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Wadi Zerqa Ma’in, Moab

Publié le 9 July 2014 | Madaba Eng, Jordan Eng

We had planned to do the Mujib Siq, a famous canyon but decidedly too expensive (45JD per person for a 1h descent with compulsory guide!), but finally opted for this canyon a little further north, which is well worth the detour. Like Wadi Hasa, it's mainly an aquatic hike, with no need for equipment other than a helmet. Shorter, around 4kms, with no major difficulties, even if 2 or 3 climbing or unclimbing passages have to be negotiated (level III/IV), the canyon starts from a hot spring site, very hot (50º!), so hot that after 4 hours' walking, you can still have a jacuzzi at 35º. Again, the route is very winding, more and more incised, with magnificent sandstone galleries all along the way, in colors ranging from red to yellow, white, brown, purple and translucent turquoise water. In short, you're in for a real treat, before suddenly emerging onto the Dead Sea.

Technical summary

Location ✦ Zerqa Ma'in
Region ✦ Madaba
Country ✦ Jordan
Diet ✦ aquatic

Difficulty ✦ v2-a2-IV

Duration ✦ 4h to 5h

Distance ✦ 4 kms

Access to the place

From the coastal road, climb the road to Madaba, in the direction of Ma'in. It twists and turns upwards, then drops back down on the south side of the wadi. Pass the Panoramic Complex, then after another hill, at the level of large antennas, fork right to descend to the Ma'in Spa, 5kms away. Pass the entrance to the spa and continue downhill to cross the wadi bed. Park just after on the right. GPS point is 31°36'27.8″N 35°36'53.9″E.

Map & topo

Itinerary description

Hiking to the start 10'

Take the track that joins the torrent, pass under a 1st bridge in the tunnels and then a second one further on. You pass below the thermal baths, with high waterfalls on the right. You come to a chaos of black rock that blocks the way.

Course 1h30 à 2h

The canyon runs roughly east-west, with numerous meanders and a multitude of small waterfalls no bigger than 5m. No equipment is required other than a helmet and a 20m safety rope to help with some of the descents. In the upper part, close to the hot spring, it's difficult to cross the stream as the temperature is so high. The descent to the Dead Sea takes around 4 hours.

It's hard to describe the whole route in detail, but there are 3 key passages that mark the way.

First of all, the starting boulder, which you have to climb 2m in IV to get to the other side and really start the canyon.

Then, about halfway along the route, after following the course of the water without much difficulty, you come to the top of a beautiful waterfall that seems impassable. The passage is made by skirting the left flank on a small ledge and descalating 1 step (impressive but not so hard if you sit down) towards a small platform which then leads back to the torrent, just after the waterfall. From this point onwards, the wadi becomes much steeper and the sandstone galleries more impressive.

Finally, a little before the final exit, a new waterfall is reached, which you have to pass by unclimbing in a hole (IV) or by abseiling 5m from a twisted piton (better the hole).

Back

We gradually emerge from the final defile to discover the coastal road bridge on a final bend and the Dead Sea behind. The GPS exit point is 31°37'02.5″N 35°34'07.8″E. All that's left is to hitchhike back to the starting point, and it works. we've tested it.