The world's foremost desert climbing and trekking area.
Welcome to Jordan - By Nasri Atalla, Director of Tourism Introduction - By Tony Howard French Introduction - By Wilf Colonna Information and Advice Passports and Visas Customs Formalities Medical Regulations and Recommendations Money Tourist Information Travel to, and in Jordan Travel and Accommodation in Wadi Rum Transport in Wadi Rum Guided Holidays Hotels Swimming and Diving Para-gliding and Ballooning Wadi Rum Rest House Camping Wadi Rum Village Shopping and Post The Bedouin Flora and Fauna Weather (Incl. Weather Chart for Rum) Bivouacs Hazards Dress (Clothing) Tourist Code Equipment for Climbing Pegs Bolts Abseil Rings To Bolt, or Not to Bolt Mountain Rescue Facilities Maps, Guides and Information Pre-historic Sites The Nabataeans - By M.C.A. McDonald Nomenclature The Rock Description and Grading of Routes Grading Comparison Table Time Allowed for Climbs Styles of Routes Climbing History Chronology of Mountain Exploration New Climbs Routes Jebel Rum Massif Jebel Um Ishrin Massif Barrah Canyon Area Massif of Khush Khashah and Khazali Burdah & the Domes of Abu Khsheibah Outlying Areas, North of Rum Outlying Areas, South of Rum Petra 2005 Update Jordanian visas Medical Advice Travel to Jordan Accommodation in Wadi Rum Food Communications Useful contacts Current information on Wadi Rum Transport to and in Rum Hire of vehicle & driver or camels Mountain Guides in Wadi Rum Mountain Guide Fees Climbing & environmental concerns The rock, route times and grades Rescue A Rum story The Earthquake! New Routes (1993 to 1995) Jebel Rum Massif Jebel Um Ishrin Massif Barrah Canyon area Khazali, Burdah and all Southern Areas Indexes Graded Route list, by areas Graded Short Climbs, by areas Index of Routes Index of Main Summits and Canyons Glossary of Climbing Terms Zoning, Safety and Environmental and Guidelines for Climbers and Trekkers in the Rum Protected Area Rum Protected Area zoning map
Started climbing in 1953 and was very active in the Peak District in 1950s and 60s, writing guides to gritstone and limestone. In the early 1960s he worked as an outdoors instructor in Wales and the Lake District, qualifying as a British Mountaineering Council guide in 1965, the year he was on the first ascent of Norway's 1000m Troll Wall, "the biggest unclimbed rock wall in Europe". He then worked as a Mountain Guide in Romsdal from 1965 to '70. Elsewhere, he has climbed in most north African and Middle Eastern countries from 1963 onwards, and climbed and/or trekked in Greenland, Canada, America, South Georgia, India, Nepal, Thailand, Madagascar and Iran. He was a founding partner of Troll climbing equipment in1965. In 1984 together with Di Taylor he founded the adventure travel consultancy N.O.M.A.D.S. (New Opportunities for Mountaineering, Adventure and Desert Sports), when they discovered the climbing potential of Wadi Rum in Jordan. Tony has worked with Austrian and BBC TV, filming in the mountains of Jordan and is a regular contributor to outdoor magazines and travel guides. He wrote 'Walks and Climbs in Romsdal, Norway', 'Treks and Climbs in Wadi Rum, Jordan' and, together with Di Taylor, 'Jordan - Walks, Treks, Caves, Climbs and Canyons' and 'Walks in Palestine with the Nativity Trail'. They return to the Middle East every spring to enjoy the hot rock, great trekking and the companionship of their many Bedouin friends.