Discovery of another canyon equipped by Khaled Abdul Malak recently, the wadi Al Hail, which lies on the west coast of Oman between Quriyat and Sur. Wadi Al Hail can be climbed from the village of Al Suwaih and back. It is in fact a secondary wadi that flows into the long, winding Wadi Al Arbeyeen at the village. Caught by time, we were only able to do the first part, which goes up to the bend, without being able to go any higher and climb the famous giant dice. A popular canyon because of its easy access and the fact that it requires no special equipment, it's a wild and beautiful aquatic canyon with numerous waterfalls and pools of pristine water. At the 90° bend, a beautiful pool of translucent water between green and blue. A must-do if you want to go further.
Technical summary
Type ✦ Water canyon
Location ✦ Wadi Al Arbeyeen, Suwayh
Region ✦ Muscat, Hajar Oriental
Country ✦ Oman
Difficulty ✦ v1-a2-II
Max recall ✦ None
Duration ✦ 2h to 4h (round trip)
Interest ✦ ★
Access to the place
On the E17 road from Quriyat to Sur, exit at Dhabab and pass under the freeway bridge to find the track in very good condition which enters and plunges into wadi Al Arbeyeen. The canyon is quite steep but wide at the start, and climbs upwards with great twists and turns. Pass the first hamlet on the right, then turn left at the second hamlet to stay on the main wadi. You then pass a small pass and, on the other side, the village of Al Suwayh. Park before crossing the torrent and waterfall at the entrance to the village.
Itinerary description
Hiking to the start 30'
Cross the wadi Al Hail to the left and climb up under the terraces to aim for the falaj further up. Follow the falaj through the palm grove until you reach the end. Return to the bed of Wadi Al Hail, where the canyon begins.
Course
It's a one-way trip, so you don't need any equipment and there's no major difficulty, at least up to the elbow. There's a lot of water, so a wetsuit is recommended except in summer.
Part 1: up to the elbow
There's a path with cairns on the right-hand side, which sometimes crosses over to the left or into the bed of the Wadi AL Hail. Sometimes it's even cairned on both sides. In short, there's no difficulty, and it's easy to find your way, even if you have to climb or unclimb large boulders in places, or look for the best passage.
Further on, you come to a tight spot with a reach that you must swim for around 50m or avoid by crossing on the left-hand side (V, with grip). Then continue without having to go into the water. After about 1h30 from the end of the falaj, you reach the point where the wadi bends 90° to the left. Here you'll find a splendid swimming pool and the possibility of jumping from the ledge above.
Part 2: up to the giant dice
This section can be completed either by avoiding the pool at the left-hand bend, or by swimming up the waterfall (knotted rope visible).
Back
Simply retrace your steps for a similar amount of time.
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