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La Princesse a la Dalle, Wadi Naqab, Emirates

Publié le 31 January 2014 | Emirates

Wadi Naqab, the lost wadi east of Ras AL Khaimah. To the left of the Red Wall, an area a little lower and less vertical, we opened a new mixed route, to the left of our 1st opening of "Les Dessous de la Princesse". This new route climbs up a pretty ramp that becomes vertical on the slab before finishing on the head of the rock, at ridge level. The idea is to do 3, maybe 4 pitches. The project is underway and, starting from the top, we've been able to place belay 3, belay 2, the 2nd pitch and belay 1. We still have to equip the 1st pitch, test the 2nd at the head and find the passage for the 3rd.

Technical summary

Access to the place

From the E18, which runs south from RAK towards the airport, turn left at a Toyota store (U-turn at this point). Head towards the mountains, take the fork on the right (large speed bump at the entrance) then, at the T junction, turn left. From the asphalt, you enter the wadi, then a good track, then a medium-sized track, turning right each time. After the last buildings (small stone houses on the left), continue for a while in the torrent bed. Today, the track is totally broken up and impassable. Leave the car before the chaos. Allow a good 30 minutes on the track.

Map & topo

☰S ee the Google Earth image below or download and open the Google Earth file that gives the waypoints to the parking lot (rename the .jpg extension to .kmz).

Itinerary description

Hiking to the start 1h

From the last parking lot, continue along the wadi bed. Pass the first large bend to the right, with huge boulders on the left. Continue following the cairns, then cross to the left to find a large cairn and the entrance to the system of ledges. Climb following the cairns and the bluish marks on the rock (polished by repeated passage). Successive switchbacks follow one another above the wadi, occasionally crossing a scree slope. Then you reach a long platform that you have to cross and join more switchbacks that finally lead to a flat area and an opening into the wadi above. You're now opposite the Red Wall, which is on the right-hand side above a huge boulder field. Cross the wadi bed and climb up to the wall to the left of the boulder zone. Follow the cairns to reach the base of the wall, to the left of the Red Wall.

Course

The route has a westerly exposure, so it catches the afternoon sun. It could be 90m in 3 pitches (25m, 35m, 30m) semi-equipped.the start is below the corner on the left walls at Red Wall, just to the left of a fairly high hole. There's a bolt at 5m for orientation.

L1 (20m, 6b ?)

A fine slab start (6b ?) then a slight flat. Then it's straight on to cross a small wall with the help of a clean crack and recover on the sloping landing above (6a+ ?). Finish diagonally right to the R1 belay on the orange rock at the foot of the long ramp that begins.

L2 (35m, 6a ?)

The exit from the belay and the traverse is fine, but remains in the V+ range, and the vertical 20m remain to be tested in trad and lead to confirm the level.

L3 (30, ?)

To be fully equipped

Back

From the top, walk to the left to find the Dessous de la Princesse relay 3 nearby and call back 3 times on the ground. Return to the parking lot at the entrance to the wadi in the opposite direction (1h).