Last week, my friend Rami invited me to join him and four of his friends for an overnight camping trip in Wadi Al Mazra, followed by an adventure crossing Wadi Manjal, one of its tributaries.
Due to prior commitments, I couldn’t make it on the first day, so I decided to meet them early the next morning to explore Wadi Manjal together.
I set off at 5 am on Friday, driving towards Wadi Dayqah and then on to Wadi Al Mazra, where the group had camped overnight. By 6:45 am, I reached their campsite. Our team of six included Jenny — a British adventurer who once lived in Oman and now frequently returns from Qatar for such excursions — along with Rami, Ahmed, Sultan, Hussain (an Emirati friend) and myself.
After enjoying a freshly brewed cup of aromatic coffee prepared by our Emirati companion, we packed our climbing gear, food and supplies before starting our hike upstream along the wadi bed.
About 45 minutes later, we left the wadi floor and began a steep ascent along the right bank, following a local trail. The climb was tough and required care; a single misstep could have had serious consequences. After nearly two hours, we reached a plateau scattered with ancient graves — a fascinating historical site.
From there, we descended into the canyon to begin our journey down the wadi. The view was spectacular, with the distant ocean visible from our vantage point. After a brief pause to take in the scenery, we continued down to our first abseil point, anchoring the rope to a sturdy tree.
The first waterfall drop, around 30 metres high, was stunning. Ahmed went first, followed by me. Midway through the descent, I passed a spring gushing from the rock face and landed in a pristine, crystal-clear pool of water — refreshingly cool but not cold. One by one, the rest of the group joined us. Jenny descended last and once she reached the bottom, we retrieved the rope and pressed on.
Soon after, we encountered another waterfall of similar height. We abseiled again into a calm pool and took a short break. Sultan impressed us by producing his portable espresso machine, brewing steaming coffee that we enjoyed with delicious dates brought by Ahmed and another friend. The spot, a quiet flat stretch surrounded by towering cliffs, felt almost enchanted.
After soaking in the tranquillity, we continued our descent through the wadi until we reached the final and tallest waterfall — a dramatic 130-metre drop ending in a large pool I had visited before from the opposite direction. We secured our rope and I descended first, stopping midway at a large cave carved into the rock wall, just as Ahmed had advised. He came next and Jenny followed.
Once at the bottom, we re-secured the rope for a final abseil into a wide pool nearly 35 metres across. Each visit to this remarkable spot fills me with a deep sense of fulfilment; descending this magnificent waterfall had always been a dream of mine.
The hike back to our cars took about an hour. Along the way, I marvelled at the wadi’s extraordinary geology — layers of rock twisted and folded in every direction, silent witnesses to immense pressures and intense heat buried deep within the Earth millions of years ago.
Another curiosity of Wadi Mazraa was a huge boulder in the wadi bed with a fragment of an ancient falaj built atop it.
By 3:15 pm, we reached our vehicles. Sultan once again brewed his signature coffee and we savoured delicious club sandwiches generously offered by our Emirati friend.
It was another unforgettable day spent with wonderful companions in the breathtaking landscapes of Oman — truly a land of endless adventure and beauty.
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