Egypt Just Opened its First Long-Distance hiking Trail

Advice, information and discussion about Egypt in general.

Moderators: DJKeefy, 4u Network

Post Reply
User avatar
Winged Isis
Egyptian Pharaoh
Egyptian Pharaoh
Posts: 3867
Joined: Thu Jul 05, 2007 2:38 pm
Location: Australia
Has thanked: 824 times
Been thanked: 766 times
Gender:
Australia

Egypt Just Opened its First Long-Distance hiking Trail

Post by Winged Isis »

Egypt just opened its first long-distance hiking trail and it’s stunning

Mar 4, 2019

A NEW HIKING TRAIL just opened in Egypt. The 105-mile Red Sea Mountain Trail will be the first long-distance trail in mainland Egypt, and takes visitors through the remote mountainscapes west of the beachside resort town of Hurghada. Its aim is to give hikers an authentic, rugged Egyptian experience in a part of the Middle East that is largely ignored by tourists, and introduce them to the culture of local Bedouin tribes. The trail is composed of several ancient routes the Bedouin have historically used for trading, traveling, and hunting, and it’s owned by the local Maaza tribe.

One of the trail’s main goals is to create a form of tourism that benefits the Bedouin community and helps preserve Bedouin culture. Ben Hoffler, one of the trail’s founders, told Lonely Planet, “The Red Sea Mountain Trail is about rethinking Hurghada’s tourism and creating an industry in which the Bedouin go from service to leadership roles and which ultimately empowers them to show their homeland and heritage to the world.”

If a 10-day, 105-mile hike is too much for you, there are shorter and easier circuits within the Red Sea Mountain Trail to accommodate every level of fitness. That said, know that the area is mountainous, so there is serious elevation gain along the way and some parts of the trail involve scrambling. Also, note that you cannot hike this trail independently; a local guide is mandatory for you to explore the ancient land of the Maaza tribe.

According to the official website, “From vast, desert plains to deep gorges and high, rugged summits, and from crumbling Roman towns to prehistoric rock art and chapels of Egypt’s early Desert Fathers the Red Sea Mountain Trail shows the best of the region’s inimitable beauty.”

The first guided hike along the Red Sea Mountain Trail is scheduled to take place this spring. Updates and further information can be found on the trail’s Facebook page and its official website.


Photos here: https://matadornetwork.com/read/egypt-j ... ZkNxbXEWbs


Carpe diem! :le:
User avatar
carrie
Egyptian Pharaoh
Egyptian Pharaoh
Posts: 4910
Joined: Mon Mar 14, 2005 10:46 am
Location: luxor
Has thanked: 1860 times
Been thanked: 2885 times
Contact:
United Kingdom

Re: Egypt Just Opened its First Long-Distance hiking Trail

Post by carrie »

Just wish I were younger, great idea.
User avatar
Hafiz
V.I.P
V.I.P
Posts: 1284
Joined: Mon Feb 20, 2012 4:23 pm
Has thanked: 614 times
Been thanked: 632 times
Gender:
Australia

Re: Egypt Just Opened its First Long-Distance hiking Trail

Post by Hafiz »

a duplicate now deleted using 6th rate IT skills.
Last edited by Hafiz on Tue Mar 26, 2019 2:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Hafiz
V.I.P
V.I.P
Posts: 1284
Joined: Mon Feb 20, 2012 4:23 pm
Has thanked: 614 times
Been thanked: 632 times
Gender:
Australia

Re: Egypt Just Opened its First Long-Distance hiking Trail

Post by Hafiz »

Commendable objective but for the following:

aren't areas inland in south and east of Sinai of extreme danger to tourists. Werent there many attacks on tourists in this area prior to 2011 and killing scores.

isn't hiking not only about achievement of the task but variety of landscape and particularly some animals and plants,

is there a single similar treck in the world except for the Death Valley hike and doesn't that one appeal to super-marathon types,

will anyone be able to campout in the reserve,

isn't it all military owned land and therefore any offenses like assault. theft and rape subject to military law (no documentation on the law available) a secret military tribunal with no lawyer for the defense, Because its military land will all male andfemale 'guests' by subject to virginity and spincter tests (per the 1854 French test - now utterly discredited by people who can read and/or write)

have they prepared what everyone else does - detailed maps with detailed descriptions of effort for various stages and estimates of duration, a detailed 70 page book on the flora and fauna of the area by region, habitat and season. iI know they can't on this one because the last full Survey Map of Egypt was done by the UK and US around '43 - lots of Jews - and since that time the 40,000 Supreme Egyptios Enginerios have been giving only great thought on what to do next. Their precise military maps are no better that their heads - a vacuum.

The whole agenda of the mistreatment of the Bedouin and their exclusion from tourism is long and not unconnected to the extreme alienation and hate the Bedouin have for Cairo. Other than slave type jobs and few good jobs in tourism in Siani are held be B. The Sinai alienation is are not unconnected with the black-marketing, dealing with Hamas and assistance to terrorists who act against Cairo.

If you want to help them don't use a pathetic band aid - give them reasonable education, health and infrastructure. Whilst on this matter where are the 6 month training programs for locals to participate in this new facade program, not that its a country with other than the worst vocational education system in the world (independent ratings) which must mean that in Sinai is defies evaluation.

Lost in the Sate Security shredder or in their torture of journalists is at least 1 and possibly 2 x Toshka style farming fiascos in Sinai that cost the taxpayer billions and what little benefits flowed to Cairo crooks. In recent years the cretinous solution to the tunnels feeding provisions to Hamas was to destroy as many as 2,000 houses on the border. There was a tunnel problem and rather than solve ot with detection systems that identify the tunnels they went for the baseball bat. This blast approach has achieved one thing - more recruits to anti Cairo activities including terrorism. If compensation was paid to the house (non)holders Cairo has kept quiet about but has imprisoned a very reputable journalist for 10 years who reported on the brutish behaviors of the Army.They claimed he was brotherhood yet the NYT and related published him. His real offence was writing articles read by the most powerful people in the world that revealed the Egyptian army both barbaric and incompetent.

As ever they have a problem with a single soccer player and they deal with by firing the whole team, the coach and all the physio staff and then wonder why they can't win the game.

There is the screamingly obvious - as usual missing in manic Egyptian thinking - where is the evidence of demand for such or even the potential of demand. How many desert trecks work in the world even in safe places, isn't the prime tourist season the hottest part of the year and doesn't this affect trecking, where its worked in other places what are the reasons for such - besides not killing tourists, what demographic are we talking about because younger people don't have much money but are feckless risk takers whilst older people have money but are demanding and can't walk as far - there are many other questions that would be the paragraph headings in a proposal in a sane country.

In Australia we attract tourists who spend on average 6-8 times per day of the Egyptian trash. There are some walking and walking/camping programs of various duration. All are expensive if only because of the insurance but also you need carriers and food to be carried. In a country with the best dramatic dry and wet landscapes and with rich tourists looking for adventure its still little more than 4 wheel drives or minibuses for most. Our climate varies and at its worst hotter than Egypt - buy a lot.

My feeling is that they will do what is already out of control behind Safaga and similar areas - 4 wheel drive carts for pure idiots with no assessment of damage to the environment. Its kids with poor parenting and middle aged men with sexual dysfunction having a blast. I guess you need to offer trash activities if you attract trash tourists.

If Egypt wants an outlet about effort. landscape and flora and fauna it lacks one thing - any tourists interested in such except for $US50 a day backpacker types who will demand alcohol of there is camping - and lots of sex.If true it will be just the standard - high volume low cost tourism creating awful jobs for locals.The attempts at Oasis tourism and long distance desert trecks (4XWD) in the west and south west have all failed in the last 10 years and in the latter case because of the security situation. The thinking with the 5-10 day 4WD wad that transport worked where there were only a few things worth seeing over a long distance. The management of one was excellent - probably because it ewasn't Egyptian but Czech and provided large and thoughtful briefings.

A related matter. In Africa I always bought the relevant Collins books on flora and fauna. Expensive but absilutely worth it. I think its true that Egypt had no careful field guide on either probably because it isn't interested and its scientists/botanists are no good. If you are goung to East or Central Africa they are worth their weight in gold. Australia also has the same by the same London publisher (owned by the Sun King who also owns the King James, not bad for the grandson of a Presbyterian minister).

At 10-11 years ago they entered into a secret deal with Israel to constrict a canal/pipeline across Sinai to feed Nile Water into Israel. It blew up because of public opinion and the impossibility of security for it.

Everyone knows that the20 million in Upper Egypt get a fraction of the government expenditure that Cairo and Alex get and that this is to keep the military protected from uprisings. Diseases and age of death in Upper Egypt are 10-15% below the national average as are literacy and numeracy. The situation in Sinai and the Oases is much worse and has been for lifetimes and I have never heard of any 'big man project' to fix this. This sad pathetic, ill planned and ill manages project will do nothing for the poor people of Siani but it might kill a dozen or two tourists.
newcastle
Egyptian God
Egyptian God
Posts: 8695
Joined: Thu Oct 17, 2013 11:49 am
Has thanked: 1548 times
Been thanked: 5127 times
Contact:
Egypt

Re: Egypt Just Opened its First Long-Distance hiking Trail

Post by newcastle »

Hardly a new idea. The Sinai trails have been operating for years and still are , as far as I know, despite the security issues. Only for those who aren’t worried about travel insurance. :lol:

I think,Hafiz, you’re confusing the Sinai trails with this new idea along the Red Sea mountains to the west of Hurghada. Having said that, I agree with many of the points you raise.

There are already regular excursions to visit Bedouin- by quad bike or jeep. I don’t see this hiking idea taking off. I fly over the area regularly and it looks pretty barren. Not much wild life either.....at least not the kind you’d want to encounter.

A few abandoned mining settlements, modern and Roman.

As for supporting the Bedouin, my impression is they do pretty well compared to the average Egyptian. The men often work in the Red Sea towns.....with a bit of drug/gun smuggling on the side. Generally speaking, they detest officialdom .
User avatar
Hafiz
V.I.P
V.I.P
Posts: 1284
Joined: Mon Feb 20, 2012 4:23 pm
Has thanked: 614 times
Been thanked: 632 times
Gender:
Australia

Re: Egypt Just Opened its First Long-Distance hiking Trail

Post by Hafiz »

Thanks.

Will keep an eye out on the Sinai standard of living but like most Egyptian stats they are terrified about any evidence of gaps in services or standard of living. The jobs you refer to are likely to be low wage - and then halve it.

I guess another view is that poor people must get explosive when 4 and 5 star tourism thrusts into your traditional land. It must also be hard that the whole of Sinai has been in emergency/martial law for two lifetimes and access to the courts to protect your interests/assets close to zero.Whether normal land law applies in the north is questionable.

In another post I gave an example of a hotel owner who was extorted/threatened by the military to sell his Hotel to the Army - about 15-20 years ago. In Egypt if there is one reliable anecdote do you assume that reality is x5 or x50?
Post Reply
  • Similar Topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post