree Of Life, Jetboil, and rice and chicken ala Tabasco. Photo by Misha (Dec. 2020).
