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Hell Rock, Wadi Naqab, Emirates

Publié le 15 November 2014 | Emirates

To the right of the Red Wall, along the wall for a hundred meters or so, there's a large detached rocky blade overlooking the wadi: Hell Rock, la lame de l'enfer The north-east face offers a superb 30-40m slab, the rock is excellent. In the shade, even at the end of the day, there's enough rock to equip several more routes here. The summit can be reached by trad climbing up the left chimney (IV+/V). These routes complete the area, which is beginning to be worth the hour and a half of approach time.

Technical summary

Access to the place

This is the same as for all Nakhab roads. From the E18 from RAK to the airport, turn left at a Toyota store (do a U-turn there). Head for the mountains, take the fork on the right (large speed bump at the entrance), then turn left at the T junction. 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 trail.

☰ See the Google Earth image below or download and open the Google Earth file showing the waypoints to the parking lot (rename the .jpg extension .kmz).

Map & topo

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 large platform (see photo), which you have to cross and then join more switchbacks that finally lead to a flat area and an opening in the wadi above. We're now opposite the Red Wall, which is on the right-hand side, with a huge boulder zone below. Cross the wadi bed and climb up to the wall to the left of the boulder zone. Follow the cairns to the base of the wall and head right to find Hell Rock, a kind of rocky tooth detached from the main wall...

Course Les voies

Facing north-east and protected from the morning sun, the rock is in the shade all day long. The normal trad route is easily protected with large friends and a few straps, except for the final section with an easy but exposed exit (point to be set). For Satan l'habite, you'll need 15 quickdraws and a 2x40m.

Go for it, Témon (30m, V)

Start to the left of the chimney, on a ledge. Pass through the chimney in opposition to exit on the top of a peak slightly detached from the blade. Then protect yourself in a crack on the left to finish at the summit.

Satan l'habite (32m, 6a/6b ?)

Start off to the right under the detached colonnette. Exit on the colonnette then pass to the right to diagonally climb slightly to the left and attack the main slab. Take a step to the left and then climb straight up along a crack. Aim for a hole under a small overhang and finish by exiting to the left of the boulder at the top.